 Poster: A snowHead
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| mintyballs wrote: |
Hi,
Sorry if his has been covered before but I have been trawling the forum and couldn't find the info I was after..
I'm organising a group of 10 of us heading to Cervinia in 2 weeks time for 6 days, we are a mixture of beginners and intermediates (skiiers and boarders), our plan is to ski Cervinia and Valtourneche for 4 days and head over to Zermatt for 2 days (the intermediates). What is the best way to do this in terms of ski pass? Can we buy a 6day Cervinia-Valtourneche pass and upgrade that pass in the morning of the days we want to go to Zermatt? Or should we be buying 4 day non-consecutive Cervinia pass and then single day Zermatt? Just conscious of the weather closing the lifts plus trying to maximise our value as 1x6day pass > 6x1day passes.
Again, apologies if this is a repeated question. |
If you are definitely only doing 2 days in Zermatt, then going for the 6 day Cervinia/Valtourneche local pass and then adding on the Zermatt option the days you want to (can) go over makes most sense. Any more than 2 days and it makes more financial senses to buy the 6 day International pass.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice bit of precipitation coming up from the south as the day goes on. Cervinia should do well out of that. Doesn’t look like a huge amount is going to make it over the ridge to Zermatt.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Gogs wrote: |
| mintyballs wrote: |
Hi,
Sorry if his has been covered before but I have been trawling the forum and couldn't find the info I was after..
I'm organising a group of 10 of us heading to Cervinia in 2 weeks time for 6 days, we are a mixture of beginners and intermediates (skiiers and boarders), our plan is to ski Cervinia and Valtourneche for 4 days and head over to Zermatt for 2 days (the intermediates). What is the best way to do this in terms of ski pass? Can we buy a 6day Cervinia-Valtourneche pass and upgrade that pass in the morning of the days we want to go to Zermatt? Or should we be buying 4 day non-consecutive Cervinia pass and then single day Zermatt? Just conscious of the weather closing the lifts plus trying to maximise our value as 1x6day pass > 6x1day passes.
Again, apologies if this is a repeated question. |
If you are definitely only doing 2 days in Zermatt, then going for the 6 day Cervinia/Valtourneche local pass and then adding on the Zermatt option the days you want to (can) go over makes most sense. Any more than 2 days and it makes more financial senses to buy the 6 day International pass. |
Really appreciate the reply! Just one question to clarify- if we buy a 6day local pass can we go to the ski pass vendor and pay an extra fee to add the international pass onto it for that day? Can this be done online to upgrade the pass? Unfortunately I couldn't find anything on their website regarding upgrading an existing pass
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Hi, you can't buy the upgrade online, as far as I know. Just go to a ticket office in Cervinia and ask for the international upgrade. I did it last year, wasn't cheap, but it was easy and as the weather and snow were great it felt worth it for a one-off. You can really rack up some miles if you go for it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| mintyballs wrote: |
| Gogs wrote: |
| mintyballs wrote: |
Hi,
Sorry if his has been covered before but I have been trawling the forum and couldn't find the info I was after..
I'm organising a group of 10 of us heading to Cervinia in 2 weeks time for 6 days, we are a mixture of beginners and intermediates (skiiers and boarders), our plan is to ski Cervinia and Valtourneche for 4 days and head over to Zermatt for 2 days (the intermediates). What is the best way to do this in terms of ski pass? Can we buy a 6day Cervinia-Valtourneche pass and upgrade that pass in the morning of the days we want to go to Zermatt? Or should we be buying 4 day non-consecutive Cervinia pass and then single day Zermatt? Just conscious of the weather closing the lifts plus trying to maximise our value as 1x6day pass > 6x1day passes.
