Champery

Champery is built along one long street at about ten hundred and fifty metres in the Val d'Illiez, facing the Dents du Midi - a serrated seven-summit ridge that dominates the view and is the emblem of this part of the Valais. The village has kept large old chalets with carved balconies rather than rebuilding. Its lift system is part of the Portes du Soleil, one of the largest linked ski areas in the world, spanning the border so that a day's skiing crosses into France and back through several resorts without taking a car. In summer the same lifts open walking and mountain biking, and the Dents du Midi circuit is a demanding multi-day route.

What you actually see

• The Dents du Midi - the seven-summit ridge filling the view.
• One long street of old chalets - carved balconies, not rebuilt.
• The Portes du Soleil - a cross-border circuit into France and back.
• A narrow-gauge terminus - the rail line ending at the village.

When to go

December to April, or June to September. Two days.

Honest expectations

Cross-border skiing means passport rules and separate lift arrangements in places. The village is small with limited nightlife. Snow at this altitude is less reliable than higher resorts. Between seasons much closes.

Nearby

Val d'Illiez and its thermal baths are below; Morgins and France are over the ridge.