Zermatt, Switzerland

Zoes view

British Olympic Boarder-X

A pain to get to but good park and pipe in the summer

Think Zermatt and you’ll probably think money, and you’d be right. However there are some serious mountains here and plenty to keep a freerider occupied for a number of weeks.

The village sits in the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn with every chalet craning to get a view. It’s a compact, attractive place, car free but with souped-up electric golf buggies hooning it around.

Zermatt links with Cervinia forming the Matterhorn Ski Paradise and 313km of pistes. Lift pass prices are about as high as you get, but if you are not heading over to Cervinia then don’t pay the extra for the pass and play in Zermatt’s 183km of slopes.

Zermatt is one of the few places remaining in the World where you can snowboard 365 days a year. In the summer the Matterhorn glacier has 22km of pistes and a good park & pipe. In the winter it provides the starting point for a huge 2263m vertical descent back into the village.

There are lots of narrow cat tracks linking up areas and the runs down to the village are especially guilty. However it’s not the pistes that are going to be attracting the snowboarders, it is the stack of quality off-piste and freeride routes this place offers.

Nightlife is lively for Switzerland with quite a few mountain bars and clubs open till gone 3am
 

New for season

2008/9:“Glacier restaurant” on the Matterhorn glacier paradise
“Snowmaker” – the snow machine marvel
Stockhorn ski lift
Downhill race covering 2200 metres of altitude
A new diva in town: Hotel Matterhorn Focus
Award for Zermatt
Beginner’s park with the Crossliner on Sunnegga paradise
Renovation work in the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof
Restaurant Riffelberg even more comfortable
Glacier Palace with direct access through a new lift
Reopening Hotel Monte Rosa



06/07: new 4-seat chair lift Sunnegga paradise from Findeln to Breitenboden, new Skilift Stockhorn

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Resort Statistics

Resort Type:  Alpine
Winter: Nov to April
Summer: May to Sept

Lifts

Total Lifts: 33
Cable cars: 9
Gondolas: 5
Chair lifts: 8
Drag lifts: 9
Other lifts: 1 Funicular train, 1 cog-railway
Max people per hour: 64,500
Board Leashes required: Yes

Mountain

Total pistes/trails: 73
Total ride area: 183km
Longest run: 13km

Top lift: 3899m
Vertical drop: 2279m
First lift: 1620m

Piste suitability

Green runs: 20%
Red runs: 75%
Black runs: 5%

Lift Passes

  Low Season High Season
  CHF GBP CHF GBP
Day Pass 71.00 44.19 71.00 44.19
6-Day Pass 350.00 217.85 350.00 217.85
6-Day Linked area Pass 394.00 245.24 394.00 245.24
  CHF GBP
Season Pass: 1,400.00 871.41

Lift Passes: 
Zermatt only:
Half day 52,
Day pass 68Chf
5 Days pass 290Chf
Season 1365 Chf
Zermatt/Cervinia
Half-day 59, Day pass 76, 5 days 326CHF, season 1530.
Summer day pass 63CHF

Lift times:8.30am to 4.30pm

Snowfall

Average annual snowfall: 7m
Artificial snowmaking coverage: 25%

Facilities

  CHF GBP
Days Rental of Board & Boots: 45.00 28.01
4hr Group Lesson (full day): 54.00 33.61
4hr Private Lesson (full day): - -

Snowboard Schools: Group lessons from - 40CHF
Snowboard Hire: Daily rates from - 28CHF (Kids from 22CHF)
Night Riding: No

Other activities

Heliboarding: options to Alphubeljoch, Äschhorn and Monte Rosa and a 4hr trip costs 380CHF, if you don’t have that sort of cash then 185CHF will get you on a freeride day to some less trodden locations. Contact the Zermatt Alpin Center for details ww.alpincenter-zermatt.ch tel: +41 (0)27 966 24 60
Snowmobiles: Not available

Further information

www.zermatt.ch/
Email:zermatt@wallis.ch

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Summary
Zermatt is an extremely good resort with some excellent freering terrain set in an incredible location. Nightlife is descent but you need to bring yours and someone elses wallet with you.

ON THE SLOPES: Good
OFF THE SLOPES: As you would expect, pricey
MONEY WISE: Lift passes prices & accomodation are crazy money.

Terrain & parks

HALFPIPE: Yes - 2
TERRAIN PARK: Yes - 2
BACKCOUNTRY/OFF-PISTE:Lots
TREE RUNS:Yes

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Resort News
Changes at Zermatt 7Oct08
>> more news on Zermatt ...
Weather & conditions
Weather
sunny
5°C
Snow cover
  Total Last 24hrs
Upper 142cm 0cm
Lower 85cm 0cm
Resort 11cm 0cm
Last Snowfall: 4 days ago - Mon 15 Mar 2010
Runs
Runs Open: 331KM
Lifts Open: 55
Piste Conditions: powder
Runs to resorts: good
Off Piste Conditions:
Comments:
http://matterhornparadise.ch/i/
Source
Piste Map

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