 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking for advice really for the best way to do a single day in Zermatt. We have a flat out in Saas Fee, and the plan is to get out early, on the first train from Tasch, ski the day in Zermatt, then head down to the station in Visp to pick up friends arriving, just because we fancy it and because we can.
Any locals/regulars got and hints and tips for making the most of the skiing and reducing the comparative time spent on lifts. I know its a long way up to the top of the glacier area. No plans to head over to the Italian side.
We ski anything and everything marked in Saas Fee, including the itineraries, so run recommendations would be good. Like long reds and decent blacks, but don't seek out moguls, more get down them OK. Lunch somewhere on the mountain, but not after michelin star food, happy with self service schnitzel/bratwurst/soup but recommendations welcome for a good place that balances cost, convenience and quality.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You don't say what time of year you are doing this, which might affect which itineraries in particular are likely to be open, and no doubt others will have different views, but if it were me, I would come out of the station and head straight over to the Sunnegga funicular. You can buy your ticket at the entrance. Then, I would get in the bottom carriage of the funicular and at the top, head DOWN rather than up, through the long tunnel and out on to the slopes. Then I would head down red 4 to the Patrullarve chair, get the chair up and either ski around the runs at Blauherd (including maybe yellow 10 Paradies if open and you fancy the look of it) before heading up on the cable car to Rothorn. Three short runs up there then ski down 19 past Fluhalp and down to Gant. Cable car up to Hohtalli then ski over to Gornergrat. Use the gifthittli chair to access the mostly cruise blue skiing in that area then if you have time ski the nice long red back down to Gant 29/26 and up again or red 39 down past Riffelalp. It might be time for lunch by now, try Alphitta just below Riffelalp. New management this Winter and they are great people. Then ski on down to Furi, get the bubble up to the lift station and change for the bubble up to Schwarzsee and on to Trockener Steg. Ski around up there as time permits, the. Either ski all the way down or down,lad on the bubble as necessary and get the bus or taxi from the bottom back to the station.
That route takes you over all three ski areas, if only briefly and I think gives you more time in the snow than heading up to Trockener Steg at the start of the day, which is 25 minutes in a bubble before you hit the snow. Have a good time!
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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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As scotsgirl says you need to specify what time of year you are doing this. If you like itineraries, THE thing to do is the runs 33/34/31/32 coming down off Rote Nase and Stockhorn. You get there by going up to Hohtalli. Instead of turning left down the pistes turn right to the ancient cable car. However those runs don't open until late January. It needs plenty of snow to cover the rocks.
Itinerary 10 that scotsgirl describes is a nice easy one. Very good one to get the legs warmed up. Also coming down off the Rothorn mountains are 17 and 16. They are a lot tricker but are great (well I think so - I am not an expert skier but I love itineraries). However last year none of the Rothorn itineraries opened up the whole season. I really hope that is a one off.
I have never skied Saas Fee. I am hoping to remedy that this season as our place is in Täsch so getting round there is not a problem. However I suspect Saas Fee and Zermatt ski areas are probably fairly similar. Therefore a different experience for you would be to go over to the Italian side, Cervinia. They often have better snow than us early on. Being south facing it can be a lot nice skiing there in January. Of course in Spring you're probably better off on our side. The skiing is very different in Cervinia. No itineraries (not really much off piste either) but fantastic big long cruising runs. The food is really good (being Italian) and much better value. Just don't eat at Plan Maison, which basically is like a British motorway service station (you'll pass through it numerous times if you go over there).
It is more effort to do Cervinia. When you get to Zermatt Bahnhof you need to get to the south end of town. It is walkable but not great carrying gear - particularly if there is ice on the streets. Better get a taxi (CHF15) or wait for the ski bus on the street between the main Bahnhof and the Gornergrat Bahnhof next to it. Most do that. At the far end get the bubble. Stay on that the whole way to Trockener Steg (it turns back after that). From there if the queue is not bad get the cable car up to Klein Matterhorn. From there ski down (not great but iconic as the highest ski area in Europe). As you come down the summer ski slopes (83/84 on the map) get up your speed, keep left and head along the flat 88 to the restaurant you can see ahead (it is actually in Italy). You are then at the top of the Ventina run which is gigantic and heads all the way down to Breuil-Cervinia. Great to do in one go. If the Klein Matterhorn lift queue is too long ski down to the nearby T bar and take that (including the second T bar) up to the same restaurant on the border I just described.
