The Magic Pass

[jamesdeluxe]

I mentioned in the Europe 2024-25 thread that the Magic Pass -- which is basically made up of what Tony refers to as "James areas" (I've already skied at 19 of them) -- will be growing and they just announced a number of new mountains for 2025-26, in yellow below. I was surprised that the Gstaad group joined as it was being discussed as a takeover possibility for Vail or Alterra.

While the basic idea is similar to the U.S.'s Indy Pass, Magic Pass is better because you get unlimited days at the participating ski areas, including those with summer operations. You can't beat the price: approx. $450.

 

[EMSC]

Do you know if the pass includes ski patrol/evacuation insurance for those places or do you have to do an add on? Just curious. Not entirely sure given how cheap it is why it's not just bundled in the price of lifts in Europe anyway...

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Here it is. Insurance for a pro-rated refund of the pass (5% of the purchase price) and adding rescue/evac insurance (8% of the purchase price).

Magic Pass - Insurance - C'est Magic!

Magic Pass is a subscription accessible to all that offers free and unrestricted access to all partner facilities.

www.magicpass.ch

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Located in the western Valais region, Ovronnaz isn't part of the 4 Valleys/Verbier circuit; it's five-ish miles north, on the other side of the Rhône Valley. A member of the Magic Pass group, it doesn't look that big on the map but we know better -- check out these photos from the past ten days (end of March). It appears that there's good coverage through the trees at the bottom to its base at 1,400 meters. Definitely one to put on my hit list the next time I'm in the region.

 

[Tony Crocker]

My first reaction was "south facing?" but James' link provides more context. The key upper lift is east facing, and the overall ski day description reminded me of our day at St. Luc-Chandolin in April 2022. I note that Tsantonnaire upper lift is a marathon poma similar to St. Luc.

The author of that link is enthusiastic about spring skiing. I have high standards in that regard due to Mammoth and Mt. Bachelor. So I have a variant of EMSC's attitude. Why should I spend big destination $$$ for spring skiing when arguably the best in the world is close at hand and cheap?

Nonetheless that 2022 trip had some outstanding corn snow, notably in Orelle, Rifflsee and Veysonnaz. Also the author raved about the run to the base at Ovronnaz. Our end of day run at St. Luc also had its smooth corn moments, and in both cases that's only going to happen at an area with very low skier density. James I'm sure will argue the case that he often gets better surface conditions at the under the radar areas.

Although there is opportunity cost in missing some of Mammoth's prime season, I suspect we will have a couple more Euro trips in the post Iron Blosam time frame.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

The author of that link is enthusiastic about spring skiing. I have high standards in that regard due to Mammoth and Mt. Bachelor. So I have a variant of EMSC's attitude. Why should I spend big destination $$$ for spring skiing when arguably the best in the world is close at hand and cheap?

That's a bogus question -- I wasn't recommending that you give up spring skiing at Mammoth/Bachelor to instead fly 14 hours overseas. I was just pointing out an obscure but worthwhile ski area on the Magic Pass that's hiding in plain sight and had nice conditions at the end of March.

 

[ChrisC]

I thought James might find this heavy usage of a Magic Pass interesting - lots of Snowheads Trip Reports with photos for 2 months of winter 2024/25.

January 2025: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=171855

March 2025: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=172533

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I enjoy checking out reports from the Jura range (in the January 2025 link above), which is similar to the northeastern U.S.

I always chuckle to see that the very active Snowheads forum appears to be running on phpBB interface 2.0, released in 2002. A search shows that official support for it ended in 2009, so I wonder how they patch its security holes. Perhaps it's so old that hackers don't bother with it (maybe @FTO Marc can comment).

I guess it's similar to my Dell Vostro laptop from 2007 that I continue to use a few times a month -- kind of like taking a beloved old car out of the garage for a Sunday drive. I refuse to update it from Windows 7 (my favorite version of this operating system, including the vintage wallpaper below) and I experience no serious issues as long as I don't download big files, play games, or do other activities that require lots of RAM.

 

[ChrisC]

If you really want to ski smaller, independent ski resorts for one or two weeks cheaply, the 419 CHF Magic Pass is the standout, but it's heavily Swiss-focused.

Vaud
Glacier 3000, Les Diablerets, Leysin, Les Mosses–La Lécherette, Les Pléiades, Les Rochers-de-Naye, Ste-Croix/Les Rasses, Vallée de Joux and Villars-Gryon.

Fribourg
Charmey, Jaun, La Berra, Les Paccots, Moléson and Schwarzsee.

Central Switzerland
Klewenalp-Stockhütte, Marbachegg, Melchsee-Frutt, Mörlialp, Sattel-Hochstuckli and Sörenberg.

