I took the train to celeb skiing hotspot Verbier for an amazing eco-break

Publish date: 2024-05-27

Loved by the Beckhams, Prince Harry and Leonardo DiCaprio, Verbier Switzerland is leading the way in making skiing eco-friendly

Verbier ski resort in Switzerland is considered one of the best in the world and is regularly in the spotlight thanks to celebs including the Beckhams, Prince Harry and Leonardo DiCaprio hitting the slopes. Now it’s making headlines for an entirely different reason.

The skiing hotspot, beloved for its rich history, extensive piste and off-piste skiing and a cosmopolitan array of bars, restaurants and shops, is now making groundbreaking changes to ensure it’s here for years to come.

I’m talking about sustainability - an issue that isn’t always at the forefront of our minds as we frantically scroll online for the cheapest flights. Shockingly, even a return flight from London to Berlin emits around 0.6 tonnes of CO2 – that’s three times the emissions saved from a whole year of recycling – making aviation one of the biggest carbon footprint culprits.

I was invited to see just how the famous ski resort Verbier is tackling this issue and their plans ahead for the future. And I was amazed.

Ditching the plane and travelling to Verbier by train

Verbier is in the top realm of sustainability but one of the main problems is how guests arrive and leave the ski resort. Using the new Go Verbier site, I was able to see how easy it was to cut my own CO₂ emissions just by taking trains.

A return standard class train journey from London St Pancras to Verbier costs £320pp and frankly, I couldn’t have had a more relaxing start to the trip. Ditching the plane meant cutting out the airport faff of getting there three hours before take-off and fitting my toiletries into a tiny clear bag.

Sustainability at the resort: What Verbier is doing to lower CO₂

I saw first-hand how local companies Téléverbier (who are responsible for the resort’s ski lifts) and natural resource management specialists BlueArk are at the forefront of reducing the carbon and environmental footprint of skiing to help preserve this sport for years to come.

Téléverbier is actively working on various fronts, from ski lifts to snowmaking, transportation and energy use. The operation of the ski lifts actually generates very little CO₂, since they use electricity from low-carbon sources, such as hydroelectric power. The biggest carbon footprint of the ski resort comes from customers travelling from their homes to Verbier.

Speaking with Laurent Vaucher, Director of Téléverbier, it’s clear that guests have been at the forefront of all decisions. The operating hours of the Le Châble-Verbier cable cars have been extended to run from 5:30am to midnight to correspond with the first and last train of the day. This means guests can get up to the slopes early in the morning, and return later if - as I did - they travelled by train. These extensive operating hours help reduce the use of cars and encourage skiers to make use of public transport.

Laurent also revealed his aims to “achieve net-zero carbon emissions and generate our own electricity”. Not an easy task with essential snow-grooming vehicles maintaining the slopes, but with projects based on hydrogen fuel they expect to see a solution on the market soon. And when it arrives they will have reached zero emissions.

Where to stay: The award-winning eco hot spot Hôtel de Verbier

Alongside Verbier’s luxury ski chalets are a host of independent hotels. Among them, situated in the centre of Verbier, 4-star Hôtel de Verbier is a must-visit. Run by husband-and-wife team Eld and Ebba Leijonhufvud, it opened in December 2019 after undergoing a clever and stylish re-design.

The Scandi chic decor, which features weathered wood, white spaces and inviting sheepskin armchairs, epitomises Alpine luxury. Still, it’s not just about projecting the right image - the couple have had sustainability at the forefront of all their decisions.

They were recently awarded the coveted sustainability credential, the 'Swisstainable Award', thanks to initiatives like their groundbreaking electronic key cards.

This clever device was all new to me - after online check-in the team sends you your room key to save your device, allowing you to get straight into your room without even passing by reception.

Rooms - which feature comfy king-size beds - are fitted with effective insulation to reduce sound between neighbouring rooms and from the street. This also keeps in the heat - I found that the rooms get nice and toasty. Removing air-conditioning also lowers the negative footprint that would exist from guests having air con on all day.

