 Poster: A snowHead
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| Brothergrimm wrote: |
| yes referring to zmatt as sedate ...thats not my experience - town goes to 3am every night. I'll be there sunday for 3 weeks all this teeth gnashing about snow in this early part of the year is a bit wasted on zermatt - the off piste there doesn't start till later anyway and while its likely to start a bit later than normal....frankly colorado and utah both were looking pretty meh 2 weeks ago. im in utah now and its good but im thrilled to be heading to zermatt again... for a first trip to europe almost anywhere will be a great experience but the previous poster is def. correct about the scenery and the excellent and sometimes pricey lunches. |
I guess you have high standards on snow conditions, because from what I've seen posted this past week for Utah that it is better than just good
Like most have said on here already, myself included, you really can't go wrong with either ski area. I could flip a coin and be happy with what ever choice came up. Of course fresh snow is always a bonus.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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to be honest.I was worried before my early december weekend in utah also. started to snow the week before i got there, had a fabulous early season weekend, and it has not stopped snowing since. So I know that things can change quickly and am hoping that there is a reversion to the mean for the Alps shortly. Its alot easier for me to go to the resorts in the state, so i always have such high hopes when we fly so far to get to the slopes. in all fairness we were in chamonix during a horrible year, and had such a good time, so I need to temper my concerns. I recall getting grilled sausages on the street when walking around zermatt, and finding a mountain lunch spot that have live rabbits out back, which I assume became lunch. That's certainly something we cannot find in the rockies.
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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'm another who has been weighing up my options between Zermatt and StAnton/Lech. Zermatt was option A but I decided to go with Lech this time. Only time will tell if I've made the right choice. Zermatt is still on my future wish list.
Now I've made a decision I should really just relax and look forward to my trip but as always for me, there's the doubt if I've made the right decision. Holidays are meant to be relaxing!
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Arrived in Cervinia this afternoon snow only just starts below resort but looks OK. See what tomorrow brings 
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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 still waiting for confirmation from the hotel that they will not or will penalize me lightly for cancelling. The one good thing is that the longer it takes the more I can see more reliably if Zermatt will be getting snow this upcoming week. The latest forecasts are a bit all over the place but anyone have any updated thoughts for this weekend and next week weather wise? Thanks.
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@stevew, really looking forward to your report. Fly out in 2 weeks.
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Any updates weather wise how Zermatt is looking this week? Not much on their website. 
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They shut the lifts in Cervinia today at 10 30 with high winds. skied Valtourneche in afternoon which was great sunny but some high winds and sublime at times
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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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| stevew wrote: |
| They shut the lifts in Cervinia today at 10 30 with high winds. skied Valtourneche in afternoon which was great sunny but some high winds and sublime at times |
Everything seems to be up and running again today but there could be disruption the rest of the week as those storms come through from the north - really neeed them to leave as much snow as possible on their way please.
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Any update on the snow though...?!?!
Loads of pistes closed, appears to be from very high winds.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Legend. wrote: |
Any update on the snow though...?!?!
Loads of pistes closed, appears to be from very high winds. |
On the second point, which map are you looking at? Everything that has been opened this season is open today. The itineraries are not open yet nor is the Kümme down to Tuftern routs but that is not surprising. The disappointment is that the direct route from Hohtälli down to Gant had not yet opened up. I don't know why that is.
On the first point I am not out there at present so can't comment. The pistes above 2000m were good when I was out last week and we have hopes of some snow tomorrow and perhaps a decent fall on Friday lasting into the weekend. It would be nice to say the least.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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It is Snow-forecast, but quite short term, best part of a metre due in the next 6 days. 
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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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Grand day today. Lifts to Zermatt opened about 10am so we did lots around Trog Steckner (sp) really good runs and sunny all day but highlights were some of the long runs hack to Cervinia. Many runs great but some hard pack on the flats
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Poster: A snowHead
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Great stuff. Thank you for this info John
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bring on the snow!
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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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| Run28 wrote: |
| Bring on the snow! |
Seem to have done OK today. Even the town is now looking white thank goodness. Let's hope the stuff that seems to be coming on Friday does the job as well if not better.
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Snow seems to be continuing through the week, on and off? Thursday eve / Friday day should bring something interesting. Next week looks incredibly cold if I'm reading the maps correctly.