Jura / Neuchâtel / Solothurn and smaller Swiss areas
Balmberg, Bugnenets-Savagnières, Crêt-du-Puy, Grenchenberg, Hohe Winde, Homberg, Prés-d'Orvin, Robella Val-de-Travers, Riffenmatt, Rüschegg, Selital, Schwanden, Tramelan, Valbirse and others.

France
Bernex, Hirmentaz, Les Habères, Jura-sur-Léman, Le Grand-Bornand, Massif des Brasses, Métabief, Monts Jura, Praz de Lys–Sommand and Thollon-les-Mémises.

 

[ChrisC]

Any Geneva/Valais/Western Swiss resident should consider the Magic Pass. I have seen some Brits buy it and write about how to maximize it.

Considering day ticket prices, likely not really appropriate for US visitors.


Tier 1 — destination-worthy
Grimentz-Zinal
Saas-Fee
Lauchernalp
Glacier 3000
Gstaad
Arolla

Tier 2 — definitely worth adding
Belalp
St-Luc/Chandolin
Anzère
Le Grand-Bornand
Meiringen-Hasliberg
Sörenberg

Tier 3 — useful depending on snow
Ovronnaz
Villars-Gryon
Leukerbad
Melchsee-Frutt
Leysin

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I have not heard of most of the places on that Magic Pass list. Are there none of mom-and-pop but higher altitude places in the Upper Rhone included?

Below is the current Magic Pass lineup for 2026-27. They only added three new ones for this season. You've been to a number of the higher ones, off the top of my head Ovrannaz, St. Luc, Grimentz/Zinal, Lauchernalp. The 19 I've been to, in red, are mostly James areas and I'd return to most of them. There are quite a few that I've read about on the German forums, plan to check out, and wouldn't limit myself to the ones that ChrisC mentions.

1. Aeschiallmend
2. Anzère
3. Axalp
4. Balmberg
5. Beatenberg-Hohwald
6. Bergbahnen Gstaad
7. Bernex
8. Blatten-Belalp
9. Bugnenets-Savagnières
10. Bumbach Schangnau
11. Charmey
12. Crêt-du-Puy
13. Devero
14. Domobianca
15. Eischoll
16. Eriz
17. Espace Dent-Blanche (Arolla)
18. Espace Dent-Blanche (Evolène)
19. Espace Dent-Blanche (La Forclaz)
20. Faltschen
21. Gantrisch Gurnigel
22. Glacier 3000
23. Grenchenberg
24. Grimentz-Zinal
25. Grimmialp
26. Gspon
27. Gurnigelbad
28. Habkern
29. Heimenschwand
30. Hirmentaz
31. Hohe Winde
32. Homberg
33. Jaun
34. Jaunpass
35. Jeizinen
36. Jura-sur-Léman (Transfrontalier)
37. Kiental
38. Klewenalp-Stockhütte
39. La Berra
40. Lauchernalp
41. Le Grand-Bornand
42. Les Diablerets
43. Les Habères
44. Les Marécottes
45. Les Mosses-La Lécherette
46. Les Paccots
47. Les Pléiades
48. Les Rochers-de-Naye
49. Leukerbad (Torrent & Gemmi)
50. Leysin
51. Linden
52. Marbachegg
53. Massif des Brasses
54. Mayens de Conthey
55. Meiringen-Hasliberg
56. Melchsee-Frutt
57. Métabief
58. Moléson
59. Monts Jura
60. Moosalp
61. Mörlialp Giswil
62. Nax – Mt-Noble
63. Niederhorn
64. Ottenleue
65. Ovronnaz
66. Praz de Lys – Sommand
67. Prés-d'Orvin
68. Rathvel
69. Riffenmatt
70. Robella Val-de-Travers
71. Rossberg
72. Rosswald
73. Rüschegg
74. Saas-Almagell
75. Saas-Fee
76. Saint-Cergue
77. San Domenico
78. Sattel-Hochstuckli
79. Schwanden
80. Schwarzsee
81. Selital
82. Sörenberg
83. Springenboden
84. St-Luc / Chandolin
85. Ste-Croix/Les Rasses
86. Thollon-les-Mémises
87. Tramelan
88. Unterbäch
89. Valbirse
90. Vallée de Joux
91. Vercorin
92. Villars-Gryon
93. Visperterminen
94. Wilerallmi
95. Wiriehorn

 

[Tony Crocker]

Yes, ChrisC's list was incomplete. I thought there were some Upper Rhone areas on Magic Pass. I have been to Grimentz but not Zinal. And we just went to Saas-Fee this year.

 

[ChrisC]

Below is the current Magic Pass lineup for 2026-27.

wouldn't limit myself to the ones that ChrisC mentions.

Yes, ChrisC's list was incomplete.

