Crans-Montana

About the area

Crans-Montana in Valais is built around red runs: of about 73 km of pistes, 43 km are red, 14 km blue and 11 km black, so confident intermediates get the most out of it. Beginners can start here with reservations — only 20% of the pistes are green or blue (14 km), but there are four magic carpets and seven short easy runs beside a lift base. Families face the same caveats, helped by five gondolas or cable cars that avoid chairlift loading with small children. Strong experts will find it limited: 15 km of black, expert and freeride terrain (21%) and 4 km of marked freeride.

The area runs from 1427 m to 2872 m and is served by 25 lifts, including 5 gondolas, 6 chairlifts, 9 platters and a T-bar. The longest descent is 3957 m, with 850 m of vertical on a single run, plus 5 km of cross-country trails.