Chalet Le Iceberg. Best Sauna Ever. Ski-Bike-Hike.

CHALET LE ICEBERG: a quality holiday home in beautiful Alpine surroundings. Ideal for outdoor lovers. Just 200 meters from chair-lift & access to Les 4 Vallées ski area. Private ski-lockers at lift. SPACIOUS & COMFORTABLE: open architecture, sunny balcony, breathtaking views. Fully equipped kitchen, fire place, BBQ. Unique SAUNA with panoramic window & chill-out deck. SPRING, SUMMER & FALL: unforgettably beautiful hiking & (mountain-)biking, local culture & wellness. Book now. SWISS COVID UPDATE 04.12.2021: All EU residents with a negative PCR test are welcome. Ski area fully open, no certificate necessary. Masks in closed gondola's & cable cars only. Restaurants open & accessible with Covid Certificate. CHALET LE ICEBERG is a comfortable and tasteful chalet that has made most of our guests instantly feel at home and happy. The large living/dining room offers more than enough space for all guests and is both cozy — with authentic Swiss details, a wood burner, board games — and majestic because of the high ceiling and its panoramic windows offering unparalleled views of the mountains. The bedrooms are charming and spacious. All have excellent beds & reading lights; all but the cozy attic bedroom have large glass sliding doors that open up to terrace or balcony (and birdsong and morning sun). The newly built Finnish sauna — with large window — is truly spectacular: imagine sweating it out while enjoying vast Alpine views and then walking out the sauna door to cool off in the snow! 'Le Iceberg' is also just plain practical with a fully equipped modern kitchen, a laundry machine & dryer, fast internet, detailed visitor's information, cheese-fondue sets, dishwasher, integrated floor heating, free-for-use ski lockers at the ski-lift, three bathrooms and four toilets. Step out the door and the great outdoors begins right there. For in Spring, Summer and Fall there is an abundance of hiking trails that start right from the chalet, many more just a short drive away. In Winter it is only a 200 meter walk to the ski-lift that accesses 'Les 4 Vallées', one of Switzerland's greatest ski & snowboard areas with over 400 km of pistes that include those of famous Verbier and its 3330 meter high Mont Fort. As our guests you have free use of two ski lockers at the ski-lift so you won't have to carry your gear back and forth each day. Come stay at Le Iceberg for a few unforgettable days, enjoy the stunning Swiss Alps, sweat out all your stress in our new sauna, feel at home and happy. You can get to our Le Iceberg by car, public transport or even by an Alpine hike. BY CAR: High way to Sion, then a winding mountain road to the village of Les Collons, finally 50 meters over an unpaved forest road. PARKING. Summer: 1 car in the garage below the chalet (2 minute walk back up); any additional cars for free in the village street (3 minute walk back). Winter: 1 car in garage below the chalet (2 minute walk back up); a second car in reserved parking spot in the village street (5 minute walk back); additional cars for free in parking lot just outside the village (10 minute walk back). BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT: train to Sion, then bus to Les Collons (3 to 5 daily services) or taxi shuttle to the chalet. Nearest airport is Geneva, other airports include Basel, Bern, Zurich, Milan, Sion. ACCESS: Chalet Le Iceberg lies just above our forest road. After unloading your car you must carry your luggage up for about 2-3 minutes over a sloping path and steps. Path & steps are cleared of snow in winter, but with ice or rain still remain challenging for those who are fragile or less mobile. Le Iceberg lies on a slope, with a steep drop off out front. Small children should be supervised. Chalet Le Iceberg is our holiday home, so we will most likely not be around to meet you. We have a local contact to help out and you can call or mail us any time might you need assistance. To ensure you can make the best of your stay we have compounded detailed information about the use of the chalet, restaurants, shops & services in our region, extensive information on what to do including hiking (in winter snow-shoeing) descriptions and maps. other things to note Our region of Switzerland, the French speaking Valais, is a stunningly beautiful Alpine region that has much to offer for young and old, for families and friends: lots of sun and in winter also lots of snow. There are lush valleys and rugged peaks and yes there are still quite a few glaciers. You can go for steep climbs or easy, level strolls. Explore quaint rural villages and fashionable cities. You can enjoy local delicacies at bakeries, cafés and restaurants. You can visit markets, museums and music festivals. There are endless opportunities to ski, hike, bike, swim, raft, paraglide, mountaineer, ride horseback, golf. Shop. And all within striking distance of an all out wonderful