Yes. There is a huge list of Magic Pass Areas, including some very small community resorts. The long tail is in full display. I assumed people had clicked on it once and been overwhelmed by a bunch of unrecognizable Euro ski resorts, even for well-traveled skiers. While the list is impressive, picking what is relevant is more difficult.

Again, it's a great pass for any local skier living in the Geneva-to-Zurich axis. Why not utilize all of the nearby resorts? And have a nearly year-round pass? Especially if you're only skiing locally for half a day?



However, I'm trying to quickly pick out the ski areas that make a business case for an international skier to buy a Magic Pass: those with high lift ticket prices. Those are the resorts I'm concerned about.

The major issue: most of these ski areas have relatively low lift ticket prices, many in the 30-55 CHF range, so it's more efficient to buy lift access as a day ticket. You'll never ski enough to create an overwhelming economic advantage for a Magic Pass, especially if you add some non-Pass larger destination resorts. What benefit does locking yourself into a pass get you? Plus, you still have to deal with weather and travel vagaries.

Overall, the Magic Pass is mostly irrelevant for the average US/International Skier. Even for me, considering a month in Switzerland during the winter, it's still irrelevant given the mix of ski areas I might target. And the reason is a great one: skiing is still relatively affordable for most people if they want it. In Switzerland, I loved watching city/town dwellers walk to the train with skis over their shoulder/boots in a bag, and riding a few stops to a ski area that costs $50 USD for a day, with likely a 2,000 ft vertical drop and some high-speed lifts.

 

[ChrisC]

The most expensive Magic Pass mountains can help you decide whether to buy a pass.

Resort	Day-ticket Value
Saas-Fee	CHF 87
Gstaad	CHF 82
Glacier 3000	~CHF 85
Grimentz-Zinal	CHF 75
St-Luc/Chandolin	CHF 75
Lauchernalp	CHF 70
Belalp	CHF 77
Arolla	~CHF 62
Anzère	~CHF 67
Meiringen-Hasliberg	CHF 65
Leukerbad	CHF 68
Villars-Gryon-Diablerets	CHF 65

The reality is, if most US skiers get a month in the Alps, no one is going to neglect the major ski resorts and ski at Magic Pass areas more than maybe 6-8 times. Maybe 10x? But I still would not buy a pass, and would ski on flexibility.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

if most US skiers get a month in the Alps, no one is going to neglect the major ski resorts and ski at Magic Pass areas more than maybe 6-8 times. Maybe 10x? But I still would not buy a pass, and would ski on flexibility.

Agreed, that's what most Americans would do but not this American. Out of 30 days, I'd probably do 18 at Magic Pass-esque places , at which point the pass becomes less expensive than buying day tickets.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

With the lousy CHF exchange rate, those top ones are north of $100: no longer the incredible day-ticket deal to which we've become accustomed.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Out of 30 days

When was the last time James was over there for more than a week, or two weeks in an entire season? I have never skied more than 18 days in the Alps in one season. I'm pleased to hear that James' lifestyle might be taking a turn for the better if he's considering the Magic Pass.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

When was the last time James was over there for more than a week, or two weeks in an entire season?

I believe that the most I've ever skied on a single trip was eight days. 2017-2018 was the biggest season because I made three separate trips over there: 19 days

December: Zurich gateway
2 Lenzerheide, CH
1 Pizol, CH
1 Toggenburg, CH
1 Atzmannig, CH

January: Nice gateway
2 Isola, FR
1 Auron, FR
1 Roubion, FR
2 Valberg, FR
1 Seignus, FR
1 Val d'Allos, FR

March: Zurich gateway
1 Ebenalp, CH
1 Tschiertschen, CH
1 Hasliberg, CH
1 Axalp, CH
1 Grindelwald/Wengen, CH
1 Schilthorn/Mürren, CH

 

[ChrisC]

Agreed, that's what most Americans would do but not this American. Out of 30 days, I'd probably do 18 at Magic Pass-esque places , at which point it becomes less expensive than buying day tickets.

You are definitely a ski-predictive algorithm anomaly.

In many ways, I'm a bit 'basic'. You can likely predict where I will ski at Euro ski resorts: just get a list of the top 50 by size (whatever metric - lifts/piste mileage/vertical), and a few freeride-expert-oriented, maybe high-snowfall ski areas. Add some current conditions: I'd rather repeat places to ski new lines than just mark off a new hill.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I like to mark off new hills, but I have standards. There's only a handful of interesting places in western North America I have not yet skied, and almost by definition they are not convenient at this point. And I'm not skiing mediocre conditions if I can do better. The Alps are different in terms of terrain variety. Small in the Alps is still usually enough for a full ski day without getting bored, especially if there is some unskied powder.