Hitting the piste in Verbier doesn\u2019t come cheap, but in laid-back La Tzoumaz you can access the same pistes without such a steep price tag<\/p>\n
I\u2019m standing at 3,330 metres on a tall metal platform with a heavy harness strapped to my back, gazing in awe at the snow-covered Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and the Dents du Midi ridge. It\u2019s a gorgeous distraction while I wait to be clipped in and launched down the valley at 120 kilometres an hour. This is the Mont Fort zip line<\/a>, the highest in the world. I sit with my legs dangling over the precipice, then with a stomach-churning clunk the mechanism releases and I speed through the air over tiny figures skiing below. It\u2019s exhilarating and over too soon. I\u2019m grinning ear to ear, my lungs full of high mountain air.<\/p>\n I\u2019m in Verbier, one of Switzerland\u2019s most famous ski resorts. With access to 410km of pristine piste, excellent alpine food and a legendary apr\u00e8s-ski culture, what\u2019s not to like? Well, for many, the price. Verbier has long been favoured by A-listers and royalty, with eye-watering prices to match. Happily, there is a way to enjoy the same slopes, with much less of a financial hit. Stay in the village of La Tzoumaz (pronounced La Tsoo-mah), where accommodation can be half the price of Verbier, and you\u2019re one chairlift away from the entire Four Valleys ski area. And as I discover, this \u201cback door\u201d resort has plenty of its own charms too.<\/p>\n