ANZÈRE: A SWISS SECRET
A little-known Swiss resort, Anzère proves a hit for two mum-son duos keen to spend a long weekend learning the joys of off-piste
Words Louise Hall
PHOTO MICHAEL MEUSBURGER
We’re floating in a world of white. After no skiing since, well, any of us can remember, we’ve had a glorious first morning learning the techniques of varied powder. There have been no lift queues and we’ve had virtually the whole mountain to ourselves, but for a couple of buzzards circling soundlessly overhead in the thermals.
“If this was Chamonix or Verbier it would be tracked out within a day,” says our British guide Simon Smith, of Glycérine Sport, as we pause for air. “That’s what’s so special about this place, there’s hardly anyone here.”
Now it’s getting cold, the sun long gone and the snowflakes are, in the words of the kids, “attacking us”. But we’re having a blast. “Don’t stop me now, I’m having such a good time,” sings my 12-year-old to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, as he rips giant kamikaze-style S-turns through the knee-deep powder.
It’s almost Christmas. We’ve had a full first morning exploring the off-piste around Anzère, a little-known Swiss resort in the French-speaking part of the Valais canton. We’re here, two mum-son duos, on a long weekend away, lured by the snow reports, to teach the boys (aged 12 and 14) off-piste. I suppose it’s a modern gender-twist on the traditional boys’ ski weekend.
There aren’t many Swiss resorts you can easily and affordably reach for a weekend, but Anzère is one of them. It’s an EasyJet, BA or SwissAir flight to Geneva, then hop on a scenic two-hour train to Sion and a short bus ride up the mountain.
So far, so good. We’ve spent the morning skiing powder bowls by the piste and navigating gentle woods around the resort. Simon has the superpower of patience and, being British, there is no concern of his teaching being lost in translation; we feel safe in his hands.
Simon’s teaching style is to gently give pointers, rather than overload us with information. We have been learning to resist the urge to lean back in the deep snow; to point our skis downhill, trying to let them flow down the fall-line as much as possible, rather than fight the snow, maintaining our speed and making long rounded turns. Other than that, he’s given us and the kids a pretty free rein to find our own rhythm, relax and just enjoy the snow.
Hamish is in his element, learning to ski powder before throwing himself into airboarding
Before we set off, Simon gave us a thorough introduction to our safety gear – transceiver, probe, shovel – which we have hired for the day from Glycérine Sport; having skied off-piste myself for years, I know it is essential to instil this discipline in everyone, especially our young kids, from the outset. “The most important thing, when checking kit, is to always be sure to check the batteries are full and that the transceiver is switched on to ‘send’ mode before setting off,” Simon explained. “It may appear harmless, but even playing in powder near the edge of the piste can be dangerous.”
With 58kms of pisted runs and 13 lifts, Anzère is not extensive, but there are pitches to suit all abilities here; there are plenty of blues, some spectacular sweeping reds and a smattering of challenging blacks. And besides, the compact size of the resort means there’s little worry about missing lift connections or getting lost. It’s also ideal for beginners with a free learn-to-ski zone at the base, and there is a central Family Fun Park with night skiing, ice skating, sledging, freestyle evenings, an airbag and food truck.
But pistes and activities aside, it is the acres of easy-access off-piste that make this place a real gem when the conditions are good – which they are, often. Despite its modest altitude, Anzère enjoys an excellent snow record. And this is precisely why we are here.
A REAL HIDDEN GEM
While Brits flock to its better-known, bigger-personality neighbours Crans Montana (for its old-world glamour and new age snowpark vibes) and Verbier (for its freeride scene and chi-chi nightlife), Anzère is the wildly lesser-known of the Valais resorts. Purpose-built in 1965, and dotted with traditional larch chalets, it’s also one of the most affordable resorts to ski in Switzerland, if not Europe. Hot dogs up the mountain cost from CHF 6; plat du jours from CHF 12. Not at all the pocket-emptying experience one imagines on hearing ‘skiing’ and ‘Switzerland’ together.
Skiing here is friendly, immersed in nature and unpretentious. This, combined with the effortless fusion of rural soul and the creeping-in of contemporary edge, is what ensures its high percentage of loyal return. You get the Mont Blanc views, quietness and snow quality without the crowded slopes, Michelin restaurants or ensuing price tag. All this makes Anzère unbeatable for families, and for savvy off-piste skiers seeking those alluring fresh tracks. And it is especially excellent for groups like us, who are looking for both.
To make the most of the fantastic conditions, we chased the last remaining patches of blue sky through to a late lunch. As the snow clouds rolled in, we sought cover in a cowshed restaurant, Les Ecuries de Tsalan, for an authentic fondue; another first for the boys who delighted in the theatre of dipping long forkfuls of homemade bread into bubbling vats of local cheese, losing and fishing them out again.
Now refreshed and recharged we are racing back down to Anzère's car-free village for what my son, Hamish, has been looking forward to all day… Airboarding.
