Ski in Leysin

Ski Leysin - Ski Resort and Snow Summary

Leysin (Glacier-Alpes Vaudoises), Switzerland (1257m to 2331m)

Situated on a plateau above the Rhone Valley with magnificent views of Mont Blanc and the Eiger. Renowned for its sunshine (1900 hours annually which equals over five hours every day, average) ... and skiing.

Sponsored Links	Leysin Ski Facts Expert Skiers Intermediate Skiers Beginners Snowboarding Snow Apres-ski    2 Black Runs (2km)    5 Red Runs (15km)    12 Blue Runs (43km) 60km Downhill Pistes 7km Cross Country Trails 16 Ski Lifts 1074m Max Vertical 2331m Highest Lift 1263m Resort Altitude 1257m Lowest Piste
Leysin in brief Leysin Ski Resort is:- Good for Expert Skiers. Excellent for Intermediate Skiers. Very good for Beginners. Very good for Snowboarding.	Full Page Map of Leysin

The Swiss ski resort of Leysin is part of the Glacier-Alpes Vaudoises Ski Area and has direct access to 60km of downhill skiing, with 28 individual pistes, served by 16 ski lifts. In addition to the skiing in Leysin itself (60km of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other Glacier-Alpes Vaudoises ski resorts of Anzère, Château d'Oex, Gstaad, Les Diablerets and Villars - Gryon.

With skiing above 2000 metres, snow cover is generally reliable.

Snowmaking :- Leysin is able to augment natural snow, on 5km of ski runs, with 68 Snow Cannons.

Ski Lift Capacity :- The 16 Ski Lifts of Leysin are able to uplift 18,000 skiers / snowboarders per hour.

There are four airports within two hours drive, so ski weekends, snowboard breaks and short ski holidays to Leysin are perfectly feasible. Sion Airport is just one hours drive away, in good driving conditions, so you can be on the piste quickly.

Skiing in Leysin

Leysin's 60km (37 miles) of runs is actually quite an impressive 'single area' figure and the amount of skiing available in a week long Alpes Vaudoises Pass is as much as the biggest in the world. The local vertical of 1000 metres is good too and those nervous at the relatively low top lift height and south facing slopes can be reassured by the proximity of one of Europe's top year round ski centres, the glacier at Les Diablerets only half an hour away and included on the pass.

The lift-linked area between Diablerets village (separate to the glacier area), Villars and Gryon is closer still, and offers a further 100km (63 miles) of runs. A free ski bus service can take you there. Leysin has a great selection of 20 varied runs including a separate nursery area at village level and more at the top of the gondola. The lower slopes are wooded but the upper two thirds of the mountain is made up of wide fast cruise runs - mostly blues and reds. For experts, there are two blacks runs, the best running for the first two-thirds of a top to bottom descent over the full 1000m vertical beneath the Berneuse Express gondola. The high black served by the Chaux de Mont chair around the snowpark is also fun.

Mountain restaurants include the Kuklos 250 seat revolving restaurant at 2048 metres. As it turns 360 degrees in a 90 minute rotation it takes in panoramas of Lake Geneva, the Rhone Valley and famous mountains including Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Eiger. The ski school offers ski touring and heli-skiing with its mountain guides for one or more days duration according to demand. There are 39km (24 miles) of cross-country trails in the area.

Snowboarding in Leysin

Leysin has been a major 'boarders destination since the early years of the sport so its credentials and credibility are not to be questioned! The resort staged its first World Pro tour event as early as '92 when 'boarding was still banned by many resorts and the Nescafé Masters World Cup and separate European Championships through the mid '90s. The Giant X Tour is a major event for snowboarding and skiing in whole Switzerland. The final generally takes place in Leysin.

Fixed assets include a snowboard park with half pipe that is kept in shape when conditions are good. You can access most of the terrain from the gondolas and chairlifts which make up the vast majority of the lifts, a definite plus for 'boarders who have only a handful of T Bars to bother about and few of them of key access importance. The terrain doesn't have much steep and scary stuff but it does have plenty of interesting nooks and crannies, especially in the trees at the edge of the lower runs, so freeriders can find a lot to enjoy if they look about or tag along with someone with local knowledge.

An avalanche training center offers the opportunity to train on the avalanche risk. More information is available at the guides office: +41 24 4941846

Leysin Aprés Ski

There are about 8 bars, also in hotels or connected to restaurants in Leysin. The Cable bar is one of the livelier choices. The atmosphere is generally young and international. Snacks, barbecue and paella (on request) and concerts make it very popular! It is situated at the end of the slopes, down the gondola. There are two night spots - The Lynx and Le Seven playing the current European chart hits.

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Ski Schools and Snowboard Training - Leysin

Also of interest for Leysin, Switzerland

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