 Poster: A snowHead
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Currently if you stay in a hotel and it has a restaurant you can eat there, and several restaurants are doing takeaway (a lot of pizza options from what I could tell). Supermarkets are open. In the coming months the current Swiss plan is to have non-essential shops open from March 1st and restaurant terraces from April 1st, so if it were me I'd go the first week of April for that reason.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| RobJsy wrote: |
As I am not UK-based an would be travelling from a v-low risk area it looks like I could enter without having to quarantine so have an outside chance of a ski trip to Switzerland this season.
Whilst I will deal with the moral conflict over the next few weeks (I could but should I?).....what would be the advice of those based in Zermatt - is it worth it for a late March / early April trip? Is there enough open....pistes/lifts/food (supermarkets for SC/Take-away/restaurants)? Would I be welcome?
It's an outside chance only - but worth exploring... |
I am stuck in the UK and unable to get there. With the exception of the Rote Nasa lift to the Stockhorn itinerary area, all the Swiss pistes and itineraries are open. Like the rest of Italy, nothing on the Italian side of the mountain is open. Late March/ early April is a great time to be out in Zermatt. The south facing blues on Sunnegga, Findeln and Gornegrat can get slushy in the afternoon but the height and general north facing aspect means the snow generally is superb.
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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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| JohnMo wrote: |
The Stockhorn sector is not opening this year. Sad for those out there but understandable. It is a big area to keep open for a relatively small number of skiers. When you can attract foreign tourists it is the jewel in the crown for those who prefer ungroomed areas. With the current numbers it just doesn’t make sense. All other itineraries are now open.
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My mountain guide friend Brian Farquharson taking the old route last week from Hohtälli to Rote Nase, there used to be a baggage lift for skis and then you walked a narrow path to where the new* Rote Nase lift station is! I remember the new lift being installed, really fast access to Triftji back when it was good 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Interesting. After the closure of the winter season, the routes down to Furgg are kept open for a while. Then the routes down from Furggsattel to Trockener Steg. Eventually, one has to retreat to the summer ski area up on Klein Matterhorn. The winter season closure is this weekend. But next weekend they are keeping routes open from Furgg and Schwarzsee down to Furi and then, amazingly, even down to Zermatt.
If only there was some way to get out there and enjoy it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@johnmo, this information is extremely frustrating!
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Just had a fabulous week in Zermatt - it snowed on Monday and again on Thursday evening, so there was plenty of light, fresh powder available nearly all week, in mostly clear blue skies with a nice temperature - not too warm or cold (although up on KM it was pretty chilly and the obligatory face mask was handy to keep warm ). It was only down in Findeln that the snow was mushy, but this was compensated by seeing loads of Marmottes come out of their winter slumbers. The runs down from Sunnegga to town were open and perfectly skiable
There were understandably relatively few people around, and only the briefest of lift queues anywhere if at all. All the kids on my daughter's ski group lessons were based in Switzerland. That said, the hotel I was in was full and apparently had been pretty much all season
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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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hi @whitters , were all switzerland-based?
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@Kj82, Certainly all the kids in the ski class were (could tell by the phone numbers in the whatsapp group that the instructor set up).
Nearly everyone I heard talk in the hotel or on the slopes were either speaking German or French so I'd assume were mostly Swiss. The only other English speakers we bumped into in the hotel lived in CH, but there were quite a few young English speakers on the slopes doing their BASI there and/or seemed to be seasonnaires.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ok thanks. i wonder how the number of lift passes sold compares with previous years
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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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For the first time since October you can take lifts up from the Italian side to ski.
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Should add: you still can’t cross from one country to another. They are expecting to be able to open that up on June 12.
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You know it makes sense.
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Apologies if already covered elsewhere, but can anyone based in Zermatt or who has recently visited assist with following info. As I have been unable to get there for 2 seasons, can anyone confirm the arrangement for accessing the slopes from the top of the new 3S lift at Klein Matterhorn please. Do you have to walk through the same tunnel as you use from the original cable car station, do you have to walk through another tunnel, or does the new station open out straight onto the top of the piste without a long walk from the arrival station. Any advice much appreciated tks.