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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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| Run28 wrote: |
| Snow seems to be continuing through the week, on and off? Thursday eve / Friday day should bring something interesting. Next week looks incredibly cold if I'm reading the maps correctly. |
Once this current band of precipitation has passed through later today I think that is it for any serious stuff until we get to Friday. That does look hopeful though and could continue for more than a day. As you say temperatures are staying low (very low for the next couple of days). I am back out the week after next and so am very pleased to see this.
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Looking at the live webcams up top (Klein Matterhorn) looks to be snowing hard! Hopefully this is indeed a live shot because it doesn't look like snow has made it down to the valley.
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| gores95 wrote: |
| Looking at the live webcams up top (Klein Matterhorn) looks to be snowing hard! Hopefully this is indeed a live shot because it doesn't look like snow has made it down to the valley. |
It has - for example, see the church bridge webcam. There was almost not white stuff on there yesterday.
http://www.zermatt.ch/Webcams/Kirchbruecke
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Hi
We'll be skiing this season at Cervinia-Zermat (6 skiers)
Any recommendations or might be even a promotion code for a ski rental shop?
Thanks
Elad.
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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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We've always used one of the Matterhorn Sport shops via Snowrental.
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| caughtanedge wrote: |
| We've always used one of the Matterhorn Sport shops via Snowrental. |
Sorry, I wasn't clear enough in my first message
We'll be in Cervinia and not in Zermatt...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ah - sorry - can't help. But it will be a lot cheaper!
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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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Zermatt still very bare down low.
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more snow coming this weekend?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Redwine wrote: |
| more snow coming this weekend? |
Looking good for Friday and into Sunday. With the healthy top up from yesterday anyone out there next week should be skiing on some good stuff. Not sure it will be enough to open up any itinerariies but the pistes should be nice. I am out the following week so I'd love to see at least the Klein Matterhorn area itineraries opened. But as it is the quiet time of year rhey might not pull all the stops out.
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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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Shame to not see Kumme, White Hare or the Breitboden to Riffelalp reds open yet...next week?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Run28 wrote: |
| Shame to not see Kumme, White Hare or the Breitboden to Riffelalp reds open yet...next week? |
There certainly should be enough snow for the White Hare (piste 2 to open. If it was February I would be feeling confident they'd want to get it open. But in quiet January they might not bother.
Rothorn to Kumme is of course open but Kumme to Tufteren is always a late opener. Even in a good year that might not be open yet.
Breitboden to Riffelalp I can live without. Ending up at Riffelalp train station never seems to be the best place to be as you eithe have to wait for a train or hike across to piste 41. Either wastes valuable skiing or drinking time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Any snow today? Looked like a few cm were supposed to fall I've seen no indication it did. Hopefully the thurs/ fri storm will produce.
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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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@Ptspeak, today was a great day but no new snow. High winds closed link to Zermatt but cable car to Plateau Rosa was open, it was blowing a hoolie up there. We skied over to Valtourneche (sp) which deserted and fantastic. High clouds came in from around 2pm but most stuff open in Cervinia until the end of the day. Snow forecast overnight and into Friday.
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quick question on making it to cervinia and back. Whats a good strategy time and condition wise to get to italy have lunch and make it back? only calm sunny days, with a very early start? Or do many people go over the border everyday and look at the process like a tigne/val connection (which i thought was almost like one resort if it was not for one crazy crowded lifts to get back to tigne).
I think we are there during a busy feb week with lots of school breaks (including ours in boston).
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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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| Redwine wrote: |
quick question on making it to cervinia and back. Whats a good strategy time and condition wise to get to italy have lunch and make it back? only calm sunny days, with a very early start? Or do many people go over the border everyday and look at the process like a tigne/val connection (which i thought was almost like one resort if it was not for one crazy crowded lifts to get back to tigne).
I think we are there during a busy feb week with lots of school breaks (including ours in boston). |
You can try to guess if the link is going to be closed by looking at the forecasts for the wind the day before (anything earlier than that is not reliable). Look at the Klein Matterhorn forecast on the Zermatt website and the Plateau Rosa forecast on the Cervinia website. Sun or other conditions don’t matter – it is only wind. By February the number of closed days is getting rarer.
The bad news is that lots of people will be trying to make it over. The lift company are building an incredible new lift (you’ll see it as you pass through Trockener Steg). It will make things so much better. The bad news is it will not be ready until season 2018/19!
