# Switzerland - March 2017



## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

Hey guys,

I'm visiting my sister in Basel and we are going to head to Davos and Zermatt for 3 days total skiing/boarding (her skiing) and this will be my first time out there. I am intermediate to slightly advanced but have not really done much off piste riding as I have to deal with the shit we have here on the east cost of the US. Any recommendations on routes or lines in either resort? Should I take a hand held GPS with me and I'll probably bring probes and a beacon just in case. 

Any other thoughts, let me know!


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

By European standards, off piste is literally off the groomed runs. There is plenty of safe riding to be done both on amd off piste without being in a danger zone. Just watch out as off piste they typically dont have hazards marked like cliffs, rocks, tree stumps..... get a ski area map and go have fun. Zermatt is massive so make a plan at minimum. If your caught on the wrong side of the resort at closing its going to cost you a shit load to get back to your hotel or parking spot....


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Argo said:


> Zermatt is massive so make a plan at minimum. If your caught on the wrong side of the resort at closing its going to cost you a shit load to get back to your hotel or parking spot....


Yup. It's a 4hr car drive to get from the south Cervinia side back to the northern Zermatt side of the mtn range.

Zermatt is one of the few resorts here which has dedicated ungroomed contolled pow runs (yellow on the map); DO NOT GO there if it hasn't dumped! You'll face hundreds of feet of a mogul hell. 

There are nice pow runs left n right from the groomers where you'll get back to a groomer. Check the area out of the Trockener Steg gondola which offers a very good sight over the area there. Memorise the terrain so you don't get lost, don't follow tracks blindly and end up on cliff you haven't intended to go (like I did :embarrased1. Have a good look at the map where the glaciated terrain is. It's wise not to leave the groomers there and respect the ropes there.

If you're lucky and hit a pow day? I'd go first chair to Rothorn. Nice ungroomed steep run. Don't go if you slept in cos it will be mogules till you're there


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

Argo said:


> By European standards, off piste is literally off the groomed runs. There is plenty of safe riding to be done both on amd off piste without being in a danger zone. Just watch out as off piste they typically dont have hazards marked like cliffs, rocks, tree stumps..... get a ski area map and go have fun. Zermatt is massive so make a plan at minimum. If your caught on the wrong side of the resort at closing its going to cost you a shit load to get back to your hotel or parking spot....


Thanks Argo! I have been studying the map and I may not get a multi pass for both Italy and CH but who knows! I am only doing Zermatt one day (I would do more but since I'm flying into Paris for work my day are limited in Switzerland) 



neni said:


> Yup. It's a 4hr car drive to get from the south Cervinia side back to the northern Zermatt side of the mtn range.
> 
> Zermatt is one of the few resorts here which has dedicated ungroomed contolled pow runs (yellow on the map); DO NOT GO there if it hasn't dumped! You'll face hundreds of feet of a mogul hell.
> 
> ...


Thanks Neni! Where are you based at over there? My sis and I will be staying in Basel most of the time with the two different trips to Davos and Zermatt. We aren't actually related, she was an exchange student when I was real young but she is my sister now so who cares lol. I've been there before but only to Interlaken and to one of the Hutts near Jungfrau about 21 years ago, it was beautiful then but as I am a photographer now I am looking more forward to this trip then ever!!


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

neliconcept said:


> Thanks Neni! Where are you based at over there?


Bernese Oberland, mostly Haslital. The mtn range you visited 21y ago.

You gonna like Zermatt. The scenery is breathtaking. 

Only one day? I'd take the Gornergrat bahn first. The sight from the top station to Matterhorn, Castor, Pollux, Monterosa and Gornerglacier is awesome, and it's just cool to ride with a train to a 10'170ft high train station. Ride back down to the valley to swap over to Kleines Matterhorn by gondola to 12'740ft, where you'll ride in close proximity to the Matterhorn and enjoy the 7500ft run back to the valley.


