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Zermatt advice

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm planning my second ski trip and considering going to Zermatt for Hogmany celebrations Very Happy . Could anyone advise if this is a good choice for a beginner/intermediate? Puzzled

Could anyone also advise on a good ski company to get lessons in Zermatt?

Thanks in advance for any advice provided rolling eyes
Loubelou x
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Loubelou, Welcome to snowHead A recent thread here gave lots of advice on the suitability of Zermatt for a beginner. In summary it's not. If you do decide to go I found Summit Ski School to be very good.
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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?
Loubelou, Welcome to snowHeads!
I'm afraid that I don't know anything about Zermatt, but have a look at this thread - there's lots of peeps on there that will be able to help!
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Loubelou, welcome to snowHeads! snowHead

This question comes up quite frequently, most recently here:

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1078736#1078736

The general consensus (and certainly my view) is that it's better to get a few more weeks' experience under your belt to enjoy Zermatt to the full. There are not very many beginner runs, they're mostly quite high, at the end of long lift sequences, including T-bars. There's also quite a lot of trudging involved in the town, which beginners often find hard with their clobber, because the various ski areas are quite separated and there's not much by the way of slope-side accommodation.

One option for you would be Cervinia, which is in Italy, but linked to Zermatt. Not a picture-postcard place like Zermatt, but it has miles and miles of fairly gentle runs on the other side of the Matterhorn. If you progress well, you can cross over into Zermatt. The easier runs there are on the glacier, which is where you get to from the Cervina lift system.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Many thanks for all the advice! This is a great forum. May have to go back to the drawing board rolling eyes . Will certainly look into Cervinia.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Loubelou, Courchevel would be a good addition to your shortlist of resorts. Great ski schools, extensive easy terrain and loads of pistes for you to progress to. It's not cheap, although it doesn't have to cost a fortune, and it doesn't have the Matterhorn towering over it (but then few resorts do Wink) but otherwise pretty much ideal for a 2nd-weeker
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Zermatt is not a beginners resort. Agree that Cervinia would be better tailed for your needs and indeed better priced overall. btw - Top of the Glacier where you cross over into Cervinia or Zermatt is the coldest i have ever experienced. -35 on the day I ventured over. Not nice for a beginner Sad Morzine and Les Gets has some pretty skiing and good ski schools or how about Solden, Soll, Mayrhofen ?
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 brian
brian
Guest
Loubelou, going slightly against the grain. I agree Zermatt has downsides for a first timer but as this is your 2nd trip, how did the first one go ?

If you're a competent blue run skier that can handle the odd red then go for it. Be careful with your choice of accom if lack of convenience puts you off, but Zermatt is a magical place to ski with one of the world's most iconic mountains to gaze at. Very Happy

Cervinia is major league dull by comparison. Some drawbacks are worth putting up with.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I do think sometimes the whole 'beginner friendly' thing can be overstated. With the exception of complete nutjob places like La Grave there are only degrees of suitability, rather than absolute suitability/unsuitability. I learnt in Westendorf, which is not really ideal. The OH learnt in Verbier, similarly.

Consensus often seems to be to suggest that beginners learn at indoor slopes which is pretty inconsistent with the usual reasons for considering actual resorts to be beginner unfriendly - what with the often crowded, often icy slopes and preponderance of drag lifts...

A beginner with a positive attitude will get on OK at most places I think. Then again, the OP isn't a complete beginner, so...

That said I've not been to Zermatt yet!
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
You're all so helpful, thanks Smile! Brian, I managed blue and red runs quite confidently during my last Easter holiday to Les Deux Alpes. Just a bit concerned the runs may be slightly at the harder end of the scale in Zermatt. My boyfriend is a very confident skier and telemarker so I may have to compromise although a compromise to a stunning location may not be that bad. I'll definitely book into a ski school. I've checked out Summit so unless otherwise advised I'll go ahead a book a number of lessons with them.

