 Poster: A snowHead
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In Cervinia, want to have a couple of days in Zermatt. Son has previous ACL injury and needs to take it easy. Any recommendations for quieter, more gentle runs? (and warnings of spots to avoid please!) He's OK on Cervinia's reds but aware Zermatt's may be more challenging.
Any lunch recommendations which won't break the bank (€15-20/head)?
Thank you.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It’s easy down to Trocknersteg, then a red to Furg, or Gondola down? Then Gondola to Furi, assuming you want to miss a reasonably serious black, switch Gondolas in the station and up to Riffleberg. Lots of easy peasy(in Zermatt terms blues and reds, with of course the iconic Matterhorn view. Riffleberg self service is your best bet for cheap. Good luck with that
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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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It’s easy down to Trocknersteg, then a red to Furg, or Gondola down? Then Gondola to Furi, assuming you want to miss a reasonably serious black, switch Gondolas in the station and up to Riffleberg. Lots of easy peasy(in Zermatt terms blues and reds, with of course the iconic Matterhorn view. Riffleberg self service is your best bet for cheap. Good luck with that
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
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twoodwar wrote: |
It’s easy down to Trocknersteg, then a red to Furg, or Gondola down? Then Gondola to Furi, assuming you want to miss a reasonably serious black, switch Gondolas in the station and up to Riffleberg. Lots of easy peasy(in Zermatt terms blues and reds, with of course the iconic Matterhorn view. Riffleberg self service is your best bet for cheap. Good luck with that  |
Good advice. Also don't miss the Furgsattel chair from Trockner Steg - pylons on the glacier and nice views back over Cervinia and beyond, and there are a couple of nice reds (69/70) down to Schwarzsee.
One thing to remember is that the only way back to Italy now is via the (wonderful) new gondola up to Klein Matterhorn - the long t-bar from Trockner Steg doesn't run any more. The red down from Klein Matterhorn to Testa Grigia can be a bit of a slog if the snow's churned up and it's busy. But hopefully worth it for the visit to the 'very top' at 3883m. Pretty damn fine views up there.
15-20 eur? Hmmmm... a shared plate of chips and a well-stacked plate of help-yourself salad at the Riffelberg self-service might just cut it..... and the coffee is rubbish if you've just come from 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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Chämi-Hitta, below Riffelalp, do a Rösti for about CHF20
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skied over to Zermatt from Cervinia on numerous occasions with a very timid but competent partner and never found any of the on piste skiing in the Matterhorn and Gornergrat sections to be any more challenging than the reds on the Italian side (usual note on conditions dependent applies). Even the Furgg-Furi black is more red than black, it is quite narrow in places but not steep and usually well groomed, I feel it's only rated black to put off beginners from skiing back down.
If you can get to the Gornergrat section definitely do (as noted above cable car down if you want to avoid the narrow black), almost all the runs around that area are lovely, easy, cruisy blues and reds. Everything on the glacier is easy too but it can feel barren up there.
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I would suggest, if you don't want the hassle of going all the way to Gornergrat and Sunnegga (which are quite some way) then take the Furgsattel chair up from Trockener Steg and then stay skiers left all the way down to the (new-ish) Hornli chair. You can then ski multiple reds from that chair. Great view of the Matterhorn and the pistes are not challenging.
To eat on that budget you'd probably just want to go into the self-service at Trockener Steg. However, I'd recommend Stafelalp as being worth the extra.
I have to, at least slightly, disagree with @GottaCatchEmAll and suggest you don't take someone with ACL problems and/or who is nervous down the Furgg-Furi black. It's a fantastic run BUT it does get icy and it has several points where it narrows significantly just after a wide, steep section. My partner, a strong intermediate, hates it with a passion and will always get the gondola from Furgg to Schwarzsee and then ski the red from there down to Furi rather than take it. I have also seen, on many many occasions, beginners and intermediates really struggling on this run.
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@Blackblade, agreed the Furg Furi black is not easy, narrow in places, a few quite steep pitches, and if a lot of people on it,-Carnage late afternoon.My wife can ski any piste but in her leisurely manner. However as with a lot of people it’s other skiers that make her apprehensive on occasion. On one pitch on this run I watch no less than 4 people go down behind her, who fortunately she did not see and who did not slide into her. This was circa 3pm though, the time to avoid.
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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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In fairness, I have never skied that piste late in the day as always coming over from Cervinia side however my nervy wife is much more comfortable on that run down to Furi than she is on the first pitch from Plateau Rosa at the end of the day or the red nr 1 down to Valtournenche. Still better safe than sorry I guess, even with the gondola down I'd still do it as as Gornergrat is absolutely lovely.
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caughtanedge wrote: |
One thing to remember is that the only way back to Italy now is via the (wonderful) new gondola up to Klein Matterhorn - the long t-bar from Trockner Steg doesn't run any more. |
I missed that! Is that from this season?
Was very useful in high winds if the cable car wasn't running
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ever since the big new 3S gondola to Klein Matterhorn opened, I think. The old cable car to KM is still there, the new gondola operates in higher wind speeds.
The bottom T-bar is also still there - you can see it from the Trockner Steg webcam, but I don't know if it's ever used. Maybe others know?
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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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Also useful for getting to Italy if you don't want to do KM down to Testa Grigia.
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@GottaCatchEmAll, fairly said, as I have only done it pm!
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 You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the info, very helpful, esp on runs which may be icy and crowded. His ACL was busted a second time by a nasty sliding tackle on the football pitch so def want to avoid anything similar. Lifts closed yesterday morning so went to Torgnon and had a lovely day in the sunshine with beautiful views. Tartiflette, 2xveals and a bottle of wine for €50. Guess we won't find that in Zermatt but looking forward to skiing there
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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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caughtanedge wrote: |
Ever since the big new 3S gondola to Klein Matterhorn opened, I think. The old cable car to KM is still there, the new gondola operates in higher wind speeds.
The bottom T-bar is also still there - you can see it from the Trockner Steg webcam, but I don't know if it's ever used. Maybe others know? |
Both the upper and lower T-bars are still there and occasionally used.
The upper, much shorter, one is more often running because it allows you to get back to Test Grigia without having to ski the long, boring and flat Gandegg piste to Trockener AND from there you can also get high enough to cross into Cervinia just below the Theodul hut.
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 Poster: A snowHead
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@Blackblade, yes, but my point was that the lower, long T-bar isn't routinely open so can't be used as an alternative way to get to Italy, by less-confident intermediates who find the descent from KM a bit of a slog in some conditions.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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caughtanedge wrote: |
@Blackblade, yes, but my point was that the lower, long T-bar isn't routinely open so can't be used as an alternative way to get to Italy, by less-confident intermediates who find the descent from KM a bit of a slog in some conditions. |
Yes, you're quite right.
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