 Poster: A snowHead
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How much is the Cervinia extension for one day?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I know the Cervinia website has all the prices for the tickets they sell. Guess Zermatt's will too.
Enjoy
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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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Apologies if already asked, but I also asked the Zermatt tourist office and they weren't very clear, and the website wasn't 100% clear either.
We're think of coming for the Easter week (20th-27th April). I know that Sunnega and Gornegrat ski areas close on the 23rd, but will the slopes of the Klein Matterhorn area and the links to Cervinia in theory remain open for the rest of the week (weather & snow permitting , etc, etc)?
I appreciate lower slopes will probably be closed due to lack of cover, so the question is more regarding the lifts and links.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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25cm new snow over the weekend. Bluebird calm today. Wow. Zermatt really is special 
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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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A shame it's a faff to upload photos on here as there are some little rippers from today. Of fresh tracks on Stockhorn just after the Rote Nase cable car opened for example.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@hd, not a faff, if the pics are on your PC, just click the "Post Image" button at the bottom of the page, simples......
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| hd wrote: |
| How much is the Cervinia extension for one day? |
Probably too late but it is around 50CHF
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@KenX, it is a colossal faff from a mobile device
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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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| Whitters wrote: |
Apologies if already asked, but I also asked the Zermatt tourist office and they weren't very clear, and the website wasn't 100% clear either.
We're think of coming for the Easter week (20th-27th April). I know that Sunnega and Gornegrat ski areas close on the 23rd, but will the slopes of the Klein Matterhorn area and the links to Cervinia in theory remain open for the rest of the week (weather & snow permitting , etc, etc)?
I appreciate lower slopes will probably be closed due to lack of cover, so the question is more regarding the lifts and links. |
Yes. Klein Matterhorn slopes will be open (not Schwarzsee) as will the links to Cervinia and the upper Italian slopes at least. The Italian side is south facing and so can be slushy lower down. That said I went touring down into Italy that time last year and it was fantastic down to a really low level.
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Looking like a decent amount due to fall this weekend. Sunday night and Monday as it currently sets up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@JohnMo, thanks!
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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 all,
Looking at maybe getting out to either Zermatt or Cervinia in mid March. May sound like a silly question but how are the pistes heading back into the resorts at this time?
Also, is there a very different feel or any real differences between staying on the Swiss side to the Italian side i.e. prices etc?
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Im about to find out, as in Zermatt from March 9th. Normally there early Feb. Zermatt more expensive than Cervinia, but a lot better as a resort. Johnmo may gove you a decent answer but I would be suprised if they were not ok. They are only 'a' roads to get home though!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Fridge03 wrote: |
Hi all,
Looking at maybe getting out to either Zermatt or Cervinia in mid March. May sound like a silly question but how are the pistes heading back into the resorts at this time?
Also, is there a very different feel or any real differences between staying on the Swiss side to the Italian side i.e. prices etc? |
Mid-March should be fine. The area is very high and so the snow tends to keep in good condition even if temperatures are above normal. Zermatt is mainly north facing so it gets even more protection.
Do you know the resort?
Zermatt’s home runs are not great to be honest. They are rather functional: their main purpose is to persuade you to stop off at one of the many bars/restaurants along the way for après ski (a very worthy aim obviously). There are only three – all reds (I’ll ignore the itineraries). There are pistes 2 and 1 down from Patrullarve. 2 is OK if rather boring. 1 starts off really nice, through the trees, but then turns as boring as 2 with the added twist of the “wall of death” – a short, narrow and incredibly steep section that really should be black (but they want to build chalets along there so won’t classify it as black). If you are a good skier it is no problem if empty (or, unlikely, only being skied by other good skiers). However, if it is busy it will have loads of beginner/intermediate skiers lying on it in various states of distress. Trying to get around them (they keep moving!) can be tricky. I have considered using them as moguls and going over them but I fear that might be frowned upon. Piste 50 down from Furi is rather boring as well (although I use it quite a lot because I like stopping off at the Hennu Stall for my après). It also is quite narrow and in busy times can get rather hard packed and icy – but that should not be too bad in mid-March.
Cervinia’s home runs are nicer – and more obviously work as a continuation of the upper pistes. However, Cervinia is mainly south facing and so if the temperatures are high (certainly a possibility in mid-March) they can get slushy notwithstanding the resort height.
Ironically the least glamorous part, Valtournenche, has the nicest home run (1 – the Italian numbering is separate from the Swiss numbering). There are a couple of steep sections that make it a proper red. It is also going relatively low at the bottom (1,500m) so again if there are high temperatures there is a risk of smooth hard pack or slush. It does descend through the trees so does get some protection from that.
As for the differences between the two resorts: chalk and cheese. Zermatt is a “destination” visit even for non-skiers. It is a traditional Alpine village that (generally) has been sympathetically expanded and is full of excellent bars/restaurants/shops. However, it is very expensive. Cervinia is not a bad place but serves much more as simply a ski base. However, it is a lot better value. Valtournenche is more basic and better value again but is quite cut off from everywhere else and I wouldn’t recommend staying there unless economy was by a large margin your most important criterion.
