Zermatt: Rote Nase Cable Car Policy / Hohtälli zone

ChrisC

ChrisC

Well-known member
I have been watching Zermatt’s operations for the last couple years, and have been perplexed about the Rote Nase cable car operations. This is the key lift for Zermatt’s preeminent expert and off-piste skiing; it’s the equivalent of the front face of Snowbird, but with only a single tram.

Last year it opened in the end of March to the public.

Now it’s being referred to as a Guide/Instructor only zone! And it might have been over last 3 years??!!

Anyways, see video.

Looks like Zermatt, Saas Fee, Cervinia and Monterosa received 1-2 meters from storm.

Zermatters does guided group off-piste skiing for reasonable rates (4 min, possibly smaller)



 
Fraser thinks there was enough snow to ski up there even before the recent storm. So it's likely we will revisit Zermatt sometime during our upcoming trip.
 
I am skiing Zermatt-Cervinia for 4 days and Mürren for 2 days. (Possibly Kleine-Schedegg/Grindelwald-Wengen. No Jungraujoch summit due to unreasonable $$$ and similar trains/S3 Gondolas at Zermatt included on tickets).

Using trains the entire time Zurich Airport->Zermatt->Murren->Zurich.

Booked a group off piste via Zermatters (180-200 Swiss Francs), and half day at Cervinia.

Debated SaaS Fee instead of Murren, but SaaS Fee requires bus and there is more off piste potential at Interlaken vs SaaS Fee (ruggedly glaciated). Both have exceptional scenery.
 
ChrisC said:
Using trains the entire time Zurich Airport->Zermatt->Murren->Zurich.
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Looking forward to your report on the train part of your trip. I don't know anything about Zermatt other than what's been reported here -- basically that you have to leave your car in a type of long-term parking and take a train to the village?

All I have noted about my 2018 visit to Mürren car-wise is that I parked in the Stechelberg lot and paid the 7 CHF fee.
 
New member here.

Zermatt can be all time IF timed properly...As in watch forecast/base depth/avalanche bulletins... then jump on a plane when the window opens. Trouble is it doesn't snow much so the opportunity might only come along every other year or 5! IMO the key is a 120CM base on Rothhorn Face. If this is met, you should expect full send on Rothorn, Stockhorn, Breithorn skin/ski and Schwarztor Glacier (guide recommended if not experienced on this specific terrain).

Use white risk app to follow the above parameters.

Cliff notes: recent storm puts Rothorn 30 CM above 20 year average and the 120 CM trigger. Cold airmass will result in excellent preservation and forecasted long duration light to moderate refresh is increasingly likely. If you like to ski lift accessed powder, book your flights over the next week or two.
 
Despite unsettled weather forecast, I'm sold on Zermatt from above recommendations, booked first 4 nights of our trip, in 3/23 and out 3/27. Tasch gateway is only 2.5 hours from Milan airport. We'll see if we have James' energy to ski half a day 3/23. It's a good opportunity because we land MXP 6:30AM and it's a chance to ski the half of Aletsch Arena that wind prevented in 2024.
 
Tony Crocker said:
Tasch gateway is only 2.5 hours from Milan airport. We'll see if we have James' energy to ski half a day 3/23.
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For the record, I haven't thrown down the gauntlet about arrival-day turns. I do it because I'm on a comparably manageable flight with no layovers. It's highly unlikely that I'd attempt it flying over the pole from the west coast.

Tony Crocker said:
it's a chance to ski the half of Aletsch Arena that wind prevented in 2024.
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I'm interested in what you have to say as I'd go back to Aletsch for the views and the mid-mountain village atmosphere alone; however, as mentioned in my report, only the far looker's left and right had clean fall lines and you're a far more demanding terrain critic than I am.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
I do it because I'm on a comparably manageable flight with no layovers.
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We have two redeyes with a 9-hour layover at JFK, so we are meeting some of Liz' friends for 11AM brunch. You interested? That results in a nonstop JFK-MXP with the 6:30AM arrival.

The problem with the LAX flights is that they land early AM in CDG or AMS but it's close to noon before we land at a ski gateway.
jamesdeluxe said:
I'd go back to Aletsch for the views and atmosphere alone
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That's the idea for arrival day. Get out in the fresh air to beat the jet lag, enjoy the scenery and have a mellow ski day.
 
