A lovely welcoming place to stay, well presented, warm and cosy.
Tripadvisor Guest
Julie is an excellent host, helpful, informative and easy to talk to.
We’ve been to Leysin a few times and it was nice to be back but staying somewhere we’d not known about before.
The evening snow-shoe hike up to restaurant Les Fers with Ian Julie was great. Not something we would have done without our own personal local guides. Our legs certainly knew about it the next day!
We hope to go back, possibly late Spring or early Summer for some walking.
We would highly recommend Chalet Epicea
Switzerland. You possibly couldn’t find a more diverse climate or landscape in such a relatively small area. Despite this, its ski resorts attract tourists in droves for the dramatic alpine scenery, après-ski and numerous lakes. One of its better known, Lake Geneva, is just 30 minutes west of Leysin. This beautiful resort is home for Ian Spare, a member of the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML), and his partner Julie.
A Snowshoe Magazine Interview with Swiss Mountain Leader Ian Spare (BAIML)
Snowshoe Magazine
Ian Spare is a true mountain expert. As a renowned international mountain leader (IML) he guides anyone interested to some of the most beautiful parts of the Swiss Alps. With his website and company SwissMountainLeader.com he is the place to go for exceptional Alpine Hut Tours, Alpine Hiking and Snowshoeing.
Julian Bittel – Inspiring Adventurer Podcast
Julian Bittel
Inspiring Adventurer Podcast
I had a fabulous few days at the L’Epicea, snow showing and enjoying the beautiful room and Leysin village. Ian is a fantastic tour guide and made every trip we took a learning experience. The B&B is just a perfect walking distance away from town. I will without a doubt be back!
Corrine
A real winter escape – fantastic!
This was our second visit (first in winter). The access road was really well cleared of recent snow which was a very much appreciated welcome. The room was spotless and spacious with fabulous views to the mountains.
Andy
Breakfast was great and the option to self cater in the evening is a huge bonus.
Ian and Julie’s knowledge of the area is incredible and enabled us to make the most of our short (4 days) visit.
The evening snowshoe visit to the Chalet de Fer for fondu was magical and a real highlight, well worth the walk though the snow-covered forest expertly led by Ian, an International Mountain Leader.
We had a fantastic stay at Chalet l’épicea as part of our a guided snowshoeing package. The chalet is bright and cosy and very welcoming. Our room was spacious and spotlessly clean with a lovely view and pretty, local decorations. The shower was hot and the bedding kept us snug. It was great to have tea and coffee available and the kitchen had everything we needed to cook up some pasta to enjoy in the dining room / living room in the evening. Everything seemed really well thought out down to the details from providing us with everything we needed to make sandwiches to take up on to the mountain to slippers to wear around the Chalet when we got back. Our hosts were very kind and went the extra mile to offer to pick us up from the station. Overall the service was very professional but we also felt right at home.
TripAdvisor
just wanted to say thanks again for having us. It was a once in a lifetime experience and you and Julie truly made our experience memorable
Zach
A perfect location and wonderful hospitality. Leysin village is a short stroll for shopping and restaurants (Fromagerie is a must). Bedroom large and well equipped. Breakfast very good quality. Kitchenette if required. Expert snow shoe guiding and advice with Ian Spare
Ian S
A perfect weeks stay. Julie and Ian are great hosts. The accommodation is very comfortable, warm, safe and a short walk to restaurants. Breakfast was always beautifully presented and the night snowshoe trip to Les Fers was a highlight. For me as an International Mountain Leader Aspirant – Ian provided an excellent snowshoe learning adventure. He knows the best places. Highly recommend.
Cromac
Just a fabulous place. Really well looked after by the owners or just do self catering with plenty of facilities available. Incredible spot with amazing views of the Alps. Ian is an excellent guide for all sorts of outdoor activities. Nothing seems to be too much trouble for them
Paul
Swiss Mountain Leader is a Switzerland-based ski site that was formed by Ian Spare who is a well-known International Mountain Leader. Ian has been living in Switzerland for a long time after having moved from the UK in 1999. The Swiss Mountain Leader is being operated and maintained from Leysin in the beautiful Swiss Alps. The site offers useful information on a wide range of mountain climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledging, trekking, and walking holidays in the Swiss Alps. It also provides reviews on ski and snowboard equipment. The site is operated by professional ski reporters and organisers who are who have extensive local knowledge in the Alpine region.
Sixt’s Top ten Ski-Blogs
We also did a day’s snowshoeing with Ian, which was great fun and he tailored it to the fitness of the whole group so that everyone could enjoy it at their own pace. The views were fantastic and Ian is very knowledgeable on the area. Excellent hospitality from Ian and Julie. Ian picked us up from the station when we arrived, which was very welcome after the 2 hour train journey, Julie provided a lovely breakfast both mornings we stayed and both of them couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. The chalet itself is in a beautiful location and our room was clean and comfortable, plus the view of the mountains from the window was stunning. It was a short walk from the town centre, which meant our room was very peaceful at night. I thoroughly recommend staying here – in fact, we’re already thinking about a trip back in the summer!
Amy
Thank you for a wonderful stay!
thanks Ian, it was an awesome weekend and thanks so much for guiding us there and back in one piece!
Barbera
Ian is an International Mountain Leader and leads snow show walks in the winter. We had 5 days of guided walking which were generally off the beaten track and included advice on snow conditions, avalanches and animal tracks. Highly recommended.
The chalet was very clean, comfortable and well furnished – everything you would expect of a Swiss B&B. It was the little things that really made the difference – Ian and Julie are really friendly people and extremely hospitable. Although it is a B&B, there is a small kitchen for guest use – absolutely ideal for those on a restricted diet (or budget). A coffee machine in the common area, a kettle in the room, good WiFi, a wide selection of TV channels (including the main English channels), good parking… really hard to fault!
The chalet is about 1km from the town centre, so there is a bit of a walk to shops and restaurants (nice walk, good views). There is virtually no traffic past the chalet and it is extremely quiet.
JL