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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: |
| Fridge03 wrote: |
Hi all,
Looking at maybe getting out to either Zermatt or Cervinia in mid March. May sound like a silly question but how are the pistes heading back into the resorts at this time?
Also, is there a very different feel or any real differences between staying on the Swiss side to the Italian side i.e. prices etc? |
Mid-March should be fine. The area is very high and so the snow tends to keep in good condition even if temperatures are above normal. Zermatt is mainly north facing so it gets even more protection.
Do you know the resort?
Zermatt’s home runs are not great to be honest. They are rather functional: their main purpose is to persuade you to stop off at one of the many bars/restaurants along the way for après ski (a very worthy aim obviously). There are only three – all reds (I’ll ignore the itineraries). There are pistes 2 and 1 down from Patrullarve. 2 is OK if rather boring. 1 starts off really nice, through the trees, but then turns as boring as 2 with the added twist of the “wall of death” – a short, narrow and incredibly steep section that really should be black (but they want to build chalets along there so won’t classify it as black). If you are a good skier it is no problem if empty (or, unlikely, only being skied by other good skiers). However, if it is busy it will have loads of beginner/intermediate skiers lying on it in various states of distress. Trying to get around them (they keep moving!) can be tricky. I have considered using them as moguls and going over them but I fear that might be frowned upon. Piste 50 down from Furi is rather boring as well (although I use it quite a lot because I like stopping off at the Hennu Stall for my après). It also is quite narrow and in busy times can get rather hard packed and icy – but that should not be too bad in mid-March.
Cervinia’s home runs are nicer – and more obviously work as a continuation of the upper pistes. However, Cervinia is mainly south facing and so if the temperatures are high (certainly a possibility in mid-March) they can get slushy notwithstanding the resort height.
Ironically the least glamorous part, Valtournenche, has the nicest home run (1 – the Italian numbering is separate from the Swiss numbering). There are a couple of steep sections that make it a proper red. It is also going relatively low at the bottom (1,500m) so again if there are high temperatures there is a risk of smooth hard pack or slush. It does descend through the trees so does get some protection from that.
As for the differences between the two resorts: chalk and cheese. Zermatt is a “destination” visit even for non-skiers. It is a traditional Alpine village that (generally) has been sympathetically expanded and is full of excellent bars/restaurants/shops. However, it is very expensive. Cervinia is not a bad place but serves much more as simply a ski base. However, it is a lot better value. Valtournenche is more basic and better value again but is quite cut off from everywhere else and I wouldn’t recommend staying there unless economy was by a large margin your most important criterion. |
That's awesome info. Thank you!
We will tackle most things and would rather ski down at the end of the day rather than download, even if the run is a bit of a mare....
Never been before so just trying to decide where to base ourselves. Head says Zermatt due to the north facing and the "alpine village" feel that we love but.....we are dead keen to sample to Italian side to skiing including the cheaper prices and food. We are still toying with the Dolomites as well but I think it'll probably be either Zermatt or Cervinia this time. We had kind of already ruled out Valtourneche as even though the prices look really good, I was a bit put off by the reliance on the one lift to get up the mountain....
Any recommendations on good places to stay? We are planning on leaving it fairly last minute to book to get a good deal (as only two of us) but happy to book sooner on a decent place. Open to all types of accommodation.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Fridge03 wrote: |
That's awesome info. Thank you!
We will tackle most things and would rather ski down at the end of the day rather than download, even if the run is a bit of a mare....
Never been before so just trying to decide where to base ourselves. Head says Zermatt due to the north facing and the "alpine village" feel that we love but.....we are dead keen to sample to Italian side to skiing including the cheaper prices and food. We are still toying with the Dolomites as well but I think it'll probably be either Zermatt or Cervinia this time. We had kind of already ruled out Valtourneche as even though the prices look really good, I was a bit put off by the reliance on the one lift to get up the mountain....
Any recommendations on good places to stay? We are planning on leaving it fairly last minute to book to get a good deal (as only two of us) but happy to book sooner on a decent place. Open to all types of accommodation. |
I have an apartment down the Matter valley in Täsch so I am a bit out of the loop on hotels. If you want to make sure you can get over to Italy (relatively) easily I would look at the various hotels close to the Matterhorn Gondola Lift Station (Matterhorn Talstation). That is: the ones at the south end of town. They tend not to be quite as grand or expensive as the ones more central. However, they give you easy access to the Matterhorn lift and therefore (relatively) easy access over to Italy. They also give you easy access to the Klein Matterhorn, Schwarzsee and Gornegrat skie areas. You would not have good access to the Sunnegga ski area but you can hop on the ski bus and get on the lifts down there. You would also have a little walk into the centre but of course you'd have no ski gear when doing that so it should not a problem.
I am biased but I do think Zermatt is a much better place to stay. However eating lunch over on the Italian side is great and a big help on the wallet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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20cm of fresh on the slopes in the last 24 hours according to the Zermatt website. Storm force winds though making any sort of skiing difficult, with all high level lifts closed.
