Verbier is a very mixed place.  There is great piste skiing & free-riding and access to world class ski touring, but more often its known for it's decadence.  Huge picture perfect chalets with wealthy families and their beaufituful/handsome ski instructors fill the resort. And if not that, the seedier side of ski resorts, the bankers with their paid for woman. . . Talking of horrible, those exposed switchbacks half way down from the Chateau were bloody horrible, lucky the rest of the trail was very good fun. Well of course, its Swiss Valais, the footpaths are "tip top" and the lift companies are bike friendly.  There were still a lot of pistes open for skiing, but after 11am you can use the lower lift from Le Chable to Verbier to access the snow free trails that lead back into the valley floor.  Time to explore: Wayne on a loose, steep and exposed chute Me and Wayne taking in the view of the Grand Combin & other snow capped mountains ...

Since April last year (2016) through to now in 2017 I have ridden my bike every month of the year.  This is something that I have not done in about 6 or 7 years since moving out to the Alps on a more full time basis.  It shouldn't actually happen. In previous "winter" periods I have packed away the bike and got the ski's out for at least a 4 month period.  This theme seems to be changing, once the domain of southern French alps, even in the Northern Alps you can ride year round.  Up here a huge emphasis is put on communities & businesses to make a big income during the winter.  How will this change. Yes, there will be big snowy winters, but the frequency of them will decline.  The Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Switzerland have written many reports, here are links to two: Less snow and a shorter ski season in the Alps Climate change is shortening the snow season due to earlier spring snowmelt It might sound nice to ride dry ...