October 07, 2011
Nicola Dealtry
from
United Kingdom
I was surprised by what another reviewer said about a long lift wait at Easter last year because I too was in Grimentz and had no waits at all! There can be a small queue first thing in the morning to get onto the gondola but it moves very quickly because the gondolas go every minute or so .. Maybe he was unlucky and found a lift with a temporary glitch?
Also, the snow in Grimentz was amazing compared with just about anywhere else in the Alps! We had friends skiing elsewhere who had no snow at all below 2,000m - at least Grimentz is high enough and has enough snow-making to be fairly snow-sure!
Admittedly, there is limited scope for teenage partying .. but maybe they missed the Shaddock disco and the Country Pub and Pub Domino??
I was here over the Easter holidays and the snow was bad, lifts were slow and lines for lifts were long. There are not many runs and even then some were closed. I read someone had to wait 4 mins for a lift, I guess they did not go in the holidays, I had to wait nearly half an hour. Nothing to do here in the evening especially for 18-30 year olds, I was bored and felt out of place. Better to go to a larger resort as this place is too small and boring.
Skiing heaven! Beautiful village, excellent and uncrowded pistes (and I have only ever been there during Feb half-term!), high and north facing so as "snow-sure" as you're going to get.....
The village is stunning and atmospheric, being perched on the side of a mountain - old village is car free and full of ancient chalets and barns.....real, chocolate box charm! There has been a lot of development in recent years but hasn't detracted from the ambience.
Longest lift queue experienced at half-term? 4.5 minutes.....that is what I call uncrowded. In fact, longest queue experienced was in the Bendolla restaurant!
Large, north facing bowl with skiing are mostly between 2900m and 2200m (though it is possible to ski from 2900 back to village on any combination of black, red or blue runs - vertical drop of 1300m!). Off-piste easily accessible and plenty of it for the more adventurous. There is only 50km of piste but it didn't feel that small.....the great thing is that all pistes lead back to the gondola so if you're in a mixed group then, from the same start point at the top of the mountain, it is possible to get to the same point via black, red or blue runs.....impossible to get lost!
It's worth getting a locker in the gondola station - avoids carrying skis or walking in boots. They can be reserved apparently as there are limited 4-person lockers. Free bus service is great - if a driver sees someone walking he'll stop to offer a lift, whether or not at a bus-stop!
Valsport are excellent for equipment hire, and are right opposite the gondola - equipment virtually new and good standard. I also broke a pole which was replaced with no charge!!
Grimentz is very hard to beat when you have fresh snow. A hidden gem - lets hope it stays that way.
[Editor's comments, with Zinal, Vercorin, Chandolin and St Luc nearby too, and on the same pass, the Val d'Annivers is excellent]
Visited Grimentz for a long weekend in March 2009 - bit of a late review! Easy drive from geneva. Our timing was fortunate - fresh snow then a clear day then more snow - so managed to ride the trees having got our bearings. The village is charming and atmospheric - small narrow streets with old chalets packed together. We found one bar but didn't stay late - we were there for maximum slope time!
The lifts are fast - no queues and the runs are vast. The off-piste is easy to access, with some great views. We also went to Zinal (having a car makes this much easier) which has an amazing run off the back all the way back to Grimentz.
This resort has it all without the crowds. Looking forward to going again.
I stayed with a friend at Grimentz last year (2008) and was blown away by what a supposedly 'small' resort can offer in terms of skiing quality. Awesome off-piste and the 'on-piste' was good as well. The restaurants that we went to in the evening at Grimentz were superb as well.
Grimentz is still a smallish resort, but 2 fast chairs added in 04/05 improve it a lot. With just a little hiking, there are some excellent off-piste options. It makes sense to visit for a day or two as part of a week or so exploring all of the resorts of the Annivers Valley - Chandolin, St Luc, Vercorin and Zinal are all on the same pass. Post buses between them are fairly few and so it is best to have your own car - and make sure to have chains too because the small, steep and twisty roads are often treacherous in winter. Between them, these resorts offer some excellent and varied skiing covering several hundred kms, and mostly beautiful traditional Swiss Villages with characteristic dark wooden chalets. Sunny Chandolin and St-Luc are probably the nicest places to be based, while Zinal and Grimentz have the best of the snow and lift facilities. Grimentz is rarely crowded by Alpine standards, and you won't meet many non-Swiss skiers here. Even at weekends, Chandolin and St Luc can be deserted so plan your week accordingly. If you are self-catering, the Manor supermarket on the outskirts of Sion is a good place to stock up before you head up the valley as provisions are pretty basic.
Grimentz is a very small skiing resort which is part of the Val D'anniviers system, with only a few but well functioning lifts. There a good freeride opportunities and not much traffic on the pistes. The Swiss "hospitality" is a bit rustique so if you like the: "Do it your self - and do it in French!" approach you will feel well - if not, you should only go there for the excellent skiing.