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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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The 3S gondola arrives alongside the old cable car, but in its own terminal building. You walk through the same tunnel, passing the lift to the observation platform, then on to the exit in front of the restaurant.
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Poster: A snowHead
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At 3800m it's good to have a short walk before you hit the snow..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks very much for the fast reply. I agree about the walk 
Cheers
Ian
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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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| JohnMo wrote: |
| Should add: you still can’t cross from one country to another. They are expecting to be able to open that up on June 12. |
remind me please, if getting the cable to top of run 7 and skiing to top of 6 (i.e. along the glacier), am i entering Swiss territory?
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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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| Kj82 wrote: |
| JohnMo wrote: |
| Should add: you still can’t cross from one country to another. They are expecting to be able to open that up on June 12. |
remind me please, if getting the cable to top of run 7 and skiing to top of 6 (i.e. along the glacier), am i entering Swiss territory? |
Yes you are. As soon as you step off the cable car you are in Swiss territory. If you turn right to head back down the Ventina (7) you are quickly back in Italy. If you turn left to head down the 6 you ski in Switzerland for a few hundred metres before bearing left to cut through the Theodulpass and back into Italy. However those sections are counted as part of both the Italian and Swiss ski areas for the purposes of the ski passes.
None of that is opening tomorrow. It is the three chairs up from Plan Maison and all of that (and the related pistes) is in Italy.
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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 would happily ski run 6 all day from bontadini tomorrow !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The first lift served skiing on the Cervinia side since October. This is this morning’s webcam from Plan Maison (at 2,500m) looking up the three operating lifts to Theodulpass. I imagine it is rather soft (although it will be good up at the pass) but the coverage looks more like winter than late May.
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@JohnMo,
As we find ourselves nudging towards the end of the 1st week of August surely its time to think about the 2021/2022 thread?
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| Run28 wrote: |
@JohnMo,
As we find ourselves nudging towards the end of the 1st week of August surely its time to think about the 2021/2022 thread? |
Flying out tomorrow to find out if I still have an apartment in one piece after 18 months! Hope to get up on the glacier for a few turns so will start the new season thread from there.
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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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| JohnMo wrote: |
| Run28 wrote: |
@JohnMo,
As we find ourselves nudging towards the end of the 1st week of August surely its time to think about the 2021/2022 thread? |
Flying out tomorrow to find out if I still have an apartment in one piece after 18 months! Hope to get up on the glacier for a few turns so will start the new season thread from there. |
Fantastic. Videos from Warren Smith show the glacier looking in fantastic condition. Safe travels and look forward to hearing a 'boots on the ground' update.
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@JohnMo, you have an obligation to keep us updated
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My summer break is over - all eyes on skiing now. 1 week booked for December and 2 weeks booked for the end of January.
I hope the Swiss let us in this season!
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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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Look forward to it Johnmo. We’re in Cervinia this year as one of my daughters has a boyfriend for whom this will be his first ski trip. Be interested to hear how the travel went. I have booked a package deal for the first time in 30 years due to COVID. I have to say it is amazingly good value and a bogof on 6 day international passes with Crystal ski
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| twoodwar wrote: |
| Look forward to it Johnmo. We’re in Cervinia this year as one of my daughters has a boyfriend for whom this will be his first ski trip. Be interested to hear how the travel went. I have booked a package deal for the first time in 30 years due to COVID. I have to say it is amazingly good value and a bogof on 6 day international passes with Crystal ski |
That BOGOF deal in remarkably good. We we looking at c£800 for the 10 day trip in Jan....and that's just Zermatt. Brutal.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Run28, worked out at £141 a head for a 6 day international pass. This is Cervinia start, therefore a little cheaper I believe than Zermatt start. Top of the head it’s circa £380 each for the Zermatt ticket, well over 400 CH anyhow. We were pleased to say the least. Just need COVID position to get better and Foreign office travel advice to change!
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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, the joy of starting in Cervinia. I do hope we can make it over to Chalet Etoile this season - haven't been across for the last 6 years due to weather. Agreed on the COVID side of things - Valais had a fairly torrid time this winter - very high case rate. Lets hope things calm down slightly and vaccination rates are better than the current 48%.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@JohnMo, keeping us on tenterhooks! How is it on the ground?
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