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| Reviews: 9 |
| Review Mod |
| Berkshire |
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  4 of 5 07/04/2005 @ 22:31 |
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| Price Paid |
| 600 |
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| Booked Trip Through |
| Inghams |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
MOTORWAYS covered in DUST ON CRUST.
We flew into Sion Airport with FLYBE - wow, what a journey. FLYBE operate BAe146 planes, these are small but very maneouverable ( 4 engined ), due to the small size of Sion airport this plane was perfectly suited. The descent into Sion was breathtaking, the pilot flew literally 100 feet over the mountainous valleys and at one point we were flying straight through the valleys. Spectacular scenary and adrenaline pumping stuff!
The transfer into Zermatt took about 2 hours from Sion. We got a coach to Täsch, then the train to Zermatt, infact the train is the only way you can get into the town of Zermatt. The town is a car free zone. All you get is electric golf style buggys which act as taxis and horse/carriages. On arrival all your kit gets piled onto the roof of one of these taxi's and they hare off at stupid speeds staright up the pedestrain steets - dodging people. Your luggage isn't secured and most of it ends up falling off.
Zermatt is ooooozing money. There are rich people everywhere. The fur brigade is everywhere, oh and SKIERS are everywhere. Infact Zermatt is predominantely a skiers resort, there are very few boarders here.
I thought the lift system was very good, ok there is a few rickity lifts especially on the Italian side and the linking of the mountain could be better, and lifties could take a personailty lesson from the North American lifties, but all in all i thought the lifts were good. 2 points stood out.
1) Instead of a lift pass, you get a credit style card with a chip inside. You keep this in your pocket and the turnstyle lift entry points detect the card and allow you access. This worked really well and enabled fast loading and unloading. Lets hope this catches on in North America !!!
2) The cable cars were huge !!!! Though they certainly ram as many people in as possible. Dropping a stink bomb in one of the lifts was a classic, never forget the looks on peoples faces !!
I also liked how the chair lifts had plastic wind deflectors on them !! great idea - would like to see these in all resorts !
The slopes were no way as quiet as in North America, but as far as Europe goes, they were pretty good. Lift queues were not a problem + the swiss actually know how a queue works !!! Unlike the french.
The standard of both skiers and boarders was very high, hardly saw a noobie whilst there. Quite a few euro carvers on the slopes - their riding was superb.
Technically the slopes were very easy, having spent 10 days in Jackson Hole prior to Zermatt, it was nice to be able to blast around everywhere. The runs are like huge motoroways, smooth with just enough snow on top to keep an edge. You could straight line it down pretty much everything which was great fun. Great for working on your technique.
One word of warning, there are some pretty nasty cattracks lower down in Zermatt, unless you keep your speed up you will be walking a far distance.
Off piste was a little limited, but would've been better with more snow.
We went half board, so only really had to worry about food at lunch time and beers if we went into town after our evening meal and wine. Bottom line, Switzerland is very expensive to eat and drink. Lunch would easily set you back nearly 20 quid a head and beers were london prices. One of the guys ordered a JD + coke which came to 16 francs !!!! OUCH !! If money is a big issue i would advice going half board and then taking a packed lunch on the mountain with you.
Nightlife is pretty mellow, there are a couple of clubs and plenty of decent bars - some with pool tables. Thers is also a few Curling rings in the town, Inghams organized a few teamed competitions for us which comes highly recommended. |
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| Strengths |
Amazing scenary.
High speed runs everywhere.
Locals are fairly friendly.
Slopes quiet as far as Europe goes.
Good lift system.
Good standard of riding.
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| Weaknesses |
More of a skiers resort.
Runs down to bottom were icy and packed with people.
Expensive.
Not very technical.
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
| Whistler, Fernie, Banff, Jackson Hole, Alp D'Huez, Sunday River, Waterville |
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 2 of 5 11/02/2005 @ 11:36 |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
Fantastic resort to wander around and look like you know your stuff. Great shops and the most picture perfect resort i have been to.
Good accomodation which doesn't have to be pricey, but if you have the money you can certainly spend it here.
On the slopes:
We had just spent one of the best weeks in the Espace Killy before driving to Zermatt, and quite frankly i wish i had stayed in there. The lift system is a waste of time especially when you consider the cost of the lift passes. The slopes are boring and unchallenging and feel like they are linking the lifts instead of the lifts liking the runs.
I worked out that we skied/boarded more runs in one day in the Espace Killy than 5 days in Zermatt! And then decided to leave and come home early.