By far the best way to get over at present is to take the cable car from Trockener Steg up to Klein Matterhorn. In February the queues will be large. You get up to Klein Matterhorn via the Matterhorn Express from the lift station at the south end of town. It starts at 8.30. Be there for the first lift! And by that I mean if you want to not be in too big a queue at Trockener Steg, get yourself a cup of coffee and a croissant and be there at 8.15! And if you want a toilet stop don’t go at Trockener Steg, wait until you are up at Klein Matterhorn even though it will cost you a (refundable against a café purchase) CHF2.
If you don’t get up to Trockener Steg early enough to beat the queue for Klein Matterhorn, simply get to Trockener Steg and then hop on the t-bar (strictly it is two t-bars one after the other) up to Plateau Rosa. People whinge about this but it is fine all be it long (bit of a disadvantage if the weather is bad) and it does the job.
Once at Plateau Rosa there are two (well three – but I’ll come to the third shortly) options. The first is to head straight down the Ventina (number 7 on the piste map). It is probably the most famous piste in the region and one you must do from top (preferably Klein Matterorn) to bottom (the village of Breuil-Cervinia) in one go at least once. I tend not to do that first thing at this time of year as it is in the shade at first – by February it will be getting the sun earlier. The second is to head back down the number 6, which will make you feel like you are skiing back into Switzerland. But stay left and you will cut through the Theodulpass and into the main Cervinia bowl (a gorgeous site laid out before you on a sunny day).
The third option which I wouldn’t do on your first trip over is to take the Ventina but then stay left and ski (or pole if you lose speed!) over the flat bit to the left to get to the Valtournenche bowl. If you get over to Cervinia more than a couple of times it is worth trying this out but there is more than enough to keep you occupied in the main Cervinia bowl.
Whether in the Cervinia bowl or the Valtournenche bowl it is hard to go wrong for food and booze. I would avoid the places at the Plan Maison lift complex. But everywhere else is good and much cheaper than Zermatt and it is worth just seeing where you fancy stopping.
All of the Cervinia lifts have a “last time” for getting back to Zermatt (and vice versa if you are in Zermatt from Cervinia). Those times are generous but, particularly when it is busy, make sure you stick to them – there is no realistic way back after the lifts close (just check on google maps how far a taxi has to go and you’ll see why).
I don't know Tignes so can't comment on the comparison. But I certainly regard Zermatt/Cervinia as one resort. I think the comparison between the two parts is one of the area's main attractions.
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@JohnMo,
How difficult are the pistes to Plan Maison? My wife is a lower intermediate and we are planning lunch there. Does she have the option to ride a cable car down if too difficult? Thanks.
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| Ptspeak wrote: |
@JohnMo,
How difficult are the pistes to Plan Maison? My wife is a lower intermediate and we are planning lunch there. Does she have the option to ride a cable car down if too difficult? Thanks. |
The answer to your question is that at Plateau Rosa you can get the massive cable car (marked F on the piste map). You walk up a slight incline past the Italian restaurant (you are about 5 metres into Italy by now!) to the entrance. That will take you to Laghi Cime Bianche. From there you can ski down to Breuil Cervinia and get the lift back up from there to Plan Maison. I guess you could even get the lift from Laghi Cime Bianche to Plan Maison but I think you’ll be sick of lifts by then.
I had the same issue at Xmas with my daughter in law who sounds like she is about the same level as your wife. If you don’t go down the Ventina (7, which is steep at the top) but take the route I describe above through the Theodulpass (it is very clearly signposted where you stay left for Italy) you should be OK. You come through a short narrowish flat bit. There is then an unpleasant (for a lower intermediate) 100 metre narrow stretch. It is not very steep but feels like it for a lower intermediate because of its narrowness. After that you join the main piste. Although it is red your wife should be OK. After my son and I got my daughter and law through that bit we spent the whole of the rest of the day on the blues above Plan Maison (not my most exciting skiing day but my daughter in law was happy). For the sake of 100 metres I would do this rather than take the Laghi Cime Bianche lift down.
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@JohnMo,
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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Mixed day in Cervinia today, took them a while to open lifts and the top one of the three chairs and Plateau Rosa cable car never opened so no links to Zermatt. Mixed light meant for a variable day some great runs and many with flat light. By 3pm snowing steadily, still showing quite heavily in town. Mixed reports on lift openings tomorrow, if only lifts open might head to Valtourneche.
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@stevew, what can I expect to pay for a beer and an average meal like a pasta or pizza there?
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