Les Crosets

Mountain culture & milestones

The story of Les Crosets is tied directly to the birth of the Portes du Soleil. Unlike its valley neighbour Champéry, which evolved over centuries from a farming community, Les Crosets was engineered in the mid-1960s specifically to chase high-altitude snow.

The defining moment for the region happened in 1965 during a meeting at the Carnotzet in Grand Paradis. The pioneers building the cross-border ski network needed a name for their project. They settled on ‘Portes du Soleil‘, taking the name from the mountain pass located just above the new settlement of Les Crosets.

By 1969, the first international lift connections opened. These lifts linked Champéry, Les Crosets, and the newly built French resort of Avoriaz, creating the first cross-border ski circuit. This engineering push paved the way for the massive 600-kilometre domain skiers use today. Les Crosets might not have ancient chalets, but it holds a unique place as the namesake and highest geographical anchor of the Swiss-French ski alliance.

Valley bases: where to stay

Accommodation in Les Crosets is dictated by geography. The village is essentially a tight cluster of hotels, catered chalets, and apartment buildings huddled around the main lift departure area.

, rows=[[‘Slopeside hotels’, ‘Quiet and highly efficient with immediate lift access’, ‘Keen skiers wanting first tracks’], [‘Self-catering apartments’, ‘Independent and functional’, ‘Families and groups managing their own schedule’], [‘Traditional chalets’, ‘Cosy with classic timber architecture’, ‘Larger groups seeking shared communal space’]])]

You won’t find sprawling resort infrastructure or pedestrian shopping zones here. Almost every bed is ski-in, ski-out, meaning your day starts the moment you step outside. The layout is incredibly compact; wherever you stay, the high-speed Les Crosets chairlift and the top station of the Champéry cable car are just a short glide away.

Visitors looking for restaurant variety, boutique shops, or off-slope entertainment usually stay down in the main valley at Champéry and commute up. That leaves Les Crosets almost exclusively to guests who prioritise immediate mountain access above everything else.

Ski sectors at a glance

Les Crosets serves as a high-traffic junction connecting the Swiss sectors of Champoussin and Morgins with the vast French sector of Avoriaz. It is the linchpin that makes the broader Portes du Soleil circuit work.

, rows=[[‘Local Les Crosets’, ‘Wide open bowls, advanced freestyle parks, and steep drops’, ‘Les Crosets 8-seater, Grand-Conche’], [‘Pointe de l’Au’, ‘Sunny rolling reds and blues connecting over to Champoussin’, ‘Pointe de l’Au, Aiguille des Champeys’], [‘Chavanette / Swiss Wall’, ‘Incredibly steep, heavily mogulled, expert-only itinerary run’, ‘Chavanette chairlift’], [‘Mossettes’, ‘High-altitude border crossing point descending into France’, ‘Pointe des Mossettes’]])]

, values=[45, 45, 10])]

The immediate local sector covers around 36 kilometres of marked runs, but its true value is the frictionless access to the wider international network. The lifts here have seen heavy investment and are built to handle the morning rush of skiers coming up from the valley floors. The state-of-the-art 8-seater chairlift is the standout, dramatically reducing wait times even during the February half-term weeks.

The mountain & skiing

Skiing around Les Crosets means wide, tree-less bowls and dramatic backdrops. Because the entire village sits above the treeline, the local pistes are broad and open, offering excellent visibility on clear days and plenty of room for wide carving turns. The terrain immediately above the village suits confident intermediate skiers, with rolling red and blue runs that hold their snow well thanks to the elevation.

For advanced skiers, Les Crosets is famous for housing the Swiss side of the Pas de Chavanette, known universally as the Swiss Wall. This heavily rutted, un-groomed itinerary run plunges aggressively down the national border into France. With a terrifying initial pitch that obscures the rest of the run from the top station, and moguls that grow to the size of small cars, it remains a genuine rite of passage.

