Champéry Ski Resort.

I am an expat who moved to Switzerland two seasons ago and so have been using Champery as my local ski resort.

Champery is a fantastic little resort, at the far end of a mountain road up from Monthey. Parking for day trippers consists of the main lot opposite the cable car, or a bit further on, parking at the bottom of the fast, covered Grand Paradis 6 man fast chair.

There is no snow front in Champery, the skiing is accessed from the aforementioned cable car or chair lift, which you above the smaller resort of Les Crosets. Return the same way, down the cable car or the chair lift.

After skiing down into Les Croset, you are then a single chair away from dropping into France, Avoriaz, and the rest of the Portes du Soleil. There is plenty in Champery to keep you amused however, the infamous Swiss wall (Chavanette) a couple of snow parks and plenty more skiing on the Swiss side down and past Champoussin, Morgins (from where you can reach Chatel in France) and Torgon.

There are a few high speed lifts, but there are definitely some candidates for replacement.

In the resort itself, Champery has a decent number of very high quality restaurants, tucked away in the main high street, close but well hidden from the hub of the cable car. It still has the feel of a functioning town, rather than a 1950s purpose built resort, and the 3 supermarkets and other amenities reflect that. Even Friday and Saturday nights are a mainly quiet affair. Just one nightclub, and as many quality restaurants (try the Le Cafe Nord brasserie) as bars mean you can avoid the “brits abroad” though you are unlikely to spend the day without hearing some English.

There is a large hall by the cable car that hosts large Curling events and doubles as a hotel. Plenty of cosy chalets and converted hotels provide Champery’s beds. Few blocks of shoebox apartment blocks here.

Love Champery! The Grand Conche chair has been replaced for the winter 2011-12 season which was a bone shaker and one of the candidates for replacements as mentioned above. Now hopping over the border to France is faster and easier and less painful!

Mitchells is great and Champery has some fantastic restaurants.