Again, apologies if this is a repeated question. |
If you are definitely only doing 2 days in Zermatt, then going for the 6 day Cervinia/Valtourneche local pass and then adding on the Zermatt option the days you want to (can) go over makes most sense. Any more than 2 days and it makes more financial senses to buy the 6 day International pass. |
Really appreciate the reply! Just one question to clarify- if we buy a 6day local pass can we go to the ski pass vendor and pay an extra fee to add the international pass onto it for that day? Can this be done online to upgrade the pass? Unfortunately I couldn't find anything on their website regarding upgrading an existing pass |
I didn't actually try this (due to not being able to ski all week  ) but you can purchase the upgrade from the Lift Pass office which is on Level 0 of the Plan Maison base station, the Gondola and Cable Car are on Level 1 and the entrance is on Level 2; there is a lift if you want to avoid the stairs. Unless you are staying in Valtournenche or near the bottom of the Cretaz chairlift, you'd be starting there anyway. If you are staying near the Cretaz your options to get to Zermatt and avoid the 10-15 min walk to the lift station are to go up that and then ski down 3 (red) to the base station; if you already had the international pass, after Cretaz, you'd continue up the Pancheron and ski to Plan Maison via 26 (blue, unpopular with my lot) or 29/29bis/10 (red/red/blue) then you have access to both routes to Zermatt.
The Lift pass office is very efficient with about a dozen tills so if you aren't going on a Sunday or Monday I'd expect only a few minutes wait at worst (but my experience is limited to last Monday -- New Year's Day: the queue was less than 5 minutes at about 9am).
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Thanks all for the information, invaluable. I just found a pdf on their site which states a 50euro international upgrade fee which seems pretty steep.. I'm leaning towards 4day non consecutive Cervinia-Val pass and then buying 1 or 2 day international pass on the morning of, I think this makes the most sense economically.
Trying to organise and herd 9 other skiers is not the most enjoyable 
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| mintyballs wrote: |
Thanks all for the information, invaluable. I just found a pdf on their site which states a 50euro international upgrade fee which seems pretty steep.. I'm leaning towards 4day non consecutive Cervinia-Val pass and then buying 1 or 2 day international pass on the morning of, I think this makes the most sense economically.
Trying to organise and herd 9 other skiers is not the most enjoyable |
You think €50 for the international pass is steep? Try the price for a pedestrian to get to Plateau Rosa. Precisely 6 gondola/cable car journeys (3 up, 3 down) for €55!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Two itineraries opened up: one from Rothorn down to Tuftern; and one from Blauherd into Findeln. It needs quite a lot of snow to open the first of those. For some reason the Garten itineraries from Furggsattel to Furgg are not yet open. Those are usually the first to open.
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@JohnMo, I've never tried the itineraries in Zermatt, always stuck to the pistes (or off the sides).
Any particular recommendations, in particular any fairly benign ones I can take my 13-yearold daughter down?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Whitters wrote: |
@JohnMo, I've never tried the itineraries in Zermatt, always stuck to the pistes (or off the sides).
Any particular recommendations, in particular any fairly benign ones I can take my 13-yearold daughter down? |
The best one to start off on is in the Garten area - marked as 67 (which is the one you should do) and 68 on the piste map. You need to take the Furggsattel lift. At the first fork take skiers’ left onto piste 71. Just after the saddle (sattel in German - hence the name) take the left onto piste 70. If piste 69 is open be careful not to talk a second left onto that. Piste 69 doesn’t open most years (although it is a great off piste run).
You actually ski quite a long way down piste 71 (but not under the Matterhorn Express gondola line) so you need to keep your eyes peeled on the left side of the piste. There will be a sign like that in the photo below (but saying 67 and 68, not 60).
The reason that 67 (ie the one that branches skiers’ right after the initial section where there is only one line) is a good starter one is that you can bail out over to the piste on your right. All the other itineraries there is only one way out- that is to get to the bottom!
At first it is quite gentle but then there is a steep drop. Fortunately it is quite short. However the bail out to the piste is only possible after you have done this drop. Past the drop it is quite gentle (but great fun) all the way down to the Furgg lift station.
Remember that on an itinerary there is only one pole marking the line (unlike pistes where there are poles either side). So when first doing it you should take a line staying close to the poles. It is not open yet but hopefully will be soon (next week when I am out would be good).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@JohnMo, thanks John, much appreciated.
