Hiking and Climbing

Trails thread from ridgeline to valley floor in 400 km (300 miles) of pathways that cross nature reserves, highland streams, and historic villages. Sign up at www.guideverbier.com, La Fantastique (027/7714141), or Verbier SportPlus (027/7753363) for everything from hut-to-hut trekking tours to technical rock climbing and rappelling sessions.

For an easy 2½-hour hike with amazing views of the Alps, Rhône Valley, and the town of Verbier, take the gondola up from Médran to Les Ruinettes at 7,190 feet. From there, the Route de la Plaine is wide and relatively flat as it gently winds over to the Croix de Coeur, where you can stop for a hearty fondue lunch before hiking back down to Verbier through Les Planards and Les Esserts. You can also return to Verbier via a short but steep uphill walk to Savoleyres at 7,700 feet to catch the gondola back down to Les Creux.