Ebba shared that her ground principle at Hôtel de Verbier is to "try to do everything properly and profoundly from the beginning so that it’s smart in the long term". Case in point, the solar panels on the roof that feed into the restaurant and kitchen and the carbon-friendly district heating, both of which have netted them certification of being users of 100% renewable energy.

There are also several spa facilities to enjoy, from the low-lit hammam bath and jacuzzi to massage rooms after those cold days on the slopes. The jacuzzi is also part of the eco approach; it’s on a timer from 3pm-9pm, meaning there’s no wasteful consuming of energy when it’s not being used.

How to hire ski clothes for your stay

If you don’t want to bring or buy bulky and expensive skiwear from home, renting is a great choice. I used Cirkel Supply Co. which provides premium ski wear hire including trousers, jackets and even backpacks. Starting with a minimum three-day hire, this service allows you to reserve your desired ski gear ahead of time. With prices starting from CHF 20 (£18) this includes delivery of all your items directly to your hotel.

As a first-time skier, I was shocked by the price of clothing. I ordered an under-layer jacket, trousers, gloves and two ski jackets for CHF 212.50 (that’s around £193) for three days. This was a massive saving, should I have bought the clothes - one item, Picture W's Sygna Jacket retailed at £379 alone! Overall I found the experience so stress-free and enjoyed picking my items and trying them on once they were delivered to my hotel room, as if I was online shopping.

I found the fit of all the items to be perfect and as described. Cirkel also provides personalised size or product advice through an online consultation so you can make sure everything will be good to go on the slopes

A local ski instructor told me that many of his clients buy several outfits for their one week of skiing. With rental, the eco-impact of looking fresh for each day on the slopes is greatly reduced - and more on that below. I opted for two jacket options which allowed me to look stylish and change up my look each day.

Why rent?

It’s an astonishing 70% more eco-efficient to rent premium outerwear from shops like Cirkel Supply instead of purchasing new. Why? Many skiers and snowboarders only get to the mountains for a week or so each winter, leaving a huge amount of outerwear sitting in a closet for the other 51 weeks of the year.

Cirkel wants to make the sport more accessible to everyone. In their own words: "We believe that our pricing will encourage more folks to get out and enjoy nature." This increased accessibility has the very positive side effect of a society more engaged with nature and less demanding on our planet's resources.

Local businesses making an impact

British eyewear brand SunGod, which sits amongst designer boutiques in Verbier village, is also championing sustainability in Verbier. They were certified a B Corporation in the summer of 2022 - which signifies a business that prioritises sustainability as much as it does profit.

The key feature of the brand’s products is the use of recycled materials, from packaging to recycled frames. And more recently they have even launched recycled lenses in their sunglasses.

Not only do they offer lifetime guarantees to reduce the number of customers throwing products away, but they also encourage customers to donate their unwanted sunnies to Shades of Love charity.

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This heartwarming project takes pre-loved sunglasses and imperfect items from the SunGod warehouse and distributes them to remote indigenous communities typically in the Himalayas and the Andes where the levels of UV are dangerously high, and levels of eye cancer are up by 80% in population. It's such a huge issue, and amazing to see SunGod help.

As well as being sustainable, the products are durable, high-end items well-equipped for the slopes. I had the opportunity to design my own goggles at the store in Verbier and it was a great experience. I opted for black Vanguard goggles with a lens suitable for all weather - they were comfy, stylish and more than met my needs on the slopes.

How to plan your trip

Go Verbier is the new platform launched by the destination to allow guests to find, book and pay for their journey from any point in the world to Verbier. They can also use the handy site to plan all their travel in and around the ski resort.

From plane or train tickets, seat reservations, bus journeys, shuttles within the resort, taxis and car rental, all these options are available in one place. As mobility remains the sector that emits the most emissions when it comes to tourism, the various sustainable alternatives are highlighted, with the CO₂ equivalent for each.

More information

A seven-night stay at Hotel de Verbier in Verbier costs from £1,390pp based on two sharing with breakfast included. Hotel de Verbier

An adult one-day pass for the Verbier 4-Vallées sector is priced at CHF85/£78. visit Verbier 4Vallées

Ski Guide Instructor Warren Smith Ski Academy

For more information about Verbier visit verbier.ch

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