Swiss Ski Chalet Apartment

Piste Map - Click for Larger Image
Very detailed .PDF Version

Access to the ski piste from Chalet Armorial
Small arrows indicate the short footpath from the Chalet to the piste.
Large arrows indicate the piste (Blue run to cable car terminus)
Click the image for a larger photo

Villars Gryon Ski Resort Statistics

Villars Gryon excluding the Les Diablerets glacier has 100 km of marked ski runs.
Altitude 1200m - 2120m
Easy skiing - 30%
Intermediate skiing - 60%
Advanced skiing - 10%
Villars Gryon including the Les Diablerets glacier has 220 km of marked ski runs up to 3000m

The Ski Areas

At Villars Gryon there are two interconnected areas for skiing
The Barboleusaz side:
'Les Chaux' skiing is accessed using the Barboleusaz ski telecabine which takes you to a large sunny ski plateau at Les Chaux with restaurant, an excellent area for novice skiers and young children. From the plateau there is access to skiing of all standards.

The Villars side:'Bretaye' skiing is accessed using the skitrain or the telecabine from Villars. It can also be accessed using a new chair lift from the 'Les Chaux' area. You can also use your ski pass on the mountain ski train from Barboleusaz. At Bretaye, near the restaurant there is a beginners area and tow.

Summer Skiing

Les Diablerets glacier from Col du Pillon, has a very large cable car carrying up to 1,200 persons per hour:
From the top of the Bretaye twin ski tows you can ski down to the chair lift leading to the Les Diablerets glacier 3000 skiing. Les Diablerets offers summer and winter skiing on the Les Diablerets glacier.

Skiing at an altitude of 3000 metres:
Summer skiing normally opens in June and goes through till late July opening again for winter skiing at the beginning of October if there is enough snow.

The Resort lies at 1300m (4,264ft) and the skiing rises to 3000m (9,840ft) on the Les Diablerets Glacier. The Global Ski Guide describes VILLARS as "A charming resort with a good atmosphere in lovely wooded countryside; good interlinked lift system. Plenty of non-skiing activities." If you choose the package with the General Ski Pass, it will cover you for all the lifts, including the glacier AND the whole Super-Gstaad region with 550kms of pistes.

VILLARS offers a great variety of very picturesque skiing, very enjoyable and varied - with up to 550kms to choose from. The pistes are accessed by the mountain railway or gondola (no drag lift to start your day off!). Great off-piste complements this famous area

Pretty and chic with village atmosphere. Sunny resort with glacier skiing even in summer at Les Diablerets. Good shopping. Easy access from Geneva 1¼ hours by road. Possible weekend dash from the U.K. Winner of the Swiss "Family Welcome" award.

Sledging

Villars
Col de Soud: 2 Km sledging slope to Villars. Access by train. Sledge rental in the sports shops of the village.

Gryon
Cergnement: Family sledging and catering in the typical chalet at weekends.
Frience: "Télébob", lift for sledges, only for children. Sledges to rent.

Col de la Croix
8 km sledging slope from Les Mazots to les Diablerets. Sledges to rent.

What Makes Villars Special

The mountain funicular train from Villars station to Bretaye (20 mins). This is an easy way to start the day for skiers, non-skiers and children alike - everyone can get on and there is no falling off the lift or getting scared. At the top Bretaye is situated on a sunny terrace with the meeting place for all 3 ski / snowboard schools, 2 nursery lifts so beginners can learn to ski at high altitude (1800 metres) and two restaurants. Ideal for groups of mixed abilities so skiers and non-skiers can meet for lunch. Skiers from the western end of Villars can reach Bretaye via the Roc d'Orsay cable car and a short run down.

Three competing ski / snowboard schools ensure a high standard of instruction and smaller classes than you might otherwise expect. The "Riders" school teaches snowboarding exclusively. The 'Moderne Ski School' teaches 'ski evolutif' - the short ski method where you learn to ski parallel from day one and gradually progress to longer skis during the week. For children and beginners there is a nursery lift in the village.

An excursion to the glacier at Les Diablerets is an outing that everyone can enjoy. Non-skiers can take the bus while skiers can ski over the top of Meilleret 1949m and down to Les Diablerets. 200 metre walk across the village then either a shuttle bus to the Col du Pillon cable-car base station or take a cable-car and drag lift up the other side of Les Diablerets and ski down to Reusch the Col du Pillon cable-car. At the top the new panoramic restaurant offers spectacular views. On a good day you should be able to see the Eiger, the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Glacier skiing is easy and unchallenging whilst the Combe d'Audon run down the back provides some of the best skiing in the area.

Non-Skiing Activities:

Good Shopping - clothing, watches, chocolates galore! 25 km. of cleared paths for walking and snowshoeing. Non-skiers can enjoy a beautiful walk in the sunshine around the lake of Bretaye at 1800 metres. Here there are two restaurants where non-skiers can join skiers for lunch. Snowshoeing is becoming popular in Villars. The tourist office issues a map with four itineraries, which are marked routes so you can hire your snowshoes and head off into the mountains. Artificial ice rink, indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis, squash, fitness center and bowling alley. Excursions to Montreux (30km) with excellent shopping. At night: a good choice of restaurants and bars and 2 discos, and in high season a weekly torch lit descend from Bretaye. The piste runs beside the railway, so non-skiers can enjoy the event.