Tony Crocker said:
Despite unsettled weather forecast, I'm sold on Zermatt from above recommendations, booked first 4 nights of our trip, in 3/23 and out 3/27. Tasch gateway is only 2.5 hours from Milan airport. We'll see if we have James' energy to ski half a day 3/23. It's a good opportunity because we land MXP 6:30AM and it's a chance to ski the half of Aletsch Arena that wind prevented in 2024.
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Please post an on the ground report when you can. I'm particularly interested in the conditions on the Rothorn face (1000M @ 30 degrees). I am arriving Milano 3/29 and will head to Aosta valley or Zermatt pending freeride conditions. Thank you.
 
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Monterosa Freeride is looking good. I am not aware of a Punta Indren weather station but I've got to believe it's deep above 3200M. If I'm reading this correctly, Punta Jolanta larch forest tree skiing is full gas too!
 
Tony Crocker said:
a nonstop JFK-MXP with the 6:30AM arrival.
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I took that flight in 2022 during full pandemic mode -- ugh, look at posts 1, 7, and 9 -- and was also delayed by an offsite rental car mess. Still, I was on the t-bar by late morning. I flew out of JFK to clean out my AA miles.

Wow, a handful of people here will be in Zermatt at the end of the month.
 
snowbird surfer said:
I'm particularly interested in the conditions on the Rothorn face (1000M @ 30 degrees).
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Not ready for prime time, pics below from today.
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I saw exactly one track from the Rothorn tram on that face. Pics were taken about 230PM and in full sun with partial west exposure. I'd guess the real issue is declining snowfall west to east: Cernivia > Klein Matterhorn > Hohtalli > Rothorn. Snowpack is just barely above average and distinctly less than in Feb. 2014, which was a banner season for the southern Alps.

Zermatters does guided group off-piste skiing for reasonable rates
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I remembered this post as we were strolling through town yesterday afternoon, so we dropped into their office. Since it's been 12 years since we were in Zermatt, I figured this may be my only chance to ski from Rote Nase. Thus I was willing to pay up for a morning private, just as well as both of us were not skiing briskly on day one of the trip. Pics of the skiing specifically:
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Overview of Rote Nase:
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The towers of the closed Triftje T-bar (open 1964-2017) remain in place.

The top layer of powder from 9 days ago remained light and dry but it wasn't that deep, Even though the subsurface wasn't frozen, it varied in depth and you would accelerate if you hit it. Our guide Robin knew his stuff and kept us away from most exposures that had been wind affected last week. Unfortunately that included nearly all of the off piste directly accessible from Hohtalli. Thus we were not tempted to try any of the 2,000+ vertical fall lines which had been so good in 2014. I took a short diversion off Piste #28 and fell in some sun affected snow, aggravating the knee that had been bugging me some since the middle of the road trip.

The upcoming Wednesday night/ Thursday storm is a Nordstau, only forecast about 5 inches in Zermatt.
Mürren for 2 days.
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I would have been skeptical of that choice, as only the top Schilthorn area has sufficient altitude for this time of year. The pistes near Murren had the worst boilerplate we saw in the Jungfrau in Jan. 2024. But the Nordstau is predicted to hit the Jungfrau hard and it's a very cold storm.
 
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skiandgolfnut said:
Maybe not the off piste but looks like a blue bird day in Zermatt to me. Always special!
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Yes it was bluebird, so we got quite a few pics that we did not in the more cloudy and snowy weather of 2014. I will post that TR before too long, but I was asked to evaluate the off piste ASAP. Unfortunately that report is not favorable and it will take more than 5 inches to reset. Rote Nase is OK but for the price of guides you probably want better than that. No regrets from us, as it's likely my last shot at it. That 2014 trip wowed us at the the time but in retrospect is looking even more impressive,
 
Appreciate the intel and guidance. Disappointed with the facts on the ground. Sorry about the knee. I wrote to Zermatters about a week ago and they indicated that they were guiding Monte Rosa and the schwarztor glacier, which is usually last to fill in, and so I was really hoping for better. I visited Zermatt in 24 after the epic March dump and had outstanding off piste conditions racking up huge off piste vertical off Kumme and Gant. Returned with family in 25 to hard pack and icy groomers. Zermatt is tricky and frustrating. I have yet to crack the code. Back to chasing powder, I guess at Grands Montet and Courmayer???
 
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