Hello. Yes, I’m new. You haven’t met me yet, but you are well acquainted with my close friend, The Beginner.

Or should I say, the Intermediate. Finally he’s got the experience to join in the rest of our group’s conversation - and, who knows, maybe one day we’ll go on a squad trip…

So, I’m The Expert. What does that mean exactly? Well, put simply, I’ve been skiing since a very early age, and now I’ve reached the point where people would describe me as being a ‘good’ skier. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the name I’ve been given - no skier is ever an expert.

Verbier is one resort I haven’t sampled - as is the country of Switzerland. I’ve skied in France, Italy, Canada, Andorra, even Spain - but not Switzerland. As I said - no skier is ever an expert. I arrived late on a Saturday evening. 

Once I’d got myself set up in the hotel room, and had a quick unwind in the pool, I laid out my kit ready for the morning, all pristine and ironed. (I realise that this would all be in vain, as nothing would be clean after the first day I had planned in the Swiss Alps.)

Some of the runs in the 4 Vallees run for over 15 kilometres, meaning I could cover some serious ground if I rose bright and early. What I didn’t account for, of course, was how comfortably I would find myself sleeping. It is not fair to make beds that soft.

Three hours later than planned, I was out on my first slope of the day, the temperature a comfortable one, with the sun bouncing off my goggles in the late-morning sunshine. I managed to pick up some real speed too, but I was always cautious to make sure that the families around me had enough room to enjoy what was on offer.

Maybe it’s because I’m getting on a bit, but I decided to call it a day just after 3pm, and treated myself instead to a beer and an afternoon snack in one of the mountainside restaurants, which offer a memorable view out across the landscape.

Having had another dip in the pool (an absolute gift to first-day muscles), I put on a clean shirt and went out to sample the renowned Verbier nightlife. An extremely wide choice of bars, pubs and clubs were on offer - though I decided to make it a quiet one and just enjoy the one drink in a cosy tavern I found, in front of an open fire.

Explore Verbier Here

The Expert’s Rating: 9/10

Next Time: I’m breaking new ground again, as I visit Ruka, Finland. 

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