holiday home where we are convinced you will feel at home and happy: Chalet 'Le Iceberg'. The Valais is one of the Europe's regions with the most amount of yearly sunshine. Down in the valley Summer temperatures can be almost sub-tropic (great for swimming), while around the chalet's altitude it stays pleasantly cool. Spring can give you four seasons in one day, Fall can be stunningly beautiful with calm blue skies and all the forests in autumn colors. The first serious snow falls around mid December, ski slopes are generally open between mid-December and mid-April. Le Iceberg is located just beneath the village of Les Collons at an altitude of 1800 meters or 5900 feet. It is a stand-alone holiday house on its own plot of land (about 800m2) consisting of garden, terrace and sloping meadows. To one side there are a few neighboring chalets, to the other the garden joins field and forest. Le Iceberg has a private and secluded feel to it. The panorama across the Herens valley is uninterrupted and the views of the Dent Blanche and in the distance even the Matterhorn and the Jungfau are simply majestic. Though surrounded by lots of beautiful old Swiss villages, we would not count Les Collons as one of them. It is however a pleasant, low key and practical village. There are several shops, restaurants and playgrounds in Les Collons, most just a short walk from the chalet. You will find two sport-shops (also for ski- or mountain bike rental, guests of Le Iceberg get 10% off rentals), a souvenir & newspaper shop, a modest supermarket and a bakery. There is also a selection of restaurants, cafés, pubs and even a dance club (alive only during the ski season). In the high season everything is open. Some shops and restaurants close for the low season. The La Mura supermarket is open all year round. They have wonderful fresh bread, local cheese, wine and meats, homemade jams. La Mura will deliver your groceries to the chalet free of charge. There is an ATM in Les Collons, a post office and the tourist office. All major supermarkets, petrol stations and any other shop or service you might need can all be found a short drive away in Sion. The Trabanta ski lift in Les Collons, a fast 4-seater chairlift, gives access to the Les 4 Vallées ski area, one of Switzerland’s largest and most snow-sure interconnected ski areas. Together with Nendaz, Veyzonnaz and Verbier, the Thyon-Les Collons ski area offers more than 400km of ski trails from easy to advanced to extreme. Les Collons2000 offers an award winning snowboard park. There is also a sled-run from Thyon down to Les Collons. Cross-country trails around Les Collons are limited, but there is a nice 20km trail in Evolène. There are quite a few wonderful snow shoe options in the surroundings. The ski lift is only 200m from the chalet. The first 100m leads up over the steps and path behind the chalet, ascending about 30m. The remaining 100m lead over the level main street of Les Collons. For guests of Le Iceberg, ski lockers are provided right by the Trabanta ski lift. You can leave your skis and boots there overnight. This way you needn’t carry your ski’s from the chalet to the lift and back. The Swiss Ski School Thyon offers a variety of ski- and snowboard classes as well as private lessons, and tour-ski guides. You can avoid queues and pre-book online. The classes meet at Thyon2000, which is near the top of the Trabanta chairlift. The Thyon Ski School operates a free minibus service from Les Collons to Thyon2000 for young children that are not yet comfortable with taking the chairlift. You can also drive to Thyon2000. In Spring, Summer and Fall there are endless options for all kinds of activities. There is of course the great outdoors with hiking, biking, mountain-biking. Paths in Switzerland are generally very well marked and signposted. You will also find hike suggestions, descriptions and maps in the chalet. Swimming (in local lakes or in Lake Geneva) is also an option as is rafting, horseback riding, paragliding. You can also explore quaint Swiss villages with old, sun-darkened wooden buildings: Evolène, Forclaz or Grimentz. Visit the geological phenomenon of Euseignes 'Piramids' or the awe inspiring Aletch Glacier, the longest of continental Europe. Sion is a larger city with a pleasant Friday Farmer's Market. There are jet-set resorts like Verbier, Crans-Montana, Saas Fee or famous Zermatt. The cultured and mondaine cities like Lausanne, Montreux and Geneva have lots to offer, too. Lake Geneva is a great place to swim (combined with a tour on the old steamboat and a visit to the Chateau de Chillon). Enjoy local cheese, wine, bread, produce and of course lots of Swiss chocolate, too! Visit markets, museums, festivals and events, cafés and restaurants (cheese fondue!). There is much to do, on any day, in any season, for just about anybody. Shops, services, ski-lift and hikes are all in walking distance from the chalet so you don't