Skiing in Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana: a south-facing plateau, the Plaine Morte glacier and the 2027 World Championship slopes

Crans-Montana's 73 slopes by colour, the Mont Lachaux and Nationale World Cup runs, fixed 2026–27 pass prices, Sierre funicular and best snow months.

Kilometres of marked pistes (tourist office figure)

140

Highest point, Plaine Morte glacier (metres)

2927

Slopes in the operator's live report (pistes, ski routes and snowparks)

73

Lifts in the operator's live report

24

Day pass bought online by midnight the day before, 2026–27 (CHF)

79

Skiing & terrain in Crans-Montana

Every slope in the official live map of Remontées mécaniques de Crans-Montana Aminona (CMA), checked 18 October 2026: 62 pistes by colour, 7 ski routes and 4 snowpark lines — the 73 slopes the live report counts — plus five named areas (Plaine Morte Glacier, Cry d'Er, Aminona and the two learning areas).

Kilometres of marked pistes (tourist office figure)

140

Highest point, Plaine Morte glacier (metres)

2927

Slopes in the operator's live report (pistes, ski routes and snowparks)

73

Lifts in the operator's live report

24

Day pass bought online by midnight the day before, 2026–27 (CHF)

79

• Blue pistes in this table: 15
• Red pistes in this table: 37
• Black pistes in this table: 10

Colours come from the live map's line colours (blue, red, black; orange for ski routes) and match the piste map's numbering. The live map gives no sector per run, so every run carries the operator's own label, Crans-Montana Aminona; where official pages place a run (for example the Aminona blues or the race slopes) the description says so. Several runs are split into upper, middle and lower sections, each listed as its own row, and Chetseron (2) appears once in each colour. CMA publishes no per-piste lengths, so lengths are left empty; the race organiser's course profiles (Nationale downhill 3800 m, Mont Lachaux downhill 2451 m) describe race courses, not the public pistes. The 16 Ski Rando Parc touring routes are not included.

Crans-Montana pistes: Plaine Morte, Cry d'Er, Violettes, Aminona and the World Cup slopes

Crans-Montana's 140 km of pistes face south, from about 1500 m at the resort to the Plaine Morte glacier at 2927 m. Three lifts leave the resort: Crans–Merbé–Cry d'Er, Montana–Arnouva and Barzettes–Marolires–Violettes, and the Funitel Violettes–Plaine-Morte climbs to the glacier. The operator's live map lists 62 pistes — 15 blue, 37 red and 10 black — plus 7 marked ski routes and four snowpark lines, 73 slopes in all. Reds dominate; the tourist office says almost half the area suits intermediates.

The two race slopes share one finish stadium. Mont Lachaux, remodelled in 2010 and raced every year in the women's World Cup, is described by the organisers as demanding and selective; its women's downhill course drops 665 m over 2451 m from a start at 2210 m. The Nationale, the men's downhill, runs 3800 m and 969 m from 2514 m to 1545 m. In February 2027 both host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

For the high mountain, the funitel takes you to Plaine Morte for a 360° view and the start of the Kandahar, the resort's first downhill, which the tourist office calls 8 km long. Mont Lachaux and the Col du Pochet are the blacks it singles out. Lift and piste status, snow depth at three altitudes and the avalanche level are in CMA's live report.

Crans-Montana for beginners: Snow Island, the Arnouva Snow Garten and the first blues

Start in one of the two learning areas. Snow Island, on the golf course in Crans, has two button lifts and two magic carpets on gentle slopes; the free shuttle stops at Crans-Montana, Sporting. The Snow Garten at Arnouva, reached by the Montana–Arnouva gondola, has three magic carpets and a restaurant terrace overlooking it.

Next, the tourist office suggests the Verdets blue (by the Verdets lift) and Les Planches, a few metres from the Snow Garten, then Boulevard and Mérignou at Cry d'Er. The four Aminona blues — Le Plat, La Tsa, Petit Bonvin and Dahu — are reached only from Violettes, which has no beginner pistes, so leave them until you can turn and brake with confidence.

For 2026–27 the Pass Step One is the learner's ticket: Snow Island, Arnouva's beginner area and the Verdets lift, plus the Ycoor ice rink. Book lessons in advance; the tourist office's own advice is not to try to learn alone.

Getting to Crans-Montana: Geneva or Sion, the train to Sierre and the funicular

Crans-Montana has no airport of its own. Geneva (180 km) is the main gateway: about 2 h 30 by train or about 2 h 15 by car via Lausanne, Martigny and Sion. Zurich is about 3 h by train and Basel-Mulhouse about 3 h 30; Milan Malpensa is about 4 h by train. Sion airport is only 30 km away (about 1 h by train, 35 minutes by car), but its schedule is far smaller — check its flights plan before building a trip around it.

By rail, travel to Sierre on the Swiss network. From Sierre station follow the red line on the pavement (about 5 minutes) to the SMC funicular, which climbs 927 m over 4.2 km to Crans-Montana gare in 13 minutes and runs about every 20 minutes. The bus is the alternative: about 40 minutes, hourly, also serving the villages.

On the plateau, free shuttle buses link the funicular stop with the lift stations: Crans-Montana, Télé Cry d'Er for Crans–Merbé–Cry d'Er; Ycoor (then the escalator) or Télé Arnouva for Montana–Arnouva; Télé Violettes for Barzettes–Violettes. By car it is 15 km from Sierre, with car parks at all three lift bases.

