Leysin Ski, Snowboard & Summer Holidays
The Swiss Ski Resort of Leysin is part of the Alpes Vaudoises ski area with access to 220km of downhill skiing, with 121 individual pistes, served by 54 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 Alpes Vaudoises ski resorts of Les Diablerets and Villars - Gryon.
With skiing above 2000 metres, snow cover is generally reliable.
It is an international village, with over 80 nationalities resident. There are two large international business schools, a large international hotel school, two branches of American universities, plus a thriving conference/hotel network. It has a good shopping centre, cinema, two sports centres, supermarkets, banks.
It is a great place to rest and relax or to be as active as you want at just about any time of year.
Ski holidays 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.
Summer holidays in Leysin:
250 kilometres of hiking trails, mountain tours and interesting bike tours offer plenty of exercise in the open countryside. Mountaineers find several challenges in the precipitous chalk rock-faces which resemble the Dolomites. The difficult via ferrata at the Tour d'Aï is for experienced mountaineers only.
Nearby Aigle is home of the World-Cycling-Association (UCI). The bike tour through the valley of the Grande Eau down to Aigle to the hub of the cylcling world requires a good set of brakes.
Winter activities include:
Toboggan park, cross-country skiing, snow shoe walks, curling, ice skating
Summer activities include:
superb scenery, hiking trails, via ferrata, climbing, mountain biking