I'm fairly sure that Piste 69 used to open fairly regularly in the past and was a pisted run, but it seems to be closed each of my most recent visits. A pity as I seem to remember really liking it
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Yep piste 69 is lovely when it is opened but rarely these days. It is the same with piste 55 from the top of the Hirli lift that curls round the back and heads down to Furgg (actually piste 69 joins up with it). I am not sure of the thinking. In a poor snow year (eg last year) I can see that they are rocky and they might not want to open them. But when the snow is good (as it is at present) I don't understand it.
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You know it makes sense.
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These yellow marked runs are controlled but not groomed?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| sbooker wrote: |
| These yellow marked runs are controlled but not groomed? |
That is correct.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@JohnMo, Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cervinia looks all but shut down today? Is this due to high winds?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| letsgetpiste wrote: |
| Cervinia looks all but shut down today? Is this due to high winds? |
Yes. The winds are coming from the west but are then turning to head south east (ie become north westerlies). Cervinia would usually be protected from that but they seem to be accelerating as they come over the Alpine Ridge (ie the high ridge that cuts through Zermatt and Cervinia)!
I am on the Swiss side but a lot of high stuff didn’t open this morning and some stuff that did closed after a couple of hours due to the high winds. Nice and calm down in the valley mind.
We had a good top up of snow overnight and it has continued to snow during the day. More than was forecast I think.
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Good news @JohnMo, back from a week over the Rhône valley in Crans Montan where the snow was excellent.
3 weeks to go before Zermatt so the more the merrier.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I see the Zermatt website has overnight temps in the village down to -17 to -21 overnight this weekend. Be surprised if it got anywhere near that, but run the cannons on the home runs!
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@twoodwar, that might be a bit low but the GFS consensus is minus double figures. Will be real cold up in the ski area. Some great snow coming through from this mid-week and then the cold will keep it in great condition. Lots to be feeling good about at present.
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In my excitement, I made a reservation for lunch at Chalet Etoile on the very first day of our ski trip this February. My kids managed a long red ( france) on the final day of our ski trip last year, but I wonder if they will be able to make it to Chalet Etoile just 3 hours after finding their ski legs. Can anyone please advise a fairly easy route if we will be coming from Valtounenche to Chalet Etoile? Or will it best to reschedule our lunch until a few days later so the kids will be able to make it there with no problems? Thank you 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hi @catchastarx, welcome to snowheads, johnmo is the expert on the area, but I’ve been 10 times, and you need to do reds all the way if skiing from Valtournenche. You do not however have to go back down to Cervinia to get back up, as Chalet Etoile, is on the far side of the valley from Valtournenche, but there is what I term a bubble or a small gondola that goes across from the Testa Grigia lift, to Plan Maison. You then simply take a chair up and come down blue 6 from memory and you will find Chalet Etoile. The fish soup is fantastic!
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| catchastarx wrote: |
| In my excitement, I made a reservation for lunch at Chalet Etoile on the very first day of our ski trip this February. My kids managed a long red ( france) on the final day of our ski trip last year, but I wonder if they will be able to make it to Chalet Etoile just 3 hours after finding their ski legs. Can anyone please advise a fairly easy route if we will be coming from Valtounenche to Chalet Etoile? Or will it best to reschedule our lunch until a few days later so the kids will be able to make it there with no problems? Thank you |
Probably easiest to just get the bus up to Breuil Cervinia first thing and ski the blues above Plan Maison. Chalet Etoile is just off those blues.
https://aosta.arriva.it/en/valtournenche-cervinia/
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you! We can't wait. Been lurking on this forum for last 15 years, first post today 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi JohnMo, new to snowheads and new to skiing although i did get the hang of it last year over a 2 week period and many swear words. Eventually ended up handling some red runs in Val D'Isère.
Anyway, I’ll look to get some more lessons to further my skiing whilst in Cervinia this year, do you have any instructors you can recommend ?
Side note: was there a good dump of snow today? I saw on a couple forecasts that it was supposed to.
Thanks
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| Powderpunch wrote: |
Hi @JohnMo, new to snowheads and new to skiing although i did get the hang of it last year over a 2 week period and many swear words. Eventually ended up handling some red runs in Val D'Isère.
Anyway, I’ll look to get some more lessons to further my skiing whilst in Cervinia this year, do you have any instructors you can recommend ?