necessarily need your own car to make the best of your stay. There is some, though limited, public transport to get you around or into town (Sion) for further transportation. If you are traveling with your own car there will be more and more diverse opportunities for day trips and services. Getting There. Les Collons is about 20km from Sion, the nearest major city with train station. Buses run from Sion to Les Collons, though only 3-5 times a day. You can also book a taxi or minibus that will bring you to the chalet from Sion for CHF 110 (up to 4 passengers) or CHF 120 (up to 8 passengers). You can fly into Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Bern, Lyon or Milano airports though Geneva Airport is by far the most convenient, as it is serviced by low cost airlines (e.g. Easyjet) and there is a direct train from Geneva airport to Sion (travel time 2 hours). Geneva Airport has several companies offering car rental. You can also take the TGV high speed train from Paris to Geneva or Lausanne. When traveling by (rental) car in the Alps one must take the weather into account as it can snow any time from late fall to early spring. All roads up to Les Collons are cleared, including the gravel road that leads to the chalet. In winter, if you travel by car, even a 4WD, please make sure you either have winter tires or snow chains, preferably both as in the toughest snow conditions you will need chains. Rental companies will also provide snow chains in winter. The use of our garage is included. There is also extra parking in the village street (limited to one car during the ski season). GOOD TO KNOW: PEACE & QUIET: we ask our guests to respect the 'spirit of the mountains' during their stay, which also means to refrain from wild partying or playing loud music: our neighbours all come to the mountains to enjoy the peace and quiet. CORONA. These are uncertain times. Please consider that current COVID-19 related circumstances may be subject to change before or even during your stay. Travel advisories may change or quarantines imposed, services might close, become reduced or require special measures (group maximum, face masks). These can include public & -mountain transport (lifts & gondolas), shops, restaurants, sport venues & -shops, tourist offices and other tourism-based services. Also, make sure you check the Airbnb cancellation policy of your reservation, as Airbnb no longer considers the pandemic as 'unforeseen circumstances' and you stand a big chance not to be refunded (in full) for any cancellation. DEPARTURE. the departure cleaning is included in your rental fee. To assure our cleaning lady can do her work as covid-safe as possible, we do ask our guests to, before their departure, leave the chalet in a clean & orderly state, remove & collect bed-linen & towels; leave dished & kitchen surfaces clean, take out all garbage & recyclables to the roadside containers. thank you for your understanding. WHAT'S PROVIDED. our prices include utilities, use of bed linen and bath- & sauna towels (1 set per guest), use of firewood for the wood burner and the departure-cleaning. Linen, pillows & quilts for the baby beds are NOT provided. NEIGHBOURS. Le Iceberg is a stand-alone holiday home with its own plot of land (800m2) consisting of garden, terrace and sloping meadows. It boasts magnificent views over the Herens Valley & Central Alps, including of the Dent Blanche (4357 m) & Matterhorn (4478 m). We do have neighbouring chalets (one in front & below so out of sight; one above & behind) but with the main sightlines either over the valley or towards field & forest, Le Iceberg offers a wonderfully private and secluded feel. OUR VILLAGE. Les Collons is a low key and practical (rather than charming) village, with a supermarket & Tourist/Post Office that are open all year. Several restaurants & bar/cafés, a bakery, two sport shops (guests of Le Iceberg get 10% off rentals), a souvenir shop and the Trabanta chair-lift are open during the main tourist seasons but so have seasonal closures. Nightlife is very low-key and limited to the peak seasons. All village shops & services are about a 5 to 10 minute walk from the chalet, partly uphill. KIDS. Available: baby beds, baby chairs, play-carpet, building blocks, Lego. Linen, pillows & quilts for the baby beds are NOT provided. Access to the chalet is doable but not ideal for pram. Our chalet does NOT have stair-gates. Access to our balcony cannot be closed off (to keep kids in), its floor boards can give off splinters. Le Iceberg lies on a slope, with a steep drop off out front, small children should be supervised. RENEWABLES. Le Iceberg runs on 100% renewable energy: hydro-electric + its own solar panels. NO WORRIES. A stay in Le Iceberg will cause you few corona worries: lots of space & fresh air, no crowds. During the ski season the infrastructure of our ski area makes it relatively easy to avoid packed gondolas & cable-cars.