About Roddy Willis

Inspired by a lifelong passion for the mountains, Roddy moved to the Alps in 1988 and has been teaching skiing at the highest level ever since. After working in a wide range of roles within the industry, he went on to become a ski school Technical Director before settling in Verbier with his family in 2005.

With decades of experience in the 4 Vallées, Roddy brings exceptional local knowledge to every day on the mountain, from finding the best snow conditions to helping clients make the very most of their time in Verbier.

Roddy holds top level qualifications within the Swiss, Italian and Irish ski systems and is known for his calm, personable approach to coaching. His teaching combines technical expertise with clear communication, helping skiers of all levels build confidence, improve performance and enjoy the mountain more fully.

Outside of winter, Roddy also has a background in furniture design and chalet renovation, bringing the same attention to detail and craftsmanship from the mountains into his summer projects.

Entries by Roddy Willis

It’s starting…. Winter is coming

4th October 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Snow in Verbier this weekend!

Roddy Willis Mentioned In The Weekend Telegraph Travel

2nd October 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

A wee mention in the press this weekend. It’s always tricky for an independent ski instructor to compete with the big Verbier ski school machines! However I got my name in the papers!

Verbier Snow Prediction Winter 19 -20

12th July 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Verbier Snow Prediction Winter 19 -20 If you are a regular visitor to my Verbier Ski Blog, you’ll know that each summer – autumn I predict the coming winter season’s snowfall in Verbier. I use a variety of ‘special’ techniques and indicators to help with my prediction. There is no science used, just a bunch […]

Savoleyres Bubble Lift Verbier – What is the Gossip?

31st May 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Savoleyres Bubble Lift – What is the deal? This week’s blog is about the Savoleyres bubble lift. It is not long since the end of the winter season and the skiing stopped in Verbier. Winter 18 – 19 has produced many tales of the deepest and steepest skiing ever. However, what has happened to the […]

Mont Fort

17th May 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Mont Fort Verbier Mont Fort is the highest point of the Verbier ski area. It is popular for skiing in winter and in the summer for sight-seeing and mountaineering. From the top on a clear day it is possible to see the Matterhorn, Dent d’Hérens, Grand Combin and Mont Blanc: Mont Fort Skiing Many glaciers […]

Summer Skiing Verbier 2019

12th May 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Will Verbier Open for Summer skiing? The winter ski season has ended. However, the snow just keeps on coming. This morning May 12th the snow has again fallen right down to 1200 meters and the forecast is for more cold weather and more snow! The last time it felt this cold in May was 2013. […]

Tortin – Verbier Ski Itinerary

10th May 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Good Skiers Only! Tortin is probably the best known of the Verbier and 4 Valllees itineraries. It is a rite of passage for many visitors to Verbier. So, to get your Après-Ski bar chat sorted and ready for some great ‘Fisherman’s tales’. Here is a little information to help make your ski tales into classic Verbier […]

Off Piste Regulations – Verbier

7th May 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Swiss Federal Ordinance for Activities of Risk What are the laws for mountain professionals working in Switzerland? The answers can be found in the Swiss Federal Ordinance for Activities of Risk (Orisque). From 2014 all mountain guides, ski instructors, climbing instructors, mountain leaders have had to comply with Orisque. However, the Federal Council has […]

Finding the Cheapest Ski Lessons in Verbier

10th April 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Best-value-for-money ski lessons in Verbier Verbier is one of the top ski resorts in the world and is a fantastic ski holiday destination. Verbier also just happens to be in Switzerland and as you’ll probably know Switzerland has a reputation for being a little pricey! Bearing in mind these two points, ski lessons in Verbier […]

Verbier Beginner Ski Lessons

4th April 2019/in Blog/by Roddy Willis

Mastering La Chaux Verbier after 4 hours skiing The power of a positive mental approach and some good base-level-fitness makes skiing easy. There is no mystique, just simple logical steps and skiing can be easy. The video above is Helen skiing la Chaux in Verbier after only 4 hours skiing – She was super […]