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

Thank you for the advice!

Any thoughts on Davos, where are my best runs there? 2 day skiing at Davos maybe three.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Never been there. Too faaaaar away


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

neni said:


> Never been there. Too faaaaar away


Hah no worries! I'll definitely be doing some research on both! I haven't quite booked the hotel yet at Zermatt but I have with Davos. I was thinking if I can't find anything I would consider Grindlewald or Verbier as secondary just in case. My sis wants me to see the carnival in Basel on the 6th so it would need to be 7th/8th or 7th/8th/9th. Fortunately I have all month to decide (I hope!)


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

neni said:


> Never been there. Too faaaaar away


Alaska, oregon, Colorado and japan are way closer. :grin:


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

Argo said:


> Alaska, oregon, Colorado and japan are way closer. :grin:


I'll be in Breck in Jan too! I wanted us to head to Beaver Creek but instead they chose Breck. Hopefully their aren't too many people there when we go. Hopefully it gets hit like last year!


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

Neni,

Wanted to ask one more question, should I look into hiring a guide for off piste or is that necessary (I guess if I really wanted to go back country, but not sure I need to, I just want to hit some fresh pow if possible, even if it's tracked out a little I don't care)


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

neliconcept said:


> Neni,
> 
> Wanted to ask one more question, should I look into hiring a guide for off piste or is that necessary (I guess if I really wanted to go back country, but not sure I need to, I just want to hit some fresh pow if possible, even if it's tracked out a little I don't care)


Can't speak for Davos, don't know that area. In Zermatt, if you stay on lines you have seen out of the gondola where the route will lead you, you'll find fresh to ride like you mention. 

Just don't follow tracks blindly. They could stem from guys in full BC equipment, skins n ropes, aiming for stuff you won't get out anymore with resort gear.


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## Chielsen (Oct 27, 2016)

Hey there

I'm not a local but I've been going to davos 7-20 days/year for the past 10 years now so I know the area like the back of my hand. First of all, are you staying on the Davos side or on the Klosters side of the moutain range?

There's definitely enough off-piste/backcountry lines/terrain to keep you busy if it's your first time there. Just take a look at the map and use your common sense, you'll often see where you can leave the slopes without the risk of getting lost since you'll encounter another slope eventually. A lot of the time you can almost completely ignore the slopes and just go underneath the charlift.

If it absolutely dumps i'd recommend either going to madrisa or jakobshorn. Madrisa has a pretty cool yellow slope but like Neni mentioned earlier. Don't bother with yellow slopes unless you've had fresh snow (3-4 days is where i'd draw the line) seeing as the yellow slope at madrisa does not get ridden that often. (it takes 2 T-bar lifts which combined take like 20 mins). But it's worth it if you've had fresh snow. Jakobshorn is just a big plateau so you can usually get some pretty decent pow (given you've had fresh snow) without even losing vision of the groomed runs.

If it really dumps and you really want to hit some pow, you might want to look into going to Laax for a day, it's not to far from Davos and has around 10 yellow slopes.

But I'm sure you'll have a good time regardless


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

We are staying on the Davos side. I was looking into Pischa as well but it looks like it is further out so maybe Jakobshorn is better option.

Good to know guys! Just wanted to clarify that. Picking up myself a powder board to compliment my all mountain slasher to take with me out there! So far away yet so excited about it!


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## Chielsen (Oct 27, 2016)

Parsenn is probably where you'd want to spend most of your time, Pischa is amazing when the conditions are right, but I'm not sure how doable it is without a guide since they removed all signposts etc. last year if I remember correctly. Since last year the only lift is the big gondola. Getting there is no problem though, there are busses every 15 minutes and your keycard counts as a bus ticket.


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## neliconcept (Jan 17, 2016)

Thanks for the advice on Parsenn! That'll help me keep it fun without trying to do too much all around the resort (which I'm sure is massive!!)


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