Zermatt 6 Day Snow Forecast

Ian de Haan from United Kingdom writes:

So much powder skiing!

I was in Zermatt for nine days in mid January this year. The first few days were brilliant sunshine, blue skies and perfect piste skiing! All the runs were open including the itineraries - something I have not seen in years! Simply amazing skiing on the yellow marked runs.

Fast skiing to Valtournenche and Cervinia and great lunches in Bontadini too. I personally think this is the best restaurant in the whole area of Zermatt and Valtournenche / Cervini, with the best views, best wines most certainly and unbelievably good food with service to match.

Then the snow arrived - lots of lifts closed and runs too but for those who got up early and waited - some of the best powder skiing ever. On some runs - Kelle - the snow was thigh deep and just a blast! The same on the other runs that you could access - not always so deep but there was a plentitude of areas of fresh snow to ski and leave your own tracks in.

This season has been without doubt one of the best I have ever experienced in Zermatt. No queues at the lifts but then I get there early at 08.30am and keep ahead of the crowds.

Did it matter if a lot of lifts were closed due to the amount of snow that fell - NO! There was so much to ski on piste and just off the edge too that it did not matter. Some of the itineraries were opened and were covered in deep fresh snow. Then to top that, we had even better the next day with even more snow - some time the visibility was very poor but so what, just keep those poles planted and keep skiing !

Some people want to just moan about Zermatt - Please! Where will you ever be happy? - if you want some really exhilarating skiing then book yourself a guide and go for some of the steepest skiing you can ever experience and then you will see why Zermatt has so much to offer.

When the lifts are closed, it is for safety reasons. If you want inexpensive food, then there is Trockener Steg, Gornergrat, Riffelberg and Sunnegga which are all owned by the Matterhorn Group and offer good food at sensible prices. For amazing coffee at one Euro, Cervinia or Valtournenche is a must.

For inexpensive accommodation, look on the web site and try the 1 or 2 star hotels, these are the equivalent of English Chalet holidays and actually much better. Especially when they include ski pass and lift hire on their specials, plus their food is a whole lot better.

Once again I stayed in the Beau Site and was spoilt rotten but am always amazed that other English visitors book via tour operators and are surprised to hear of the ski weeks where lift pass and ski hire are included but not with their bookings - book direct - it is always worth checking as all the hotels offer specials!

I am returning in February and again in March - will I go to the USA this season - No - this is as good as it gets anywhere in the world and hopefully will be off to Saint Jacques, plus Zermatt, Cervinia and Valtournenche with the Monte Rosa, has better scenery too!

Bring it on!

2012-02-07