Vercorin Ski Resort Guide
Vercorin does not have the international appeal of many Swiss ski resorts but that is actually a really good thing! Vercorin is tucked away in a quiet corner of the Val d’Anniviers, often bypassed for neighbours Griments and Zinal but with over 1000m of Vertical drop, some exciting groomed terrain and views across the Rhone River Valley, there is plenty in Vercorin to get excited about.
VERCORIN FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The village of Vercorin is a traditional Swiss village with quiet cobbled backstreets that are perfect for wandering in the evening. The village of Vercorin is linked to the ski resort by a two-stage gondola that rises 1000m to the Crêt du Midi. Even better is that the whole of that 1000m is skiable back down to the base area via the Sigeroulaz run. Looking at the piste map I was worried the 35km of pistes in Vercorin would not keep me occupied for very long, but my first impression of Vercorin ski resort was the opposite. The groomers were so fun and I loved lapping down to the newly installed Tracui-Mont-Major chair.
VERCORIN SKI AREA
The ski area at Vercorin is divided into two main areas. The area that runs from the top of the gondola down to the base area and a more advanced area underneath the new chair which is home to the more challenging terrain at the resort. In total, Vercorin has 35km of pistes which are accessed mainly by the gondola and newly installed high speed quad to Mont Major. These main installations are supplemented by a magic carpet in the beginners area, alongside a couple of surface lifts spread around the resort.
BEGINNERS TERRAIN IN VERCORIN
Real beginner’s terrain for those never-evers is hard to come by at Vercorin. The main beginner’s area can be found at the Crêt du Midi outside the gondola top station. A covered magic carpet lift serves this area, but the small learner’s area has one major issue, It is also the access point to the resort for every other skier and snowboarder. I think Vercorin gets away with this because it is a quiet ski resort, but I would be interested to see how this affects lessons on a busy day at Vercorin.
In addition to the small learner’s slope, lessons also occur on Crêt run and are serviced by a button lift of the same name. Although there is no green-listed terrain at Vercorin I can see the ski resort being great for advanced beginners who are looking to explore further around the mountain.
INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN IN VERCORIN
Intermediates will love skiing and snowboarding at Vercorin as the groomed terrain is well suited to this level of ability. Although certain pitches of the black run Tracui are steep, intermediates could navigate this by controlling their turns on a single edge. In essence, this means the whole of the resort is accessible to intermediate skiers and snowboarders looking to explore Vercorin to its fullest.
Of particular interest to intermediates will be the long 6km run from the Crêt du Midi down to the base of the gondola via the Sigeroulaz run. It is possible to mix this run between sections of red and blue terrain.
ADVANCED TERRAIN IN VERCORIN
Those looking for lots of challenge may be better considering nearby Grimentz and Zinal but that doesn’t mean that Vercorin doesn’t cater for advanced skiers and snowboarders. The steep pitches of Tracui and Sigeroulaz are really fun and are worth a few laps. Additional challenges can be found in the trees which are wide and open.
Backcountry skiers may enjoy the itinerary run between Grimentz and Vercorin. Although this does not start in Vercorin the Vallee Orzival run ends near the Tracui lift.
FREESTYLE TERRAIN IN VERCORIN
The terrain park at Vercoin is small but it has everything I was looking for. The small run of jumps is great for building confidence in the air and the ride on boxes and rails was fun not scary. For kids, the fun track which targets to ride through and big hands to high five was keeping the local school kids entertained.
VERCORIN PISTE MAP
LIFTS AT VERCORIN
Vercorin ski resort is mostly navigated by using either the gondola or the high-speed quad. The gondola originates at the village and allows you to ski from either the mid-station or the Crêt du Midi. The newly installed high-speed quad has replaced two concurrent surface lifts which makes the 500m journey from Tracui to Mont-Major much more enjoyable. You will also find a covered magic carpet for the beginners area, a button lift that runs adjacent to the terrain park and two further surface lifts including Cabamon which was not open during my visit.
VERCORIN PROS
Vercorin is a great ski resort to escape the crowds
Vercorin has some great groomed terrain
Vercorin ski resort is great for intermediates
The views from Vercorin are incredible
Vercorin is nearby to other ski resorts such as Grimentz-Zinal and St Luc Chandolin which are great for day trips.
VERCORIN CONS
The 35km of pistes at Vercorin may not be enough to keep you occupied for a whole week.
Vercorin lacks advanced terrain with two listed black runs.
TRAVEL TO VERCORIN SKI RESORT
Vercorin ski resort is close to the Swiss city of Sierre. Sierre is unlikely to be your entry point into Switzerland but the transport links to Sierre from major Swiss cities like Geneva are fantastic. From Sierre, you can connect to Vercorin by taking a bus to Vissoe and then onwards to Vercorin.
My preference for visiting Vercorin would be self-drive. The resort of Vercorin has a more infrequent bus schedule then nearby Grimentz-Zinal. Self-drive also gives you the freedom to explore other resorts in the Val d’Anniviers during your trip.
WHERE IS VERCORIN SKI RESORT?
Vercorin ski resort is near Sierre in the canton of Valais. This French-speaking region of Switzerland is home to many interesting ski resorts all available on the Magic Pass. Vercorin is a two to three-hour drive from Geneva airport which is likely to be your entry point.
VERCORIN SNOW RECORD
Vercorin ski resort is in an area of Switzerland renowned for the quality of its snow. The Val d’Anniviers is an area of Switzerland where backcountry enthusiasts have regularly headed in search of its famous powder snow. Bearing this in mind the stats for Vercorin on various snow record websites report between 2-3m of snowfall per winter. The lower slopes at Vercorin are covered by snow cannons which protect the runs into the village. The snowiest month in Vercorin is February.
VERCORIN LIFT PASSES
There are many great lift pass offers that will allow you to explore Vercorin and the surrounding ski resorts. My favourite of which is the Magic Pass. The Magic Pass is a multi-resort ski pass that covers 52 ski resorts across Switzerland. Learn more about the Magic Pass here.
The Val d’Anniviers lift pass is another great option including skiing and snowboarding at the resorts of Vercorin, St-Luc-Chandolin, Grimentz, and ZInal. You can find more information on this pass here.
For up-to-date Vercorin Lift Pass Prices check here.
VERCORIN VIDEOS
VERCORIN GALLERY
ACCOMMODATION IN VERCORIN
I was lucky enough to stay at the Swiss Peak Resort in Vercorin as a guest of @sierretourisme. The Swiss Peaks building is located right next to the gondola in Vercorin and is the perfect location to explore the resort. Even better for me was that Swiss Peak is also dog friendly so I was able to bring my dog with me.
Away from Swiss Peaks, the village is a short walk from the gondola and there are a number of other local accommodations available via the normal booking services.
SEASON DATES VERCORIN
The ski season in Vercorin runs between mid December to mid April with the snowiest month being February. I would opt to visit Vercorin mid-season so as to avoid sketchy conditions riding back down into town.
FINAL THOUGHTS VERCORIN
Vercorin shows the true value in the Magic Pass. A ski resort that I would normally have bypassed turned out to be one of my favourite stops on the road trip. Quiet, but with ample terrain to have a few days of fun, Vercorin is a resort I would advise everyone to get to if you are in the Val d’Anniviers..
NEARBY RESORTS