Be careful not to miss the "last" lift back over to Switzerland. The last times posted at the bottom of the chair lifts are very conservative and you should have no problems unless you have gone all the way over to Valtournenche (which as a day tripper is not really worth it).
Coming back when you get to the border at either Testa Grigia or Theodulpass there is a great run back to Zermatt. Whichever lift you used keep left (i.e. don't head back to Trockener Steg lift station). Be careful not to miss where there is a left branch off the main piste. You want to get on 70. On there keep an eye out for itineraries marked 67 and 68 branching left off the main piste. They are not huge itineraries but are good fun. As you get to the bottom of them you are at Furgg and see three buildings. The one on your left is the bubble lift station you came through this first thing). The middle one is a self service restaurant (nothing special but we like it and use it a lot). The right one is a chair lift station). You want to get right across to it (cut across between pistes) and round the back of that. Then ski down the black 62. This is an odd one. It is a great piste. But it can very crowded late on (including with people who can't do blacks but think, incorrectly, it is the only way back to town) and it can get icy. Hopefully it will be OK when you are there.
When you get to the end of the black at Furi don't head to the lift station stay left and head down the red 50. Near the end of this (just after a ludicrous uphill section!) stop off at the Hennu Stall for après ski and Europop with commensurate bad ski boot dancing.
You arrive back at the Matterhorn Paradise lift station you started at where you have the same bus/taxi/walk options to get back to the Bahnhof.
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Zermat in a day ?
Thats a tall order. It took me a whole weekend.
Nah .. I jest ,, but my craziest weekend skiing was at Zermmat when we arrived by train at noon, and walked along the street in the rain to the lift ticket office.
The guy in there said the weather was too bad on top to go to Cervinia and to go and have a good past & bottle of wine instead.
He could see we were pretty disappointed so asked how long we were staying .. we told him till tomorrow ..
He said "Here's the tickets then!"
THe weather turned out to be faboulous 100 metres down on the Italien side.
Took fresh pants & toothbrush.
The only snag was after heavy apres ski and getting up for mass in the morning the Italiens had formed a 3 hour Q to the gondola to get back over.
Cught the last train out of Zermatt with just minutes to spare.
But I will never forget that ski weekend .... 1993
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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 took my misses there for a week on her birthday.
There is another station just a few yards away from where you arrive that takes you up to a wonderful place.
I hope you have good weather!
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| DrLawn wrote: |
I took my misses there for a week on her birthday.
There is another station just a few yards away from where you arrive that takes you up to a wonderful place.
I hope you have good weather! |
Yes that is the Gornergrat train. It takes you to the middle of the three largest sectors. It is a lovely ride. If the weather is clear you get beautiful views. You need to sit on the right hand side in the direction of travel.
For a non-skiing tourist that is a must - as it is for a skier who is there for a few days. For a day trip I think it takes up a lot of your skiing time and gets you to a place that is not the most logical to start a day's skiing. scotsgirl's suggestion of the Sunnegga furnicular is better as it gets you onto the slopes the quickest and you can then work your way across. The furnicular is easily reached from the Bahnhof. You can get taxi if you really aren't bothered about money. The ski bus I mentioned in my earlier post stops at the Sunnegga furnicular. However, even with ski gear it is not a long walk. Walk down the street to the right of the Gornergrat Bahnhof. At the river at the bottom turn left. You'll see the furnicular pretty quickly.
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When are you in Saas Fee? If you are there between 16/1-23/1 we could give you a lift on the Wednesday as we are probably going there for the day too.
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First week in March I'll be out there, picking friends up on the Wednesday and then doing a week in Saas. We'll have been about since the 26th Feb. I'm hoping the snow will be reasonable. Even that time last year we ha all but one itinerary in Saas Fee skiable, though the one down from Platjen was not the nicest. I am hoping it will be a decent day. We've done the tourist train in the summer to do the views etc so really it's more about covering the ski areas. @scotsgirl's plan looks decent so we'll probably give that a whirl. We are out again over Xmas and new year so could always give it a go then but no doubt the skiing is more likely to be limited a tad.
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