Mountain Layout — Skiing

Here is a larger trail map.

Here is the larger, more detailed interactive trail map.

Four major lifts serve the ski area. From Crans, an eight-passenger gondola goes from there to Cry d’Err (7,173 feet), the hub of the entire area. From Montana, a six-passenger gondola whisks skiers to Cry d’Err. At Les Barzettes (a five-minute bus ride from Crans or Montana) another fast gondola takes you to Les Violettes (7,176 feet). From the base again, five minutes on the bus takes the skier to Aminona, where a gondola goes on to Pt. Mont Bonvin (7,836 feet); here, a wide-open, above-treeline area provides fantastic uncrowded conditions.

The Cry d’Err sector of the mountain is the most crowded. Ten lifts go to Cry d’Err. After a long, flat traverse, you arrive on the Crans section of the mountain. From here the best bet is to take the Super-G/Slalom run into Crans, then catch the gondola back to Cry d’Err. The runs below Cry d’Err heading to Montana are intermediate playgrounds, but suffer from a serious bottleneck near Pas du Loup where the four trails merge through a narrow gap before widening on the way to town. At the end of the day, this bottleneck will be crowded. The Violettes area is a favorite of intermediates, featuring twisting runs down through the trees to the gondola midstation.

Across the valley from Violettes is the Aminona area and the Toula lifts, a favorite section of the resort. La Toula offers challenging expert runs, and Aminona boasts wide-open, uncrowded cruising.The Plaine-Morte trail starts atop the 9,843-foot-high Plaine Morte glacier. Sometime during your stay take the Funitel mountain subway up from Violettes and measure your time against the Kandahar ski pioneers, whose best time was just over one hour for nine-mile run. It is intermediate terrain with expert tendencies, thanks to the chance for frequent off-trail shortcuts. The trail down from Plaine Morte is closely controlled for avalanche danger. After even a relatively light snowfall, the run from the glacier back to Violettes is sometimes closed, but opened after the necessary precautions.

For beginners, there is a series of baby lifts that serve the very mellow terrain surrounding the Le Signal area. Not only are there good areas to learn to ski and ride, but there is a clutch of three restaurants there for hot tea, coffee and meals. Beginners normally graduate to the easiest and widest intermediate trails up at Cry d’Err.

Snowboarders can find a 25 km. snowboard park in Arimona at La Tza. Once a week visitors can snowboard or ski at night at Cry d’Err and Verdetts.

Mountain rating
IIntermediates will rate Crans-Montana one of the greatest places they’ve ever skied, with an excellent variety of trails. Indeed, for the intermediate skier, Crans-Montana may be heaven on the slopes. Long, challenging trails coupled with virtually no waiting at lifts make for a combination that most skiers will find hard to beat.

Beginners are relatively limited on this mountain. In Crans, absolute beginners should start on the golf course, which is perfect, but the next step – directly onto the mountain – is a big one. Montana beginners will likely opt for the Signal restaurant area. Fortunately, the slopes on the golf course and at Le Signal welcome beginners from both Crans and Montana. From Crans, take the bus and the cable car in Montana or Les Barzettas or Aminona. Instructors admit that the area is limited for beginners. Try the blue run from the Chetzeron gondola first. In Violettes there are no beginner slopes, and the beginner sections of Aminona are for those who have been on skis at least three or four days—even then the gentle slopes are isolated in a sea of red-rated trails.

Only experts need to worry at all about whether there are enough challenges to keep things interesting. Experts will find only a few really steep sections, and there is plenty of off-trail and tree skiing. The championship runs are a good test. For steep, wide-open skiing try the run on the skier’s left coming off the Les Violettes lift, or access this terrain while skiing down from the glacier. Though guides are suggested, there is also challenging off-trail skiing off the Petit Bonvin lift above Aminona.