International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) School me on Zermatt, please

[Jim McDonald]

Wife & self heading to Zurich on Jan 22 to ski for about nine days, and Zermatt is high up on the list of potential venues.
I understand from past reading here & on Epic that the "best" skiing is off the Gornergrat area, but best is subjective of course.
My wife is now a pretty solid intermediate on/off-piste, but doesn't do well on what passes for ice in the Rockies.
Welcome any suggestions as to (1) if Zermatt is a good choice as far as the skiing for her and what parts of Z would be most suitable, and (2) other suggestions for alternatives that might be better (Saas Fee? Arosa? Laax? Lech? Ischgl?).

Also, if anyone has information on hiring guides (especially in Zermatt) or anything else skiing related, more than appreciated.
Thanks all

 

[fatbob]

Not Zermatt specific but a lot of Europe has potential to be a lot icier/ more hardpacked than the Rockies on average. Rest assured most of the visitors in Zermatt and maybe even more on the Italian side are there to zoom or cruise groomers and therefore that is taken care of. Lech is the classic recommendation for anyone with deep enough pockets who wants alround good skiing with plenty of none too challenging. Similarly Icshgl is a vast area targeted at Germans with vast amounts of off piste terrain to go at between runs.

 

[Jacob]

From what I've heard, Zermatt is better later in the season. But, I'd have to refer to others to confirm that.

I think I've recommended it to you before, but Arosa would be a good destination for you two. Plenty of blue and red pistes for your wife, with plenty of fun off-piste terrain for you just to the sides of those blues and reds. It's got some terrain below tree line with ok visibility when the snow comes, with more over on the Lenzerheide side. It's also a nice town that's easy to get to by train from Zurich.

My favorite part of the area is the whole section around the Scalottas, Tgantieni, Gertrud, and Pedra Grossa lifts. There's just a ton of fun terrain around there both above and below tree line, with some good restaurants for lunch breaks. (I recommend the rosti from the Alp Nova restaurant.)

https://www.piste-maps.co.uk/Piste-Maps/Switzerland/Arosa-Lenzerheide-Piste-Map-2019.pdf

 

[Jim McDonald]

Thanks Bob & Jacob,
Yes, Lech was kind of my first inclination, and Jacob you got me looking at Arosa a while back, and those are the other two in my top 3.
So far, I haven't found anywhere reasonable to stay in Lech (doesn't have to be lux, just clean & comfortable).
I do have reservations in Arosa, Laax (Flims base) and now Zermatt, so need to make a choice there.
I like Laax, but there's a sameness to the runs that gets old after a couple of days, and the lower elevations have been pretty sketchy & slushy.
Zermatt's been on the bucket list for a while, but I definitely hear what you're saying about Arosa, Jacob, especially re tree line in the last week of January.
Much appreciate the input.

 

[Eleeski]

Darn Jim, we were hoping you were going to be in Japan during those times as we are headed to Nagano then. Enjoy Zermatt!

When we visited the free busses were great. You can easily access most of the lifts out of town. We stayed in a nice reasonable condo in Zermatt near the tunnel funicular to Sunnega which gave easy access to the huge mountain. It took us all day of exploring to touch Italian soil.

It was very comfortable skiing. We didn't have great snow but nothing was horribly icy or treacherous. Long blue groomers were the standard. One or two fun bump pitches. Fun scenic little trails were hidden about (we had a good guide). We did find one trail back down from under the Matterhorn to town that was challenging (especially on the rental skis that didn't suit me) but it was well enough marked to scare off the tired and intermediates with us who took a more civilized route back.

The mountain there looks just like a bigger copy of the real one in Disneyland. Incredible scenery!

Definitely take the Gornergrat train up. Then binge watch the Night Manager short TV series. The star lives just off the train.

We found the people in Zermatt wonderful, prices reasonable and felt it was the classic European ski experience. Enjoy!

Eric

 

[Jim McDonald]

Eric, thanks very much. Yes, read your TR several times and it's been helpful.
Sorry to miss you here, but we decided to escape the Chinese New Year crowds, and this was a chance to take my wife skiing in Europe for the first time.

 

[Choucas]

By all means, go to Zermatt. Lots of nice piste skiing for all levels, not just on the Gornergrat. There are plenty of nice, reasonably priced places to stay. The Zermatt website is very good for sorting them out. Opt for 1/2 board if you can. Easier and ultimately more cost effective way to go. Only worries are the possibilities of white out conditions since it’s all pretty much above tree line, and lifts shut down due to wind. This is a risk at almost all alpine resorts. The likelihood of wind issues is a bit higher in Zermatt due to high elevation.
Fantastic off piste and touring options. The guides office is the best option for a getting hooked up with a guide on a day basis. You can track that down on the Zermatt web site as well. One off the best days out in good weather/conditions is to do a circuit of the Monte Rosa. You ski into Italy and work you way through the Monte Rosa lift system to Alagna and then get a heli ride to the Col de Lys. Then a big run down the Grentz and Gorner glaciers and back into the Zermatt lift system above Furi. A long day and you have to be pretty fit, but a memorable outing among some of the biggest peaks in the alps.
Best on mountain restaurants in the alps. Cervinia link adds a lot of fun skiing plus more great eating options. It’s a special place to ski. Enjoy!