Savills Ski works closely with a number of best in class agents and operators in the Alps. First in a new series of blogs this season, Jeremy Rollason caught up with founder and CEO of luxury chalet operator Ski Verbier Exclusive Tom Avery.


Q. What got you started in the chalet rental market?

I came out to Verbier in the late nineties to fulfil a childhood ambition and 'Do a ski season'. I worked as a driver and ski guide for Ski Verbier, and 20 years on, I’m still here.

Q. Why Verbier?

It’s quite simply the greatest ski resort in the world. I’ve been fortunate enough to ski most of the best-known European resorts over the years, but I have yet to find anywhere that matches Verbier’s incredible ski terrain (both on piste and backcountry), its majestic views of lofty glaciated peaks, consistently reliable snow, pretty chocolate-box chalets, eclectic nightlife and its cosmopolitan mountain village community. Verbier is also becoming one of the Alps’ most sought-after summer destinations with a host of activities and events on offer from e-biking to the world famous music festival to paddle-boarding across alpine lakes.

Q. You have been operating here for 25 years – what has changed in that time?

Thanks to major investment from Televerbier, the lift system has been transformed. The queues have almost disappeared and it’s so much quicker to get up the mountain than it once was.  The quality of the chalets improves year on year – be it newbuilds, or refurbished family chalets that were built generations ago.

Q. What has been the most outlandish client request?

Probably the time when a client asked for life-size ice sculptures of Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy! We had them built on the chalet terrace, inset with green and pink LED lights – they looked incredible.

Q. You’ve skied to the South and North Poles – what drove you to this incredible undertaking?

I’ve been obsessed with the poles since my childhood, reading about the adventures of Captain Scott.  It was incredible to travel in his footsteps in this extraordinary frozen world.  We drove dog teams across the frozen Arctic Ocean to the North Pole, which was equally awe-inspiring – and at -40F, every bit as cold.

Q. Will we still be skiing in 50 years?

I’m sure we will, but it will all be about the higher, more snow-sure resorts like Verbier. Technology has a big part to play, but it needs to keep pace with our warming planet. The latest snow canons can produce huge amounts of snow at relatively mild temperatures, and resorts have become much better at bashing the pistes down straight after a fresh snowfall as snow is preserved much better when it’s compacted. I actually think the conditions and reliability of the snow on the piste, particularly above 1,500m is much better than it was when I started skiing 35 years ago, but only time will tell what the coming decades will bring as temperatures continue to rise.

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