Hi everyone,

Of the nearby ski areas: Pizol, Hoch Ybrig, Flumserberg (Or others?), does anyone know which is good for learning snowboarding? I'm thinking nice wide pistes that are not too short in length to avoid spending too much time on the drag lifts! Thanks in advance!

The best place to start for total beginners, day 1, is probably Les Esserts, in Verbier:

http://maps.google.ch/maps?q=%22Les+...=14&iwloc=addr

Les Esserts is not part of the main ski system, and you do not need to buy the main lift pass – you can buy a pass just for Les Esserts right there, at a little wooden hut, just below the slope. It is just on the outskirts of Verbier, a free bus runs from the centre, continuously, every ~20 minutes or so. Or, if you have a car, there is a (small) car park, both below or to the side of the two slopes.

There are just two runs there, one really easy and the other a bit more challenging for the novice. The easy one has a conveyor-belt lift, which you can just ski onto. The other slope is steeper and longer, and has a button lift. The queues are typically empty for the small slope, and twenty or so people for the longer lift. There is a café/bar/restaurant next to the larger slope.

When your friends are finished there, they should be able to ski higher up in Verbier, but it then you’ll need to buy lift-passes… the best place is probably Lac des Vaux, which is a little intimidating at first, for beginners (well, the first 300m)…. just give then some brandy first. Getting up there takes longer to describe, and is easier to point out on a map.

What part of "Local to Zurich" are you missing here?

For that matter, can I suggest you look at the dates on posts you're replying to?