Freestyle is also a major draw. The Superpark in Les Crosets is one of the premier snowparks in the Portes du Soleil, featuring a dedicated drag lift and a progression of massive kickers, technical rails, and boxes. It regularly attracts professional teams for training. If you prefer staying strictly on the groomed piste, the sweeping runs down towards Champoussin offer a more relaxed pace with spectacular, uninterrupted views of the Dents du Midi.

The village & après-ski

If you want to dance on tables in ski boots until 2 a.m., book somewhere else. Les Crosets is aggressively quiet once the lifts close and the day-trippers ski down to the valley. The evening atmosphere is muted, highly relaxed, and strictly focused on recovering for the next day on the mountain.

There are a few cosy hotel bars where you can grab a local beer or a vin chaud as the sun goes down, but the après-ski scene is largely confined to outdoor terraces during the late afternoon. Dining options within the village are limited but reliably high quality. Swiss cheese fondue, rich raclette, and local Valais wines are easy to find. For anything livelier, you have to head down the mountain to Champéry before the lifts stop running.

Snow & season

Thanks to a base elevation of 1,670 metres, Les Crosets is easily the most snow-sure resort on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil. While much of the wider, lower-altitude domain relies on grassy meadows to make thin cover skiable early in the year, Les Crosets genuinely benefits from its height, frequently securing excellent conditions from mid-December right through to late April.

The microclimate in this high valley tends to catch passing weather systems, meaning it frequently sees substantial dumps of fresh snow when lower resorts are dealing with rain. Because the local slopes are largely north and east-facing, they are protected from the harshest afternoon sunlight. The snow quality remains cold and chalky long after the sun has baked the south-facing runs elsewhere in the ski area.

Summer & year-round

When the winter snow melts, Les Crosets transforms into a high-altitude base camp for serious mountain biking and alpine hiking. The same robust chairlifts that carry skiers in the winter are adapted to haul heavy downhill mountain bikes, giving riders direct access to the massive Portes du Soleil trail network. The steep, technical descents around the Mossettes peak and the root-filled downhill tracks leading back to the village are highly regarded by serious riders across Europe.

For hikers, the area offers a vast network of trails ranging from gentle walks around alpine lakes to demanding treks up the surrounding peaks. The panoramic views of the Dents du Midi massif are the main attraction throughout the summer. The high-altitude green pastures are dotted with traditional Swiss buvettes – small, rustic mountain huts – offering locally produced cheese and cured meats to passing walkers.

Safety & mountain etiquette

While the wide-open, snowy bowls look inviting on a bluebird day, the high-alpine terrain above Les Crosets can be deceptive. Because the ski area is entirely above the treeline, visibility drops to zero very quickly when clouds roll in, making safe navigation difficult even for veterans. Skiers should always stick to the marked pistes, as the un-groomed terrain between runs often hides dips, sharp rocks, and highly avalanche-prone slopes.

The Swiss Wall requires specific mention regarding safety. It is an un-patrolled itinerary run. It is not avalanche controlled, nor is it swept by the ski patrol at the end of the day. You should only attempt to ski it if you are a confident expert, and never in icy conditions or fading afternoon light. If you get to the top of the ridge, look down the sheer face, and change your mind, taking the adjacent chairlift down to the French side is the smart choice.

Who it suits best

Les Crosets is the ideal destination for keen, mile-hungry skiers who want to maximise their time on the snow. It perfectly suits families with older, capable children, confident intermediates, and expert riders who want immediate access to the Swiss Wall and the professional-grade Superpark. It is a poor choice for absolute beginners, as the local slopes leading back to the village can be steep and intimidating at the end of the day. It is equally unsuited for non-skiers, pedestrians, or anyone seeking vibrant nightlife and extensive shopping.

Getting there

– Nearest airports: Geneva Airport (130 km), Sion Airport (65 km) – Nearest rail hub: Aigle

Written by the Alps2Alps editorial team.

This guide is published by Alps2Alps for general information only. It is not affiliated with Wikipedia or any resort, airport, or lift operator. Facts were accurate at the time of writing; always check official sources before travel.