Crans-Montana with kids: ski clubs, free under-6 passes and Snow Island

Skiing is free for children up to their 6th birthday, both in the ski area and at Snow Island; the operator adds that season-pass holders' children up to 5 ski free with a parent holding the same pass. Snow Island is the easy family base: gentle lifts, snowtubing and sledging, indoor and outdoor refreshment areas, and from December to March the house of Bibi the marmot, the resort's mascot, with activities for children.

The Swiss Ski School (ESS) Crans-Montana runs the BIBI Club for ages 3–4 (mornings only, at most five children per group) and the SNOWLI Club for ages 4–6 (groups of up to eight, morning and afternoon). Both meet in a snow garden — on the Crans golf course or at the top of the Arnouva gondola (Signal) — and the school offers a supervised afternoon club for the youngest when parents want to ski. The tourist office lists seven ski and snowboard schools in all, including the operator's own Crans Montana Ski & Snowboard School.

A parent who doesn't ski can follow the lessons from the Snow Island terraces or the restaurant above the Snow Garten, ride up to Cry d'Er for the view, or take the Ycoor ice rink, which comes with the Pass Step One. Ask the school which language your child's group will be taught in when you book.

Where to stay in Crans-Montana: Crans, Montana, Barzettes–Violettes or Aminona

Crans, on the western side, has the Crans–Merbé–Cry d'Er gondola (Chetzeron car park) and is the natural base for families: Cry d'Er has the snowparks and several blues, and Snow Island sits on the golf course. Montana, in the middle, is where the funicular from Sierre arrives and where the Montana–Arnouva gondola leaves (via the Ycoor escalator) for the Snow Garten — handy without a car.

The Barzettes end of Montana suits stronger skiers: the Barzettes–Marolires–Violettes gondola leads to the reds and blacks of Violettes and the funitel to Plaine Morte, but Violettes has no beginner pistes. Aminona, at the eastern edge, is quieter and close to nature, but it is the one end of the ski area without a lift back up; you ski down and take the free shuttle, every 20 minutes, back to the centre.

Wherever you stay, check the walk to the nearest free-shuttle stop: buses link every lift base and the funicular, so a central address near a stop matters more than being exactly at a lift.

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Crans-Montana ski pass 2026–27: fixed day-pass prices, Pass One and the Epic Pass

For 2026–27 the operator dropped demand-based pricing for a fixed day pass: CHF 79 if you buy online by midnight the day before, CHF 89 online on the day, and CHF 94 at the ticket office (prices published 25 September 2026, checked 18 October 2026). Multi-day passes run from 2 to 7 consecutive days. Children ski free up to their 6th birthday, and 16–20-year-olds get a reduced rate on every pass.

Beginners can take the Pass Step One (Snow Island, Arnouva's beginner area, the Verdets lift and the Ycoor rink). Seniors have a midweek low-season 'têtes blanches' package with lunch. If you already have a compatible Keycard, enter its number when you buy online and go straight to the lifts.

Season skiers choose Pass One or the Epic Pass: Crans-Montana is part of the Epic network, and only the full Epic Pass gives unlimited access here; Epic holders swap it for a local card at the ticket office. Season passes can add the Fastlane skip-the-queue option.

Best time to ski in Crans-Montana: snow history, 2026–27 dates and the World Championships

Historically, February gives Crans-Montana its deepest snow, with late January and early March close behind. At MeteoSwiss's manual station in Montana (1423 m, at resort level), average snow depth over the winters 1991–2020 was about 62 cm in January, 83 cm in February and 62 cm in March, against about 29 cm in December and 15 cm in April; the most fresh snow fell in December and January (about 103 and 96 cm a month). December and late March–April are the shoulder months: December is still building the base, and in spring the south-facing lower slopes thaw first while Plaine Morte stays wintry. These are averages (a SkiPair calculation from MeteoSwiss monthly data), not a guarantee for any season.

The 2026–27 season runs from 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with a possible partial opening from 28 November if snow allows. From 1 to 14 February 2027 the resort hosts the World Championships: the area stays open, but Mont Lachaux and the Nationale are largely closed from 25 January to 15 February, the Crans–Violettes link stays open through the tunnels under the Nationale and the Col du Pochet, and Bellalui may be closed at times for training.

Before you go, check CMA's live report: it gives snow depth at 1500 m (Crans Montana), 2400 m (Aminona) and 3000 m (Plaine Morte), the avalanche level and how many lifts and slopes are open. Because the whole area faces south, spring snow softens early — ski high in the afternoon and watch the freezing level and wind at Plaine Morte in the forecast.

Ski partners in Crans-Montana: by sector, level and lift base

When you look for ski partners on SkiPair, give your dates, your base (Crans, Montana, Barzettes or Aminona) and your level, and say what kind of day you want: blues at Cry d'Er and Arnouva, long reds such as the Nationale, or the blacks of Mont Lachaux and the Col du Pochet. Mentioning the lift you start from — Cry d'Er, Arnouva or Violettes — makes it easy to meet.

For a solo trip, pick a named meeting point such as the Cry d'Er top station or the Violettes restaurant, and agree on a plan for the World Championships fortnight, when the race slopes are closed. If you want to go up to Plaine Morte or try the marked ski routes, agree on a turnaround time and check the avalanche level in the live report together.

Ski pass prices for Crans-Montana

Check the operator’s current prices for your ski dates, ticket duration, age group and the area covered by the pass.

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Weather and snow

A clearer view of the snow in Crans-Montana: recent snowfall, what is forecast next, and an outlook for your dates.

Snow and temperature are model estimates. They do not confirm that lifts or pistes are open. Further-ahead dates show seasonal patterns rather than a weather forecast.

Flights & getting to Crans-Montana

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Recommended airport for Switzerland: Geneva (GVA).

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A glimpse of Crans-Montana

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