# Researching Zermatt, Switz....



## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

I was looking for some really picturesque resorts in europe and Zermatt appeared as one of them. From the trail map, this place looks insane with over 6000ft of vert...and the longest run being over 13MILES LONG!!!!!!!! WWOOOWWWW...

but then i did some more reading and hmm, i guess their lift systems suck and are REALLY slow and plus some hotels in that region require a min of 7 nights stay. 

Anyone ever been there or recommend somewhere else in the Alps region with new age lifts, nice long runs etc etc??


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## thetraveler (Feb 24, 2010)

Mr. Polonia said:


> I was looking for some really picturesque resorts in europe and Zermatt appeared as one of them. From the trail map, this place looks insane with over 6000ft of vert...and the longest run being over 13MILES LONG!!!!!!!! WWOOOWWWW...
> 
> but then i did some more reading and hmm, i guess their lift systems suck and are REALLY slow and plus some hotels in that region require a min of 7 nights stay.
> 
> Anyone ever been there or recommend somewhere else in the Alps region with new age lifts, nice long runs etc etc??


When do you want to go and what are you looking for?


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## ukaszeklp (Jun 10, 2009)

I live in europe and can recommend you les 3 vallees and avoriaz in France.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

Zermatt is incredible. the lift systemis not bad; like most euro-resorts, there are a few t-bar and button lifts, but really, even the fattest and most pampered american arse can deal with it.

One issue is that Zermatt can be a bit windy; which makes vomit on the cable car to the peak a certainty and closures of even drag lifts prolonged.

But the runs are huge, the park usually perfect in quality, the glacier is accessible along with its ice caves / mine shafts. 

It is switzerland though and can be pricey. A bit cheaper is Cervinia in Italy. Fucking awesome pizza there and you can get a lift into Zermatt with no stress (just remember your passport and be prepared to turn out your pockets at the peak; cannabis is legal in switz but not in italia and the coppers like to intercpet drug money)

Otherwise, if you wanted heated chair lifts that carry 8 at a time and have wind shields etc..... then Zell am See in Austria will make you smile. that too is paired off with a place called Kaprun which has good vert, a glacier and lots of off piste.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

thetraveler said:


> When do you want to go and what are you looking for?


i was looking at late march/early april.



PaoloSmythe said:


> Zermatt is incredible. the lift systemis not bad; like most euro-resorts, there are a few t-bar and button lifts, but really, even the fattest and most pampered american arse can deal with it.
> 
> One issue is that Zermatt can be a bit windy; which makes vomit on the cable car to the peak a certainty and closures of even drag lifts prolonged.


would wind be an issue during late winter/early spring?? my main issue from looking at the trail map is that it has a 7000ft vert and i dont want to be stuck on the lifts for 45 min every time i want to go to the peak. or am i just crazy??!?



ukaszeklp said:


> I live in europe and can recommend you les 3 vallees and avoriaz in France.


Avoriaz was another option....as well as the Mont Blanc areas


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## thetraveler (Feb 24, 2010)

I would steer clear of Switzerland because it is ridiculously expensive.

You should rule out the Mont Blanc area unless you want to snowboard down Mont Blanc itself. It is expensive, the lifts are antiquated and the ski areas are badly connected (you'll have to catch a bus from one ski area to another, within the resort). 

In France, Tignes and Val D'Isere (Espace Killy) has to be one of the best resorts in the world to snowboard. Its high, lots of snow, and lots of peaks and pistes. The best part is that there is loads of great off-piste just next to the groomed runs and nobody really uses it. You can scope your runs on the chairlift. Did I mention that it has awesome parks? Its where they had the 2010 Winter X Games Europe. The chairlift infrastructure is almost flawless. Well connected, not busy and fast. And the nightlife in Val D'Isere is pretty damn good, too. If I had to choose one place to go in Europe, that would be it.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

thetraveler said:


> In France, Tignes and Val D'Isere (Espace Killy) has to be one of the best resorts in the world to snowboard. Its high, lots of snow, and lots of peaks and pistes. The best part is that there is loads of great off-piste just next to the groomed runs and nobody really uses it. You can scope your runs on the chairlift. Did I mention that it has awesome parks? Its where they had the 2010 Winter X Games Europe. The chairlift infrastructure is almost flawless. Well connected, not busy and fast. And the nightlife in Val D'Isere is pretty damn good, too. If I had to choose one place to go in Europe, that would be it.


thanks for all ur input man....i just looked at the trail map for Espace Killy... that place is GRAND....i think i would have to go there for 2 weeks to experience the full potential of that resort.

But most probably Switz has been ruled out (for the time being)


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

Zermatt is proper prone to wind. Even on a fairly still day, the 100 person cable car to the peak was swinging to puke-tastic proportions.

It was on another day, we were on a T-bar surface lift which got closed when we were midway up. At about -20C and gusting, we had to just sit there coz we were staying in Italy and that drag lift was the only way back from Switzerland!

