ChrisC
Well-known member
I wanted to go ski all the steep lines of Verbier ... however - most of Verbier closed on April 15th. What was left - was a bit sad. No Mont Gele, no Tortin, no a lot of things. Andermatt - same closures.
I have not posted yet from Jan/Feb - but Zermatt is really amazing in a high snow year!!!! It was 100% open. Nearly 100" base above 1600 meters.
So Chamonix to Zermatt. And Zermatt was awesome!!! Powder and packed powder on the top 1-2k vertical - normal spring conditions everywhere else. Restaurants going on -- if you ever paid $20-0 for a hamburger --- go to Zermatt --- or Cervinia --- see what you can buy. OMG - the food!
I am going to go out on a limb here - but if I could ski one lift for the rest of my life - it might be the Zermatt cable car from Gant to Hohtalli. There are 5 series of north facing bowls that go on for 3000 vertical feet. No one skis it!!!! No one! Epic powder in January, February, and - now - April. I had more Chamois - a group of 5 goats - than skiers for 30 minutes. I had to tell a Chamois that my line was through his...a group of 6.
My brother and I started to make of the Swiss-Germans -- and their lack of interest in the off-piste.
The Utards would have killed this in 2-4 hours.
I have now been to Zermatt 2x this winter. I used to think Zermatt was a place like Florida - get old, ski a bit, and die. However, it's not --- it's really traditional - but in a great way. The glaciers are very flat! The rest of Zermatt hides great skiing. The lift system - it's one of the most modern!
I have not posted yet from Jan/Feb - but Zermatt is really amazing in a high snow year!!!! It was 100% open. Nearly 100" base above 1600 meters.
So Chamonix to Zermatt. And Zermatt was awesome!!! Powder and packed powder on the top 1-2k vertical - normal spring conditions everywhere else. Restaurants going on -- if you ever paid $20-0 for a hamburger --- go to Zermatt --- or Cervinia --- see what you can buy. OMG - the food!
I am going to go out on a limb here - but if I could ski one lift for the rest of my life - it might be the Zermatt cable car from Gant to Hohtalli. There are 5 series of north facing bowls that go on for 3000 vertical feet. No one skis it!!!! No one! Epic powder in January, February, and - now - April. I had more Chamois - a group of 5 goats - than skiers for 30 minutes. I had to tell a Chamois that my line was through his...a group of 6.
My brother and I started to make of the Swiss-Germans -- and their lack of interest in the off-piste.
The Utards would have killed this in 2-4 hours.
I have now been to Zermatt 2x this winter. I used to think Zermatt was a place like Florida - get old, ski a bit, and die. However, it's not --- it's really traditional - but in a great way. The glaciers are very flat! The rest of Zermatt hides great skiing. The lift system - it's one of the most modern!