 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Hi, as Zermatt seems to be the only place within my easy reach that has good snow at the moment with even more forecast, I would like to know what it's like on a powder day. I've only been there once about 6 years ago and it didn't snow during my stay. Are Stockhorn and other itineraries usually open when it's snowing? Don't want to get up at 6 am and go all the way to find out that we can only ski groomed runs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Right now you're much better off skiing over the border into Italy and looking for powder on - say - the slopes going down to Valtournenche etc. There's been much higher snowfall on that side this winter.
If it snows in Zermatt, the powder slopes in the Garten area above Furgg are worth sniffing out. And the Hornli t-bar etc. Stockhorn and Triftji are less accessible, but obviously for that reason offer great potential.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Thank you! It has been snowing steadily since last Friday in Zermatt so I think we should be Ok for snow, and Stockhorn is at 3.5 thousand so snow won't turn into nothing too quickly. I don't know Italian side at all, at least on Swiss side if itineraries are open we can stick to them, but looking at piste map I cannot find anything like that on Italian side and wouldn't want to go off-piste in an unfamiliar place with probably poor visibility on top. Shame because we have unlimited access to Aosta resorts and could potentially drive through St Bernard pass, but I want to ski in Zermatt and it's a long trek from Italian side to Stockhorn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Had one of my best ever powder days lapping triftji, then I broke my shoulder, oops!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Stockhorn closes for two reasons.
One is wind (it is over three and a half thousand metres so can be very windy even if totally calm in the valley). The wind you can sort of have a stab at even before you set off. Zermatt.net has the wind readings updated from across the ski area. Also I guess wind forecasts tend to be more reliable than precipitation ones: wind tends to travel whereas clouds with precipitation can get trapped or bumped into a different direction.
The other is avalanche risk. By definition if it is a fresh powder day it is because it has been snowing! If it has been snowing the avalanche risk could be greater. That is really hard to predict before you set off. Even if they are bombing it first thing (so it is closed) there is a decent chance it will open later. But obviously that can't be guaranteed.
I think Stockhorn and Trifji have been good this year (maybe I am easily pleased). I've managed to get out on them on every trip. But each time at least one day it has been closed. It has been a poor year for the other itineraries. The ones off Rothorn have not opened at all (and I assume won't now). Nor bizarrely has the one off Blauherd down to Findeln (although it has been well and truly skied by people going off piste. The Schwarzsee ones are open as are the Garten ones mentioned by KM.
As you say there are no itinerary runs on the Cervinia side. That is a pity because, as KM says, they've had the best snow this year. On a powder day there is great fun to be had between the pistes. However, like you, I don't go off piste (beyond the inter-piste sections) without a guide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