 Poster: A snowHead
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Currently in Cervinia. Good conditions and have skied all the reds pretty much. No problem. Quite pleased as I really lack confidence. Weirdly I think having no skiing lessons the last two times has helped. I’ve just been Anne to relax and enjoy it a bit kids.
Anyway, we were going to go over to Zermatt today but it was a bit windy first thing. Tomorrow looks like our best bet this week.
Good idea or not? My husband is a bit reluctant after my last meltdown on a blue in Avoriaz (ridiculously busy, narrow and chopped up, just lost my nerve)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good idea
If you've skied the Cervinia reds you'll be fine in Zermatt
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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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@RosieL, There are two ways of getting across. The Left-hand one (looking up the mountain from Cervinia) goes over Theodulpass and you get there after 3 successive chairs from Plan Maison. It involves following a narrow track with several bends and netting/drop-off on either side. You need to control your speed. Many nervous intermediates find this challenging - particularly if scared of not being able to control speed. I think from wat you have said that you should avoid it.
The other route, via the cable car to Testa Grigia is much simpler. If you've done all the reds so far without problems, then the run down from there back into Cervinia (Ventina) would be fun. The runs from the top there into Zermatt are generally fine down to Furgg.
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Great thanks for the detail!
Big typo in my first paragraph- last sentence should read “I’ve been able to just relax and enjoy it”
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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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Remember that your only way back to Italy is via Klein Matterhorn (the 'very top').
The first part of the piste down from KM, towards the border at Testa Grigia, can get quite mogulled by the afternoon, and there's often a steady stream of people coming down - although it may be quieter now. Looks like a great day there today - although it's hard to tell what that piste is like from the webcam as they seem to have the camera pointing a bit high - too much sky and not enough snow!
Can you ask others in Cervinia what it's been like?
From the Zermatt side, you tend to do the KM piste in the morning, when it's not so chopped-up.
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I’ve not been to Zermatt for about 5 years, but I’m sure @caughtanedge, is wrong. You can get back over using the drag lifts, which get you to the top of Ventina without going to the very top.
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I think the drag lifts arent running much (at all?) now the new KM gondola is in place
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@Perty, The drag lifts are not currently operating
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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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| Perty wrote: |
| I’ve not been to Zermatt for about 5 years, but I’m sure @caughtanedge, is wrong. You can get back over using the drag lifts, which get you to the top of Ventina without going to the very top. |
I am afraid he is right. They have not run the lower of the two drag lifts this season and I think they might have given up with it permanently - the new(ish) lift up to Klein Matterhorn means it is not really needed. He is also right that coming to Switzerland via Test Grigia is a doddle but going back from the top of Klein Matterhorn can be tricky for a nervous intermediate. My nervous intermediate daughter in law manages it - but we go from Switzerland to Italy so we are doing it in early morning corduroy not heading back to Italy over moguls.
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| Perty wrote: |
| I’ve not been to Zermatt for about 5 years, but I’m sure @caughtanedge, is wrong. You can get back over using the drag lifts, which get you to the top of Ventina without going to the very top. |
Since they opened the new 3S gondola to KM about 3 years go, I haven't seen the two drag lifts working. They're still there, but aren't even 'pisted' when I've been there. A shame in my opinion, for exactly this reason. I think the top drag lift (Testa?) may be open, but the lower one from Trockener Steg (Gandegg?), which is a good 20 minutes, hasn't been working.
Someone else may pop up here to confirm or deny this!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I stand corrected!
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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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@RosieL, Re the way back to Cervinia and just to add to the points already made, the starting point is a longish "road" from the top of KM which you can see in the KM webcam https://zermatt.roundshot.com/glacierparadise/#/video.
It may also be a bit daunting after your avoriaz experience. Not the narrowest or busiest of roads but if you don't like that sort of thing it may be better to wait until you have more confidence.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks! The piste map is so confusing! Is that the red 85 down from KM into Cervinia? I can’t really see it on the webcam.