Before we know it, we’re skimming and bouncing headfirst down a toboggan track on an ‘airboard’ – basically a one-man lilo on snow, or an inflatable snow bodyboard. Without brakes. Or steering, except for two tiny plastic under-rails. I hit the snowbank, bounce and wipe out. Hamish doesn’t. He’s lighter and more adept. Under Simon’s tuition he quickly masters the art of this new sport, throwing himself into the corners and using his bodyweight to steer the best line; part of the appeal is that you only need a short lesson (offered free here, at certain times) to grasp the basics and start riding.
With speeds of up to 88mph, set by world record holder Laurent Mathey in Les Arcs in 2007, it’s much faster than a traditional sled. Though no fear of things getting too extreme here; this slope is nice and mellow, and perfect for 12-year-olds (and their mums).
Airboarding is dynamic, addictive and demands quick reactions. All of which is why my adrenaline-junkie boy is hooked. Giggling great bellyfuls of glee, he whizzes past me (again) before we all slide to a joyfully ignominious heap at the bottom. We take the snow-tunnel magic-carpet back up, loop and repeat. We also try snow-scooting on a stand-up metal scooter. Airboarding wins hands down.
Eventually, tea and cake beckon. Anzère is a largely self-catering resort (only 300 of 8,000 tourist beds are in hotels, the rest are apartments and chalets); we opted for the central apart-hotel Hotel Zodiaque. It couldn’t be more convenient, right on the pedestrianised village square. It may have a Bond lair concrete ’60s bunker feel, but our light and airy top-floor apartment has a separate bedroom with en-suite, kitchen and lounge leading onto a balcony with incredible valley views (and is a steal, from less than £50pp a night for four). Breakfast is served downstairs, there’s a games room and a restaurant, so its catered or self-catered, as you choose. All-in, it’s ideal for the cash-conscious family.
SPAS AND SNOWFLAKES
Everything seems to be easy here. Even Anzère’s centrepiece, the Spa & Wellness centre, is close walking distance. After tea, we head for a pre-dinner dip. This is what I’ve been waiting for all day. A CHF8.5 million contemporary glass eco spa, perched high into the mountain side, it’s clever: providing affordable luxury for everyone without five-star hotel exclusion (16 CHF for two hours, free for six years and under), and it’s leading the ski resort green revolution.
Its heating was developed by local green energy pioneer Markus Mann a decade ago. The waters are warmed using wood pellets – offcuts and sawdust from Valais trees – in Europe’s largest wood burner; and a world-leading eco central heating system, which saves 1.5 million litres of oil annually, heats most of the village, and has had other mountain resorts worldwide taking notice.
It’s a must-visit. Especially if your children are anything like ours, with energy still to burn. There is a hammam, hot tub, sauna, jacuzzi, jets, aqua bikes and paddling pool – but it is the indoor-to-outdoor swimming pool that we delight in the most.
I float in the embrace of the 33-degree waters. Snowflakes land on our noses, and eyelashes. Hamish tries catching them with his tongue. Meanwhile, I lie back and gaze up at the snow-caked firs out over the pool edge to the Rhone valley sparkling far below. As dusk draws in it resembles a string of Christmas lights and London feels another world away.
The longer we stay in Anzère, the more ‘cool’ (Hamish parlance) things we discover. On day two, waking to clear skies and sunshine, and with the boys strong on-piste skiers, we take the Pas de Maimbré lift (Anzère’s ski area covers two mountains) to ski Les Rousses, an exhilarating 8km red run. That evening, our après-ski is HouseTrap, a family friendly escape room. For the next hour, we pit brains against the clock to crack the code.
We fly through but can’t solve the last clue. Stumped, the timer runs out. It’s frustrating but adds to the sense of adventure of the weekend: being locked in and having to be released, like gangsters on bail. Tucking into a commiseration burger at The Burger Terrace we realise our timer has run out too. The next day we leave, longing to return, if just to crack HouseTrap and escape back to that spa.
Factfile
A one-day ‘learn to ski off-piste’ ski guiding session with Simon Smith for three people (groups of up to five people can be accommodated) costs CHF400; 90-minute session CHF140. Book via info@glycerinesport.ch; equipment and safety kit can be reserved in advance from Glycérine Sport (glycerinesport.ch).
The Swiss Ski and Snowboard School runs free ‘introduction to ski touring’ sessions every Saturday (ages 15 years and older); reservations at booking.anzere.ch.
Louise stayed at Hotel Zodiaque (anzere-vacances.ch), which has rooms sleeping four from CHF220 per night. They flew Swiss Air (swiss.com) and took the direct train from Geneva airport (two hours, departing every 30 mins, cff.ch) to Sion, then the local bus, which takes 40 minutes to Anzère.
For information on all the activities taking place in resort, as well as the Spa & Wellness centre’s opening times and prices, visit anzere.ch.