Les Collons

Les Masses (1500m), Les Collons (1800) and Thyon (2100) are at the end of the huge Verbier ski area, but unlike most of the satellite villages in the Four Vallées these resorts face East and South so they have fabulous views. These three villages flow fairly seamlessly together, each with great access to the slopes and are well-connected to each other by the ski bus and to Sion by a frequent bus service. Winter flights to Sion airport just 30 minutes away make this one of the fastest transfers in the Alps (see news for more info). 

Whilst these are quiet resorts with a limited selection of restaurants and bars there are some gems amongst them such as Le Bois Sauvage and La Maya and there is a huge choice down in Sion, the capital city of the Valais. 

So if you dream of owning a beautiful Swiss chalet with fabulous views and you prefer a fine glass of wine by the fire to a fancy night out then, this is the place for you.

Les Masses is the most southerly of the three villages and enjoys a lot of sun as it faces more to the South. The new lift at Les Masses drives you straight up to the heart of the action and there is a red run to bring you back to your door or to Le Bois Sauvage for an après ski beer and an assiette valaisanne (local meats and cheese). 

Moving up into Les Collons at 1800m and 1850m, the area directly at the foot of the Joc and Trabanta lifts has a small range of shops, restaurants and bars. It’s also a great place for lunch while looking up the slopes or out across the valley to the Matterhorn. Again, it is possible to ski home in some locations and the views across to the villages and churches the other side of the valley are beautiful.
 

Les Collons links into Switzerland's largest linked ski area, the 4 Vallees, which offers over 410km of varied pistes as well as some of the most extensive off piste skiing in the world.

Stretching from Verbier in the West across to Les Collons in the East, the 4 Vallees, is famed for its thrilling skiing and is considered something of a paradise for expert skiers. There are plenty of slopes for the more intermediate skier though and the descents down from the Trabanta and Joc lifts in particular are long and pleasant and can be skied by all abilities. The local ski school meets at the beginners slopes in Les Collons 1850m or a mountain guide will take you to explore some of the backcountry and itinéraires.

The skiing is high here, with pistes up to 3330m on the glacier at Mont Fort. From Les Collons you can easily ski over to Verbier for lunch and enjoy the variety of slopes at that end of the system before heading back to Les Collons in the afternoon sun. If you ever tire of the skiing, then buy the Valais SkiCard which gives you access to over 40 well-known resorts in the valley from Champery to Zermatt.

There is a lot to do in the area with plenty of marked trails for walking and mountain biking, and if you prefer to take it easy you can take the lift up and walk down.

Other attractions include the huge Grande Dixence dam, cute traditional villages like Evolene, and natural heated thermal spas. There is a famous golf course and equestrian centre on the opposite side of the valley in Crans Montana and other attractions in the valley.

This is the sunniest part of Switzerland so the banks of the Rhone are perfect for growing apricots and the South facing slopes are covered in vineyards. It is the perfect climate for your summer holidays too.  

You can buy a detached chalet in Les Collons for the same price you would pay for a small apartment in many other resorts. Prices are about one third of what you would pay in Verbier so it is not surprising that they sell so well.

We have a good selection of resale chalets priced from around 800,000 CHF to 2m CHF and a couple of luxury chalets with a pools and a spa over that range. Most have been built within the last 10 years and are good quality chalets built in traditional Swiss-style with larch wood and stone roofs and benefit from the latest technology in terms of appliances and energy efficiency.. 

It is still possible to have a new chalet built to order as some developers have old building permits given before the Weber law and are still valid. When these have been sold there will not be any more permits granted.

This is the last opportunity for foreigners to have a new second home status chalet built to their specification. These chalets are very spacious and there are still plots left which offer great lift access and superb views so now is a great time to buy in the resort. 

If you calculate the price per square metre for a new chalet in Les Collons and then you factor in that you have access to the entire 412km of skiing in the 4 Vallees then you can see just how good value this is.