Crans-Montana
… 🧊 Glacier area
Photo: Paolo Gamba from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Crans-Montana lies in Valais and is a mid-sized ski area: 140 kilometres of piste served by 25 lifts.
The area runs from 1500 to 3000 metres above sea level, giving around 1,500 metres of vertical. That takes the terrain above the 3,000-metre mark, which markedly improves snow reliability on the upper slopes.
The ski terrain reaches up to a glacier, and the season runs Dec – April. There is no summer skiing here any more, but the state of the glacier remains a live issue.
There is a snow park, an adult day pass costs CHF 85.
Of note: Plaine Morte glacier
Pistes by difficulty
- Leicht (blau)36 km26%
- Mittel (rot)80 km57%
- Schwer (schwarz)24 km17%
Distribution calculated from OpenStreetMap and applied to the 140 official kilometres of piste. An approximation, not a figure from the lift company.
Snow report
Not currentThis reading is 47 days old and is not being updated automatically at the moment. Current figures are available from the SLF and from the resort itself.
Source: SLF / WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research. A single measuring station, not the resort’s official piste report.
Piste map, map & webcams
Interactive piste map
Every piste and lift colour-coded by difficulty, zoomable, built on OpenStreetMap. Community-maintained data; where it differs, the official piste map next to it is authoritative.
Open on OpenSkiMap →Official piste map
The lift company’s drawn piste map, plus lift status and tickets.
crans-montana.ch →Webcams
Live images from the mountain on the resort’s official site, usually several locations.
View webcams →Piste maps and webcam images belong to the lift companies and are protected by copyright. That is why we link directly to the original instead of copying it.
Snow’n’Rail at Crans-Montana: up to 10% off the ski pass
This resort takes part in Snow’n’Rail, the combined offer from SBB RailAway: book the journey and the ski pass together and the pass costs less.
Snow’n’Rail Crans-Montana at SBB →All resorts with Snow’n’Rail →
Getting there by public transport
Destination stop: Crans-Montana, gare. Fastest connection on a Saturday morning in the currently published timetable, from the open Swiss timetable interface, retrieved 10 August 2026. A guide value, not a timetable: the real journey time depends on when you leave and what you connect to, and winter-only bus services are not yet included.
Worth knowing: this resort is in the Snow’n’Rail scheme, so the lift pass is up to 10 per cent cheaper if you arrive this way. From Bern that is 1 h 53 on the train instead of behind the wheel.
Frequently asked about Crans-Montana
How high is Crans-Montana?
The ski area runs from 1,500 to 3,000 metres above sea level, a vertical range of 1,500 metres. For snow reliability the lower figure matters more: that is where the snow disappears first, and where a mild December is felt before it is felt at the top.
How many kilometres of piste does Crans-Montana have?
140 kilometres on 25 lifts, according to the operator. There is no binding standard for measuring piste kilometres, so the figure is comparable between resorts only to a point. The lift count says at least as much about how big a place feels.
What does a day pass at Crans-Montana cost?
CHF 85 for an adult day pass at the standard rate, as of summer 2026. Booked early it is often less; on a peak Saturday it is not. Arriving by public transport takes up to 10 per cent off through the Snow’n’Rail scheme.
When does Crans-Montana open?
The usual season window is Dec – April. No starting date has been announced for winter 2026/27 yet. Most resorts commit only in the autumn, because a postponed opening costs more goodwill than a late announcement.
How do I get to Crans-Montana by train?
The destination stop is Crans-Montana, gare. From Zürich HB the fastest connection on a Saturday morning takes 2 h 58, changing 2 times; from Bern 1 h 53. A guide value, not a timetable.
Is there Snow’n’Rail at Crans-Montana?
Yes. Crans-Montana is one of the destinations in SBB RailAway's combined offer: book the journey and the ski pass together and the pass costs up to 10 per cent less. That percentage is the maximum SBB advertises; what actually comes off depends on the ticket type and the date, and only SBB can tell you bindingly.
Does Crans-Montana have a glacier?
Yes. Glacier terrain makes the early season more reliable, because the snow layer is supported from below by ice. The summers since 2022 have shown that this is no longer a guarantee either: several Alpine glacier areas have given up summer skiing altogether.
Crans-Montana in the magazine
Where you can practise transceiver searching: 27 facilities in Switzerland
More than two dozen Swiss ski areas have a permanent practice facility for avalanche transceiver searching. Use is mostly free and needs only a valid lift pass. The complete list, linked to our resort pages, and what such a facility can do.
Is the Magic Pass worth it? The maths with real numbers
The Magic Pass currently costs CHF 482 and covers 95 stations. We worked out how many ski days it takes to break even: ten. And checked which resorts are actually included. Of Switzerland's fifteen largest ski areas, two are.
Where this resort stands
In our rankings of all Swiss ski areas:
Crans-Montana is one of 24 ski areas in the canton of Valais, and it is quickest reached from Bern by train, in 1 h 53.
Nearby ski areas
Distances are straight-line, not driving time. In the Alps a ridge between two valleys can turn 12 km into a two-hour drive.
Key figures
- Region
- Valais
- Season
- Dec – April
- Kilometres of piste
- 140 km
- Elevation
- 1500 to 3000 m (1,500 m of vertical)
- Lifts
- 25
- Adult day pass
- around CHF 85 (guide value)
- Summer skiing
- no
- Glacier
- yes
- Snow park
- rated 6/10
- Coordinates
- 46.311, 7.481
- Official website
- crans-montana.ch
All values are guide figures still being verified. For day-to-day information, use the resort’s official website.