People always ask me when the best time to visit Verbier is. Honestly? It's March and April - and this spring has reminded me exactly why.
I know this mountain well. In January when it's at full tilt, and in spring when it's quietly at its best. This is what I've been doing this season, and why I'm already looking forward to next March.
By the time spring hits, most of us are ready to be done with winter. Ready for the clocks to change, a glass of something cold in the garden, the first barbecue of the year. We get it. But spring in the Alps is a different thing entirely, and every year it catches you off guard all over again. The mountain still deep in snow, the village quieter and more itself, the days getting longer. There is genuinely nowhere better to be in late March.
This year, the conditions have been exceptional. Nearly 50cm of fresh snow landed in late March alone, on top of a base already sitting between 180 and 260cm on the upper slopes. In peak season that powder would be gone by lunchtime. In spring, it sat for days. No racing to first lifts, no hunting for tracks. The mountain was genuinely yours in a way February simply doesn't allow.
When it snowed this spring, it really snowed. When the sun came out, it came out hard. Often both happened in the same week. It has been one of the best springs in recent memory up here.
So what have we actually been doing? Here are my three favourite ways to make the most of a spring week in Verbier - and why I'm already looking forward to next March.
Ski Touring in Verbier - Bruson to Six Blanc
If you want to know what the locals actually do in spring, it's this. Skins on, climb to the top, open something cold when you get there. The Swiss have been doing it for centuries, hiking and wine are practically a national sport. In the mountains in spring, that translates into ski touring to a hut and earning your lunch. It's one of those days that reminds you why you fell in love with the mountains in the first place.
Bruson is the one. Accessible via a short cable car from Le Châble, just below Verbier, it sits directly opposite the main resort across the valley. Quieter, more authentic, largely ignored by the mainstream. It holds powder long after the main mountain has been skied out. The locals know this, most visitors don’t and that's why it still feels like it does.
Take the lifts to the top of Bruson, follow the ridge towards the peak - the tree line giving way to open mountain, the Grand Combin and Mont Blanc opening up in front of you as you gain height. At the top the views are worth stopping for. The descent back through untracked forest snow is the kind of run you'll still be talking about at dinner.
Ski down to La Pasay at 2,170m sun terrace, local food, panoramic views of the Mont Blanc massif and order a well-earned glass of champagne. Next spring we’ll be organising this for guests without hesitation. The guide, the timing, the reservation, all sorted. You just show up and put your skins on.
Bruson doesn't appear in many travel guides. That's rather the point.
Mont Gelé Verbier - The Best Spring Skiing on the Mountain
If Bruson is the earned day, Mont Gelé is the effortless one. Direct access by telecabin from Les Attelas straight to 3,023 metres. No skinning, no hiking. Just step out of the doors at the top and the whole mountain is in front of you.
And what a mountain. The only point in the entire 4 Vallées where you can see the whole ski area at once - the Grand Combin, the Mont Blanc massif, open faces dropping away in every direction. This spring, after the late March dump, you dropped in and there was no hunting for fresh tracks. In peak season that face would have been gone in an hour. Instead you could lap it all day - Grande Journée down the east face towards Tortin, south face to La Chaux, back up, do it again. Different line every time, untracked snow on every run. The kind of day that simply doesn't happen in February.
When you need to refuel, stop at L'Olympique at the top of Attelas, hot chocolate, a few minutes off the feet, back in the telecabin. Or take the south face all the way down to Le Dahu. Big sunny terrace at the base of La Chaux, views straight across the Val de Bagnes to the Grand Combin, Pizza and Spritz in the afternoon sun - You'll stay longer than planned. Every time.
Snowshoeing in Verbier - Cabane Mont Fort and the Best Fondue on the Mountain
Not every day needs to be on skis. And honestly, some of the best mornings in Verbier happen off them entirely.
Here's how to do it. The committed ones start at Médran and weave up through the forest, legs working, the mountain opening up around you as you climb. Everyone else takes the lift to Les Ruinettes and follows the snowshoe trail along the edge of the mountain. Either way you get there in around two hours. Nobody needs to know which route you took.
The Cabane Mont Fort sits at 2,457 metres. Terrace facing Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin, fondue widely considered the best in Verbier, Valais wine list to match. This is where you arrange to meet the skiers of the group, coming straight off their Mont Fort descent, still buzzing, ready to eat. Outside in the sunshine, something cold on the table - a cold lager, whatever the weather is calling for. The whole group arriving from completely different mornings, landing at the same table.
See You Next March.
The sun lounger will still be there in May. The garden isn't going anywhere.
But a spring week in Verbier - fresh snow, quiet mountain, long lunches in the sunshine, that's the kind of holiday you find yourself planning again before you've even left.
Next winter is already taking shape. If a spring week in Verbier is on your list for 2027, the earlier that conversation starts the better, the best chalets and the best weeks go first.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Verbier ski season end? The lifts typically run until the end of April. The upper mountain - Mont Fort and Mont Gelé - holds well into the final weeks. Spring skiing in Verbier is reliably good at altitude.
Is spring skiing in Verbier worth it? Yes, and for experienced skiers, often more so than peak season. Quieter pistes, better value, and fresh snowfalls that last for days rather than hours. March and April are hard to beat.
What is Mont Gelé and is it suitable for all skiers? Mont Gelé is a 3,023 metre summit above Verbier with no groomed pistes, only two marked freeride itineraries. It's for confident, experienced skiers comfortable off-piste. Go with a guide the first time.
What is ski touring and do I need experience? Ski touring means climbing on skis using adhesive skins, then descending off-piste. The Bruson to Six Blanc route suits competent off-piste skiers with some touring experience. Guided days can be tailored to your level.
Can non-skiers enjoy Verbier in spring? Absolutely. Snowshoeing, mountain restaurants and a slower pace make spring ideal for non-skiers. The snowshoe route to Cabane Mont Fort - and fondue at the top, is one of our favourite recommendations for a day off the slopes.