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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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Sorry better photo
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Poster: A snowHead
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@RosieL, Click on the webcam link and then the play button on the inset video box. It starts with the comms mast on top of the viewpoint and then pans around. About half way you can see about 4-5 scoured lines directly leading away from you. these are tracks made by piste bashers (presumably harvesting snow). Immediately after that on the right you can see a faint road outline that bends away rightwards. That the road I was talking about.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@RosieL, Yes - 85, then 88
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks! It’s gone a bit foggy up there now 
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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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Yes, that's it. There are some variations in pitch which don't really come out on the video and I've never seen it that quiet!
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The pistes are so quiet at the moment I think I’ll go for it. We may come back a bit earlier to beat the rush.
(It was Avoriaz half term and just bonkers busy.)
I’m thinking down to Schwarzee and maybe up to Gornergrat? We’ve two ski daft teenage boys with us who are loving all this snow!
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Ps really appreciate all the help - thank you!
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Hope you enjoy it.
The run from Schwarzee is great for the first half and then becomes a fairly flat road with some undulations. OK if you know it, but it can require poling if you don't get the schuss in at the right time (there is an electricity substation part way along followed 100m later by a pylon on a small incline. after that you need to get into the tuck position for the remainder of the run to avoid walking).
Gornergrat should be fun for your boys keep using the chair from Riffleberg and take one of the 4-5 runs back down to the bottom. Final run down to furi can be a bit of a challenge but should be ok early pm.
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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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@RosieL, great video - looks lovely, if it's like that tomorrow you'll be fine!
Make sure you let rip on the long shallow section (approaching the helicopter in this video) otherwise you'll be pushing up the last bit to the border.
The Furgsattel chair on the glacier up from Trockener Steg is worth doing - you can gawp over into Cervinia and beyond from the top. It also gives access to a 'snowpark' with jumps etc, which I'm too old for...
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For the avoidance of confusion, I think DCG means 'the run from Klein Matterhorn', not 'the run from Schwarzsee'?
Apologies for duplicating his advice to get the schuss in for the long flat!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| caughtanedge wrote: |
For the avoidance of confusion, I think DCG means 'the run from Klein Matterhorn', not 'the run from Schwarzsee'?
Apologies for duplicating his advice to get the schuss in for the long flat! |
No, i did mean Schwarzee as @RosieL had said she planned to go there. It's red 51 down to Furi
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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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Ah apologies, my mistake. Yes the track through the trees beyond Stafal can be a bit of a slog. But you end up coming through all the old picture-postcard chalets etc on the way to Furi.
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@RosieL, Did you go over to zermatt and how was it?
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You know it makes sense.
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Sorry for radio silence - came back with covid!!!
So we did go over to Zermatt via the bubble. It was lovely. A lot busier and better skiers. We skied around the Matterhorn area down to Schwarzsee (did a few twice as so nice) - great wide pistes and very forgiving reds. The kids did the slalom which was great fun. We did the 52 through the trees under the Matterhorn. Not so keen as quite narrow and the snow was softer.
Annoyingly we couldn’t figure out how to get down to Furi without doing the black. We had a few aborted attempts. Tried the blue but it didn’t continue. A bit annoying.
So we decided to head back over earlier at around 2pm. The visibility had worsened too. The run back was ok. I was pretty nervous as it’s just so high! My pulse was 120 at the top before I even started. Anyway it was fine. A bit grim with no visibility but manageable as it was pretty quiet.
Thanks for all your tips. We really loved Cervinia and will definitely go back and ski Zermatt again and see a bit more of it hopefully!
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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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Hi RosieL, in order to avoid the black you need to stay left below trockener steg until you come to the trockener gondola, take your skis off and take it up to schwarzsee then put your skis back on.
we've been going for the last 15 years or so, cant get enough of the area.
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