Also cutting this a bit fine! Any advice on accommodation?
Thanks again in advance,
Loubelou Toofy Grin
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 brian
brian
Guest
Loubelou, don't worry about the run grading. L2A blues can be pretty red by all accounts. Zermatt blues are pretty straightforwardly blue.

Accomodation wise, I would try and be as close as you can to either the Sunegga or Klein Matterhorn lift stations. The tourist office will reinforce the legend of Swiss efficiency by giving you a list of available offers. Send them your requirements to info@zermatt.ch
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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.
Loubelou, Agree with Brian that grading at LDA is more severe than Zermatt you'll be fine. If you are using Summit as you suggested, for group lessons they generally meet at Furi (1st stop after Klein Matterhorn), with one day at Sunegga. Therefore accommodation at the Klein Matterhorn end may be easier.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Loubelou, Welcome to snowHead s!

You are probably the hardest person to advise on resorts! For a first timer any/most resorts have a nursery slope to keep you entertained and learn. Though in Zermatt's case it is up the mountain and is not as convenient as some resorts that have the nursery slopes at the base of the town! A second week skier is more problematic as they will normally want to progress from the car park to the olympic downhill wink Finding a resort for an advanced beginner is much harder as you need wide gentle runs to build confidence.

I would agree with rob@rar, Courchevel may be a good resort for you and 1850 (the most expensive) the best for you. They are used to dealing with wealthy Russian, Middle East and Far Eastern men of a certain age and ability and they want them to have a good (flattering) ski holiday. Hence the slopes are on the whole wide and gentle. This may be one of the best resorts for a second weeker. Do not know places that dont charge a fortune but I am sure others here can help.

Do not be tempted to go for 1550,1650, La Praz or La Tania. Not that I have a problem with any of these, I have been to them and enjoyed it immensly but access to the very gentle runs above 1850 are mor tricky for a second weeker!

Have fun with your new found sliding addiction and let us know where and how you get on!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I agree with Paulio. I spent my second week in Verbier which is presumably not suitable for advanced beginners but I progressed there so much. In 4 days of skiing I progressed from being barely comfortable on blue slopes to totally comfortable on any red slope and even short black slopes.

The trick to progress is to set the bar high. If there is no challenge there is little progress.

Not been to Zermatt but if you're taking lessons the instructors will take you to the right slopes, which will be slightly higher than your ability and you will be astonished by the sclae of progress. Take a 2 to 3 hour couse every morning and use the afternoon to practice alone.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Zermatt was the first Ski holiday I had over 25 years ago

In those days the Skiing came second to the sauce. We arrived on the Saturday about 7pm, I was sober by the Tuesday and hit the piste that morning. I was a good skater as a boy, so after a morning of pottering about in a group lesson, went off and started doing parallell stops. To be quite frank my technique has never improved beyond this, but it didn't stop me and did a few reds by the end of the week.

Set off at the top of a black but hit ice 100m down and went for burton. Absolutely shattered the apparently thin veneer of confidence I'd built up. Bottled out of even reds after that though and quite glad I did - one of the chaps trashed his knee. Great nightlife, but remember a half pint being the equivalent of about 3 quid all the way back then. The pocket took the biggest hammering!

Mayerhofen the year after, fabulous boot filling on the rocket fuel Strom. After day 1 we spent the rest of the time up the Hintertux Glacier. Didn't ski again until 4 years ago, when we took the kids. What a waste, but glad to be back it - not the sauce of course...well at least not in those quantities.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
macwad, great stuff... snowHead Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
trust me when I say you must check out Tempston Luxury, such a large selection of chalets for the ski season:
Zermatt Chalets
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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?
I learned to ski in Zermatt. Granted I was 11 but had not skied at all before that. What I would say is that if you can afford to go to Zermatt you should. There are plenty of wide easy runs. Just plan on spending the whole day up high. It's an amazing spot.
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