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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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| twoodwar wrote: |
| 20cm of fresh on the slopes in the last 24 hours according to the Zermatt website. Storm force winds though making any sort of skiing difficult, with all high level lifts closed. |
Today looks like a day for getting a good book and a better bottle of wine. Rest of the week should be superb though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Personally I prefer to ski off the chairlift but I guess this is a more interesting way to do it. This was this morning on the Cretaz chairlift from the base at Cervinia.
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| This morning, due to a technical failure, the Cretaz chairlift remained firm. Given the impossibility to restart it, thanks to the timely intervention of rescuers, 27 people have been lowered with the helicopter. The intervention, lasted about an hour, ended recently. All passengers are fine. We sincerely thank all those who participated in rescue operations with great professionalism. |
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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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Jeez - that’s not for the faint-hearted!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I’ve always fancied trying heli-skiing from the Cervinia side but this is not what I had in mind!
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@Fridge03, if you go to Zermatt look at the Hotel La Couronne, if they have space. the Basic room for 2 is/was around 204 CHF per night. Bed and breakfast and the best position for all the lifts of any hotel in Zermatt for me. You need a bus to any, but the stop is right outside the door. Next door but one to the Papperla for apres. Very clean, well run, and a good breakfast. Free pick up from the station too. Sorry off thread re weather, but hope this helps.
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Can anyone recommend a quality ski hire shop in Zermatt. Ideally looking for Stockli Lazer SL. Any suggestions are greatly received.
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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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Julen sport are good. Race focused so should have something approximating! (sorry, early post said Doraz sport, i misremembered the good guys. )
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To be honest, the quality of equipment in all the hire shops is very high, new equipment every season and pretty well maintained. Prices across the board pretty similar too. We use Flexrent opposite the Sunnegga station if that suits geographically. Many of the hotels will have an arrangement with particular hire shops offering a 10% discount to their guests so that’s worth asking about. If you are set on a particular model just email a couple of shops to see who has them, otherwise just got to nearest/where you get a discount.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Walkerr, agree with comments above. Stöckli skis are ubiquitous in Zermatt. So you should have no problem getting them.
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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, can anybody clarify this. Is the Gornergrat railway and the Matterhorn glacier paradise covered in the Normal Ski Pass?
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Yes
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi anyone out there. How are runs to the valley holding up? Generally, are Findeln runs bearing up, as I would like to ski to lunch at Findlerhof. Not due in Zermatt till 9th March, so am hoping conditions at lower levels are not deteriorating too much. Webcam shows path down to Findlerhof with no snow. Any comments appreciated
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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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@twoodwar, My confident “forecast” made at Christmas that Zermatt/Cervinia would be epic in March is coming back to haunt me. We’ve had to abandon our planned March trip as our builders have decided to turn up early but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you. Lunch in Findlerhof is worth the walk if necessary but so much better to ski.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It's warm. Went to Italy today - lovely snow. The new Klein Matterhorn big comfy gondola is great - not as blingy as I feared. Everything is open, with good snow, but the snow cover looks thin in places so we're not sure how long it will last. Don't know about the yellows - I leave those to my son, who's been busy ticking off the ordinary pistes in our first couple of days. One point - the buses seem a bit better this year - I think they've re-jigged the timetable slightly (green line) so that they turn up more often, even at peak times.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry - forgot to say we'll probably be in Sunnegga, Findeln etc tomorrow so will report back on conditions there.
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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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Oh I’m getting worried. It’s like positive Celsius highs in late February? Feels like spring weather
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The weather summaries on Zermatt.ch are quite accurate so you can see what's happening now and in the next few days
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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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@caughtanedge, cheers for updates. Other than home runs, Findlen is as low as we, ( or probably most people) go. Its a good indicator for everywhere I think for piste skiing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Findlerhof: you can ski to the little chapel, then it's a muddy track..
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@caughtanedge, cheers, but been quite a few times, normally snowy icy track, hence my concern. My lunch highlight is either here or Chalet etoile over the hill.
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I am out on Sunday but will be doing itineraries Monday and ski touring Tuesday before heading off to the Dolomites. Sunny blue sky days are nice but this has been a long no snow period. Thankfully mountain temperatures have stayed low (not in the direct sun obviously). All the itineraries have stayed open (prolonged sun can close the Rothorn ones in particular). The avalanche risk is at 2 but the Täsch to Zermatt road was closed Sunday because of avalanche risk. There are a lot of steep slopes that can easily produce slides in this sun.
I don’t know about the Findelhof but the other restaurants down there are all much closer to the pistes and those pistes are generally kept in good shape. In fact, as the photo below from today shows, Findeln is not doing too badly. Being low and facing directly into the sun all day can result in it sometimes being bare even when the rest of the area is holding up.
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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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Cheers JohnMo. the 06GFS run is still holding out for much lower temps and precipitation from the beginning of March - 3rd or 4thish. My arrival in Saas Fee on the 5th should be snowy, and am hoping for a good Covering in Zermatt by the time we arrive on the 9th
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Gfs still showing reduced temps and snow from 5th, just to village level, in Zermatt and indeed Saas. Still a long way out, but heres hoping. We arrive in Saas on the 5th, then Zermatt from the 9th. Never again for such a late booking for me at long range 
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FAQ
