Zermatt / Ski area

You could waste a lot of time and space discussing how extensive and distinctive Zermatt’s skiing is, so here goes: wherever you compare it to, Zermatt is one of the world’s best ski resorts, not merely in terms of piste mileage, variety and challenge but for the setting. The nature of a day in Zermatt, on or off piste, is a journey through stunning mountains. Thanks to sympathetic development and the physical limitations imposed by the huge glaciers descending from the surrounding mountains, the region retains a wild feel; for a major ski resort, the landscape is barely touched.

Zermatt sits at 1,620 m (5,315 ft) within the Pennine Alps, a mountain chain that stretches from the Grand Combin in the west to the cluster of four thousand metre peaks (13,000 ft) which form the Monte Rosa massif to the east. The village marks the end of a narrow valley and is bounded by three integrated ski areas each reaching over 3,000 m (9,843 ft): to the south, forming the watershed between Switzerland and Italy, is the Klein Matterhorn region with huge glaciers at altitude and snow-sure north facing slopes stretching 2,200 vertical metres (7,218 vertical feet) down to the village; to the west high mountains rise steeply, remaining unskied other than by heli-skiers and ski mountaineers; to the east, on gentler but still massive slopes, are the two other areas, Blauherd/Rothorn and Stockhorn/Gornergrat, the latter still accessed from the heart of the village by the cog railway of 1898.

The skiing is best described following the order in which you most easily cover the three areas, linking one to another in a clockwise tour. Just keep in mind that each area amounts to a resort in its own right, in terms of quantity and variety of terrain, uplift, restaurants and other facilities; those in the know often advise skiing just one area each day rather than wasting time on linking runs:

Blauherd/Rothorn
This single mountain has it all: beginner skiing, intermediate cruising and off piste challenge, as well as what is regarded as the best mountain eating in the world. From the top of the Rothorn there are broad fast red runs, long cruisers around mid mountain, off piste itineraries and tree skiing on the lower third down to the village; throw in the restaurants at Findeln and you might not feel the need to venture further.

First stop out of the village is Sunnega, a main ski school meeting place accessed by a fast underground train. A gondola takes you on to Blauherd, followed by a cable car up to the Rothorn from where several itineraries and a red run take you down the west side of the mountain. In the other direction, a long red run traces its way over south facing slopes to Gant, for access to the Stockhorn and Gornergrat, and onwards to the biggest area of the lot, the Klein Matterhorn and Cervinia to the south. Back on the Rothorn, don’t miss the last run of the day: one huge descent, top to bottom, with a pit stop at Tuftern to catch the last of the sun dropping behind the Matterhorn, long after the village is overtaken by shadow.

Stockhorn/Gornergrat
The yin and yang of Zermatt on one mountain – a smooth cruise on the west face and the toughest, biggest freeriding to the north. The slow train ride from the centre of town to the observatory/hotel/restaurant at the top of the Gornergrat, overlooking the Gorner and Grenz glaciers, reflects the skiing on the west side – relaxed, with a great view. There’s plenty of mileage from top to bottom – in fact, if there was a quicker way up than the train, it would be skied much more. Consequently it is overlooked by skiers heading for the more challenging opportunities that abound in Zermatt.

It is almost entirely intermediate stuff, now brought bang up to date with the comfortable new Gifthittli six-seater chair replacing an old T-bar. With several pistes tracing their way back to its base you can spend all day here, basking on west facing slopes with some of the best views of the Matterhorn in the entire resort. There’s similarly gentle skiing winding the length of the cog railway, punctuated by restaurants, bars and the luxury Riffelalp Resort.

Heading onwards to the Stockhorn takes you from the sublime to the ridiculous: over a thousand vertical metres of high altitude freeriding terrain and one of the steepest, broadest, longest bump slopes – just under 1,200 vertical metres (3,937 vertical feet) – you are ever likely to encounter. This area can be reached from the Gornergrat by the Hohtalli cable car – a slow process – but is better accessed (see above) from the Rothorn.

Klein Matterhorn
The Klein Matterhorn is the biggest ski area in Zermatt’s constellation, from 3,880 m (12,730 ft) down to the village at 1,620 m (5,315 ft): you do the maths. Not only is it a huge vertical drop but the distance, on or off piste, is enormous too. Ten miles from top to bottom is the shortest way down by piste. Take it in one and you might never walk again. From the top of the Klein Matterhorn is a 360-degree panorama – beyond Mont Blanc to the west and the rest of the Alps to the east – and snowsure, expansive skiing. The snowfields at the top are home to the resort's snowpark. Down below, beneath Schwarzsee, there’s also some of the resort’s best tree skiing.

Direct access is from the southern end of town, via Furi and on to Trockner Steg or Schwarzsee. Crossing from the Gornergrat to Furi reveals the weakest link in the chain if you’re trying to ski the region as a whole - a short flat section followed by a brief walk up to the lift station (there's a small elevator in the base of the cable car station to prevent the need for too much climbing). The link in the other direction has been improved for the 2006/2007 season. A new eight-seat gondola will run from Furi to Riffelberg (with an intermediate station) and at long last provide the missing connection between the Klein Matterhorn and Gornergrat sections of the mountain.

Matterhorn and Breithorn
Zermatt’s highest terrain spans the area between the 4,164 m (13,662 ft) Breithorn to the east and the 4,477 m (14,689 ft) Matterhorn to the west. The vast Theodul and Furgg glaciers cap the relatively flat, broad col over which the Italian resort of Cervinia is reached. Staying on the northern side, a high traverse brings you under the Matterhorn’s east face for a close up encounter with this monster. A more direct descent to where the glaciers end and the real skiing begins - exceptional red runs, wide, steep enough for interest and almost always well covered in chalky dry snow - leads to the Schwarzsee link. From there you are soon into the treeline and different skiing once again. Given the mileage you will have covered just to get here, the excellent mountain restaurants at Furi are as much necessity as they are luxury.

Zermatt connections
The opportunity to cover big mileage is one of the key aspects of Zermatt’s skiing, but it’s worth knowing that not all connecting runs are created equal: Rothorn to Gant is long and varied whereas the Stockhorn side is best skied as is now intended, as a freeride area. Following the ‘White Hare’ red run from Hohtalli for the sake of having skied that side of the mountain, or simply to head for the Rothorn via Gant, may well be disappointing – the top section is narrow, relatively steep and rapidly scraped to hardpack by skiers avoiding the various off piste routes. And it is likely to be in its worst condition just when the freeriding isn’t inviting either – better to stay away at these times; it’s not a problem as the route from Rothorn to Matterhorn via the Gornergrat area can still be skied without having to descend this side at all. In any event, the Stockhorn usually only opens at the end of January as the steep, rocky and partly glaciated terrain requires a substantial accumulation of snow to be safely skied.