Skiing

4 Vallées. Verbier is the center of Switzerland's famous transit network, 4 Vallées, which consists of 12 gondolas, five cable cars, 18 chairlifts, and 33 other ski lifts, giving access to 410 km (253 miles) of marked pistes. From this hub an immense complex of resorts has developed—some modest, others exclusive—covering four valleys in an extended ski area whose extremities are 15 km (9 miles) or so apart as the crow flies and several dozen kilometers apart by way of winding mountain roads. Valais. www.4vallees.ch.

Adrenaline. Sign up for skiing lessons at the Adrenaline counter in the Hardcore Snow and Fashion Shop, which rents ski and snowboarding equipment. It's in the Galerie Alpina, on the main square opposite the post office. Galerie Alpina, 11 rue de la Poste, Verbier, Valais, 1936. 027/7717459; www.adrenaline-verbier.ch.

École Suisse de Ski. If you're looking to fine-tune your ski or snowboard technique, book a private instructor at this Verbier skiing school. 2 rue de Médran, Verbier, Valais, 1936. 027/7753363; www.essverbier.ch.

Mont Fort. Verbier's ski area culminates at Mont Fort, at 10,923 feet. This is reached by an aerial tram, Le Jumbo, equipped with a cab that accommodates 150. La Chaux Express, a chondola (combination chairlift and gondola on the same cable) sweeps skiers to the upper station. Keep your skis or snowboard on for the chair, or take them off to enter the gondola. This entire sector is crisscrossed by a dense network of astonishingly varied pistes. There are several strategic passes, including Les Attelas, Chassoure, Col des Gentianes, and Tortin. The snow park of La Chaux offers a variety of jumps, big air, rails, and a ski-cross. You can get either one-day or six-day lift tickets to ski Verbier-Mont Fort, Bruson, and Savoleyres–La Tzoumaz. Automated ski passes streamline the lift check-in process; free tickets and discounts for children are available. Verbier, Valais. www.verbier.ch. 1-day lift tickets from 75 SF.

Sledge Run La Tzoumaz. For a different Alpine experience, rent a sled at any of the village sports outlets and take a run down the 10-km (6-mile) toboggan track from Savoleyres to La Tzoumaz. Téléverbier SA, Savoleyres, Valais.

Verbier Ski School European Snowsport. This ski school offers skiing, snowboarding, telemarking, Nordic skiing, and ski touring lessons in a variety of languages. Rue de Medran, Verbier, Valais, 1936. 027/7716222; europeansnowsport.com.