Haute Nendaz: Schneevorhersage

I feel compelled to write a review having skied here every year for 10 years and always during high season and it has been two years since a review was last posted. Huge changes have occurred in the village in ten years. The building of new chalets and a large 4 star hotel are now almost completed. The range and price of accommodation is very varied. This is still a brilliant family resort, geared mainly to self-catered accommodation in apartments and chalets. The 4 star hotel and spa is expensive and unless you are eating in the fine dining restaurant, the food and service is very average and therefore overpriced. There are plenty of good restaurants and in ten years I have only experience one rude restaurant service (who have now left the restaurant). There is a restaurant for every budget from the Mont Calm and The Cantina to the Mont Fort and The Four Vallleys. The bus service has improved greatly and there are now more bus stops and they are very frequent. Yes, they are going to be busy during the school holidays, but this is nothing like as busy as the bigger resorts. Lots of people drive here and the car parks can be very busy, particularly at weekends with the influx of locals. The skiing is great in Nendaz itself. For me it is now a half day event and a great warm up. If the snow is good you can ski down via the back of Jean Pierre through the trees, also Prarion may be open. The Balavaud restaurant is to die for. Very, very Swiss, meaning cooked on an open fire, not a microwave in sight, everything is very fresh and rustic and the views are outstanding. From here you can take a T-bar to the gondola over to Plan due Fou and the Siviez ski region. The journey back, however, is not for the faint hearted or the over tired. It is a unpisted ice bowl full of moguls and a black run, before needing to get the chair back up to Tracoquet and then down a long red to the village. Take the bus from Siviez. To be honest we spend most of our week in Siviez, more than likely skiing over at La Meina and Les Chottes. The restaurant here is amazing. Also, because it is between two resorts: Veysonnaz and Siviez, it is always so much quieter and we rarely queue. In fact, even at Easter there is nothing like the queues you get in the major resorts (I used to be a ski rep in Wengen, Grindelwald and Saas Fee) anywhere in Nendaz or Siviez. The lift system here has been upgraded with a bubble up to Plan du Fou and a cover over the 4 man chair at Tortin. But there are stills lots of buttons and T-bars. Top tip: if you are going to ski in Verbier all week then buy a 4 Valleys pass. If you are only going to go over for one or two days, then buy a Prinze ski pass and upgrade your ski pass with a day ticket to Verbier. Avoid Fridays in Verbier; always very busy and full of those giving the "last hurrah". A Printz ski pass allows you to ski in Veysonnaz, Siviez and Nendaz and the buses are free. This is a huge ski region and has plenty to offer all abilities. Children 6 and under are free on all the lifts; family group discounts and offers for the over 60s. There are now plenty of ski schools to choose from: Premier Alpine, Neige Adventure, The Swiss Ski School, Mountain Magique and more. Most have 'early bird' deals and offers. Some even deliver the skis to your chalet after your fittings. So that leaves you time to relax with a glass of Swiss wine (always good) and unpack. I still love coming here every year. And will continue to do so. If I want some ski stress then I go to Verbier for the day. You will not hear me speak English as quite frankly I am embarrassed. The Russians are coming too. But for the 'people watchin'g and sometimes the outrageous show of wealth it is worth it.