The chamonix valley is wicked awesome. It has about 4 different areas, which as said, are connected by public bus. However, unlike the buses in Fernie and Banff etc, the bus fare is part of the lift ticket.

It is a pain to get a bus each day, but most if not all hotels etc have courtesy buses to deliver / collect you. And the 4 different areas each offer a different type of riding environment.

As for Espace Killy.... it is huge and super good fun. But it gets stupid cold due to its altitude; also it can be a snow tease. When we were there, we were like an island in the sky; all the surrounding lower resorts were getting buried, whilst we had blue bird every day. All that lovely looking, untouched off piste, quickly became uber-bullet proof, chattering shite!

The lift system there is only a few years old though and is stoopid good. Downside however, is that all the concrete slab foundations of the old lifts have been left there! If you skag one of them with your base or your body, you will have a very bad day!

Have you looked at Les Arcs?


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## SwissMiss (Sep 16, 2010)

Mr. Polonia said:


> I was looking for some really picturesque resorts in europe and Zermatt appeared as one of them. From the trail map, this place looks insane with over 6000ft of vert...and the longest run being over 13MILES LONG!!!!!!!! WWOOOWWWW...
> 
> but then i did some more reading and hmm, i guess their lift systems suck and are REALLY slow and plus some hotels in that region require a min of 7 nights stay.
> 
> Anyone ever been there or recommend somewhere else in the Alps region with new age lifts, nice long runs etc etc??


Honestly, Zermatt is one of the most beautiful places for the scenery. The mountains are sick as well. The lift system is fine, just as good as any other place in Europe. Have you thought about staying at a hostel? It is cheaper. 

No matter where you are in Switzerland it is expensive. Our wages are higher, so everything else is as well. But if you are looking for exceptional scenery and amazing boarding I still would reccomend Zermatt. Zermatt, Valais is a lot cheaper than say St.Moritz, Graubünden or Gstaad, Berne. St. Moritz is a lot more ritzy and is celebrity infested. Gstaad is pretty much the same. Gstaad is beautiful but it is one of the most expensive towns of Switzerland due to its population of rich people.

I'm swiss, from Zurich


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## rwauthority (Aug 27, 2010)

Whoever says not to go to Chamonix (mont blanc) is... someone i dont agree with!

Chamonix is the mecca of extreme skiing and snowboarding. If you want to know what real off piste is, thats where you go. Unless your not experienced enough, then you risk losing your life. You have 5 mountains with amazing views to get great shots and each have there own terrain. Plus you have Verbier in swiss not far, and Courmayeur in italy right around the corner. You can experience 3 countries in one trip. 

I guess it all comes down to what your looking for. If you want park, go to val disere, if you want to experience amazing off piste go to chamonix and get a guide or make a friend who knows the valley well. It could be expensive, but it will be the trip of a lifetime.


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## CuZoCoX (Mar 19, 2010)

rwauthority said:


> Whoever says not to go to Chamonix (mont blanc) is... someone i dont agree with!
> 
> Chamonix is the mecca of extreme skiing and snowboarding. If you want to know what real off piste is, thats where you go. Unless your not experienced enough, then you risk losing your life. You have 5 mountains with amazing views to get great shots and each have there own terrain. Plus you have Verbier in swiss not far, and Courmayeur in italy right around the corner. You can experience 3 countries in one trip.
> 
> I guess it all comes down to what your looking for. If you want park, go to val disere, if you want to experience amazing off piste go to chamonix and get a guide or make a friend who knows the valley well. It could be expensive, but it will be the trip of a lifetime.


+2. i lived in IT last year and chamonix is badasssssssss lol provided your n expert! ruling out switzerland bc its more expensive is ridiculous; all the major euro resorts are roughly in the same ball park price wise and your goin to get screwed on the exchange rate anyway why cry about + - 15-20 for lift tickets.. the only one that is crazy expensive is st moritz and thats bc its only a 5 star area... you cant go wrong with any of chamonix/val in france and saas, verbier, zermatt in switzerland..


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## saudade101 (Nov 5, 2009)

we spent a week snowboarding in Zermatt in early March 2010. Yes it was expensive, but very much worth the cost. Don't let people deter you from a location because of their personal negative weather experience. No matter where you go to board, there is a good change the weather is not going to be good, whether it in Australia, Japan, or the Alps. You could spend 2 weeks in Zermatt, and not have explored half of the resort. 
If you're not one of those travellers who sleeps in, and starts to board around 9 or 10, then the lines aren't going to bother you. Yes, it was busy, but we made sure that we were on the mountain as soon as it opened, or at least very close to it. Getting to the peaks is the problem, it WILL be busy if you arrive with all the oldies and families. But once you're up there, the smaller lifts generally move quickly, you just have to plan your ski routes. 

Good luck!!


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