Side note: was there a good dump of snow today? I saw on a couple forecasts that it was supposed to.
Thanks |
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You know it makes sense.
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I am based over on the Swiss side so don’t know any of the Cervinia ski schools I am afraid.
It was forecast to snow today. We even headed down through the trees on our snowshoes to miss it. Except for a very light amount it didn’t turn up. We were in the northern end of the area. Looking down to the south and the border it looked like they might have been faring better.
Ah well it wasn’t meant to snow much earlier this week but it did. Swings and roundabouts.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| JohnMo wrote: |
I am based over on the Swiss side so don’t know any of the Cervinia ski schools I am afraid.
It was forecast to snow today. We even headed down through the trees on our snowshoes to miss it. Except for a very light amount it didn’t turn up. We were in the northern end of the area. Looking down to the south and the border it looked like they might have been faring better.
Ah well it wasn’t meant to snow much earlier this week but it did. Swings and roundabouts. |
Slight correction: it is snowing heavily down here in Täsch (at 1500m, one stop down from Zermatt) so I imagine it is going great guns up on the slopes. No idea how long it has been doing that - it is dark and I hadn’t looked out of the window earlier.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Brilliant, great news!! Thanks for looking out the window and the subsequent update.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yuk. I hate rain. It was snowing nicely this morning as we made our way to the train station in Täsch. It was still snowing very lightly as we walked up into the mountains. But by the time we got back down to Zermatt it had turned to sleety rain / rain. By the time we were down in Täsch again it was just rain.
Fortunately the heavier stuff came over night and the rain, while annoying, was never heavy. The ski areas all got good stuff so no harm done. It is lightly snowing again now and the temperatures are dropping (really dramatically in fact). So cold day skiing tomorrow before heading round to the Verbier 4 Valleys area for a bit of ski touring.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'll be in Aosta for 5 days of skiing in early February. The plan is to get to Cervinia one of the days so we can cross over to Zermatt. (We'll obviously look for the clearest and least windy day). If I buy an Aosta Valley ski pass will I have to pay an add on charge at Cervinia so we can cross to Zermatt? Or would it be best just buying a day ticket for that day?
Thanks in advance.
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@sbooker, Someone might pop up who knows. I find the Cervinia ticket site less than intuitive. Fortunately I never have to use it. From the Swiss side it is better to buy an upgrade for the day rather than a whole new day pass. I would be astonished if Cervinia was different. Usually the debate is whether to buy an international pass rather than daily upgrades but that is a different matter.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'm wondering the same thing as sbooker. I'm staying in Aosta in March, will be getting the Aosta Valley pass, but want to go over to Zermatt for a day at some point. Last year I got an upgrade on my Cervinia pass but want to have more flexibility than the two days at another valley resort that ticket affords. I noticed that the Aosta valley pass seems to work in France, for La Rossiere, without an upgrade. Pity it's not the same for Switzerland! If an upgrade isn't available and you have to buy a full day international pass it might swing my decision on which pass/passes to buy for the eleven days I'm there - might be better getting a six day and then four day Cervinia pass + one day international.
There's not a great deal of info about this online. I might email the Aosta valley people nearer the time and ask - if no one here knows.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@JohnMo, @JohnMo, Thanks.
@pavlf, Please keep us in the loop.
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Gfs latest run showing a big temp plummet at the 29th onwards. We will see if this holds up over the next few days.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Guys, anyone know wtf wrong with slope 69 and 55? a friend said that they have not worked for several years, last season when they worked was 18-19.
I wrote a letter to ZB AG last year, they replied that the weather was bad and there was little snow, okay that's may be true coz last season was bad, but this season everything ok.
on the live map of the routes there are other routes that may indeed be closed only at the moment, but 69 and 55 are not active at all and this suggests that they are not even going to be prepared. Just a scam on the part of the management company.
But maybe one of the locals has more information, go and pass it on to them. Any one have info? Thanks
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@Totsid, we skied these but around 10 years ago, great runs under the face of the Matterhorn. I go nearly every year,but only 1week to Zermatt and always look to see if they are pisted as I’m coming down from Schwarzsee to Furg. Not seen anything in that time.
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FAQ
