Skier & Snowboarder magazine Swiss editor Mark Nicholls takes a Peak Walk.
Mark Nicholls hits the heights of Glacier 3000 for stupendous views and equally fabulous skiing in Switzerland
The view from the steel bridge, suspended between two peaks, is stunning.
Within the 360-degree panorama is the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Eiger and Jungfrau…and a flavour of the fabulous skiing below.
The Peak Walk by Tissot is the only suspension bridge in the world that connects two summits and it links the smaller View Point with the main peak (Scex Rouge), which is five metres higher at 2971m above sea level.
The bridge joins two peaks in Glacier 3000
Black Wall
A climb up 100 metal steps take you to the start of the bridge and the 107-metre walk between the two summits.
Below are the slopes of Glacier 3000, which while the smaller of resorts in the Vaud region with a mere 30km of groomed pistes, has runs that are simply exhilarating.
The longest streaks down 8km to Reusch at 1350m above sea level, with the red accompanied by fabulous blacks as alternative descent options.
And for adrenaline junkies, the new – and long-awaited – Black Wall run has finally opened.
Delayed by lack of snow and weather conditions, it finally opened to skiers mid-March and now joins the ranks of the steepest groomed slopes in the world.
The run has been created by a 265-metre tunnel cut through the mountain, creating the 3km descent that links the resort’s summit (3,000 m) to the valley station in Col du Pillon (1,546 m).
The entrance to what claims to be the steepest groomed slope in the world.
Point of no return
As Glacier 3000’s events manager Arnaud Magnin explained, once you enter the tunnel you are committed, hence the warning at the tunnel entrance that the run is only suitable for expert skiers. “Once you pass the entrance, you are passing the point of no return,” he warns.
The tunnel is 2.5m wide and 3m high and has an indoor magic carpet enabling skiers to cross the cliff in less than one minute.
The exit spills skiers out onto a slope that has a maximum gradient of 46° (104%), as it links the Cabane des Diablerets to the Col du Pillon.
There is an indoor magic carpet in the tunnel
Construction of the tunnel and the run cost several million Swiss francs, accompanied by the ongoing challenges of grooming such a steep slope.
But first, Glacier 3000 needed enough snow to see it open. That snowfall finally came in early March and then storms closed the mountain leading to further delays, until the Black Wall opened on March 18.
Ski train
But while the Black Wall is the latest headline grabber for Glacier 3000, there’s so much more in the Vaud region to keep skiers of all abilities occupied and entertained.
With impressive red and blue runs down to Les Diablerets and Villars, there are some 150km of other runs to enjoy, along with snow parks, marked untracked itineraries (yellow trails) and off-piste opportunities.
There are also more than 50km of cross-country ski trails, 2.5km of which are lit, 90km of snowshoeing trails, ski-touring, dog sledding, as well as toboggan runs.
To reach the slopes, there is the joy of the ski train ride that takes you steeply up the mountain to Col-de-Bretaye and opens up routes across Villars to Les Diablerets and some lovely skiing.
From there, it’s a bus connection to the base cable car for Glacier 3000 – where skiing is guaranteed from November to May – and a whole new high-altitude arena with those tremendous black and red runs, where you feel on top of the world literally.
Skiing in Villars
Restaurant, bars and spa
Villars is located in the heart of the Vaud Alps on a natural balcony facing south and is only 120 km from Geneva and 30km from Montreux.
I checked in to the magnificent Villars Palace, with more than 100 rooms and lovingly renovated over the past three years.
It has lovely snowy views, a large dining and function area, meeting rooms and a theatre and the relaxing spa, bars and the lovely restaurant Le 1913 (commemorating the year the hotel was built) with Alpine-Mediterranean inspired food, or the hotel’s Le Peppino trattoria, while dining on the mountainside is a delight.
The themes range from Tin Tin and creator Herge with posters and illustrations adorning the walls to motor racing greats.
Racing greats
Look out for F1 helmets from Sir Jackie Stewart and Paul Stewart and memorabilia from the likes of Graham Hill and Denny Hulme in the bar.
Of course, there is much to savour food-wise in the Villars-Gryon-Bex-Les Diablerets, which is full of local mountain dishes from typical cheese specialties, such as fromage au croute, to creative cuisine with herbs, plants and mountain flowers.
There’s also delicious local wine from the nearby wine-growing communities, with glasses finally raised to the opening of the fearsome Black Wall and that the multi-million-franc investment pays off.
TRAVEL FACTS
Accommodation: Mark Nicholls stayed at the five-star Villars Palace Hotel (single from 410 CHF, double from 450 CHF), visit: villarspalace.ch
Flight: Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) offers more than 160 weekly flights from London Heathrow, Gatwick and City, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh to Zurich (from £76) or Geneva (from £54), visit: swiss.com
Swiss Travel System: The Swiss Travel Pass offers unlimited travel on consecutive days across the rail, bus and boat network, and entrance to 500 museums, from £186 for a three-day second-class ticket, visit: mystsnet.com/en/
Ski pass: Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets ski area (one day, CHF 63, two days, CHF 113); Glacier 3000 (one day, CHF 75); skiing across the Alpes Vaudoises (including Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets and Glacier 3000): One day, CHF 79, seven days: CHF 365.
For more information visit: myswitzerland.com/en-gb
Vaud: myvaud.ch/en/
Glacier 3000: glacier3000.ch/en
Categories: Holiday News & Special Offers, Switzerland