Don't want to sl*g it off completely as it does have some good points, but the only way i would go back is if it was free or i was going to climb the spectacular Matterhorn
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| Strengths |
| Great Resort and scenery. Amazing view of the Matterhorn |
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| Weaknesses |
Lift system
Lack of challenging pistes
Price
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
Meribel
Verbier
Val D'Isere
Tignes
Les Arcs
Flaine
Val Thoren
Serre Chevalier
Alpe D'Huez |
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| 4 of 5 02/09/2004 @ 00:20 |
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| Price Paid |
| £6-£8 per pint! |
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| Booked Trip Through |
| Backpacked it there |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
Zermatt was the first stop on my tour of the Alps, (Comprising of: Milan > Zermatt > La Tania > Geneva > Les Arcs > Zurich > Flumserberg > Laax > Livigno > Milan) the report on which can be read at http://www.goneboarding.co.uk/Forum/ShowThread.aspx?ThreadID=7452
Considering I had almost a year’s worth of anticipation built up for this place, I couldn’t have had a better first day. It had been dumping non-stop for a whole week before I got there, stopped as my train pulled into the station and the sun came out first thing in the morning.
The scenery is just breathtaking. I don’t care who you are, you will stand in awe the first time you see the Matterhorn in real life. I thought I took ‘nuff pictures of it, but still could do with more, because no amount of photos can prepare you for how breathtaking the views are when you are actually there. All mine are on my website, have at www.guesto.com
On the first day, I did the “White Hare” run – it rocks! Marked but unprepared piste, waist deep in powda, wind lips, tree runs, natural half pipe, everything you could want. Highly recommended. I didn’t get a chance to find loads else, coz I only had 2 days there and the second day was a white-out.
I stayed at the Hotel Bahnhoff which is directly opposite the train station and next to the ski train. (Bahnhoff means station!). They have cheap rooms for groups and hostel dorms as well. I stayed in a dorm, which was OK, but you have about 16 guys in one room. Think about it – its always gonna stink! Nice facilities otherwise, but take headphones to drown out the snoring!
I would definitely go back, but I think I would save it for when I wanna take a girlfriend on a boarding holiday. All that scenery, the quaint town, the restaurants, the nice hotels…
In fact, I might get married there! Better than a church eh!
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| Strengths |
Scenery
Snow
The white Hare run
The Italian restaurant next to Hotel Bahnhof (Baddabing!)
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| Weaknesses |
Really bloody expensive
Like the other guy said, main areas not linked up
Didnt see much of a boarder community
Worst ski-wear fashion disasters you have EVER seen! |
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
| Zermatt, 3 Valleys, Les Arcs, Flumserberg, Laax, Livigno |
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| Reviews: 37 |
| Review Mod |
| Kirkcudbrightshire |
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 5 of 5 29/04/2004 @ 21:15 |
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| 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: |
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| Price Paid |
| £950 |
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| Booked Trip Through |
| Neilson |
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| Times Visited |
| 2-5 Times |
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| Review Detail |
Zermatt. This world famous resort in the Swiss Valais region conjours up images in your head of really wealthy Americans and Europeans wandering around the posh shops and eating and drinking the finest food and wines in the towns many fine Hotels,Restaurants and Bars in much the same way as they would in Courmayeur and Courcheval.Also lots of women still living in a time warp wrapped up in every kind of animal fur you can think of. Well Zermatt still has a few of those types but the majority of people who come here these days are still fairly well off but like to take things easy...on and off the slopes. They have late breakfasts then head out onto the slopes for a couple of gentle runs followed by a long lunch in one of the many excellent mountain Restaurants before heading back to town for a rest before getting ready for dinner.
Well i wish all the top resorts had this type of clientele because it means the rest of us have the best of the slopes to ourselves.
We had a week here at Easter and it was first class. The lifts open early here so if you get out of your bed and on your way you will have a good couple of hours virtually to yourself. On the Thursday afternoon of our stay in 2001 it began to snow in the town and when i looked out the window before 7am the next morning it was still coming down. I woke Jill up,got ready,had breakfast then headed for the Sunnegga Express (funicular railway) where we got first carriage up along with three or four others. We made our way to the chair at Tuftern in deep untouched powder then on up to Blauherd. Because so much snow had fallen we could not yet access the Rothorn so we made fresh tracks for the next two hours back to Tuftern and up the chair again. By eleven oclock the gondola to Rothorn had opened and we made our way up there for more untouched virgin snow. By now it was nearing lunchtime and our bodies were running out of energy so we sat down,had a nice early lunch then headed back down to Zermatt which was now bathed in brilliant sunshine for a couple of well earned beers. The next morning was bright and sunny when we got onto the Gornergrat railway and headed up to 3100 Metres, then onto Hohtalli and up to Stockhorn (3405 m). We were alone except for a couple of piste patrol guys making their first checks of the day. The views from here over the glaciers and surrounding peaks is as good as any i have seen in the Alps, the Matterhorn does not look so impossing from up here as you scan your eyes from the Monte Rosa past Lyskamm,Castor,Pollux and the Weisshorn all the way round to Switzerlands highest peak the Dom. Alot of these impressive peaks i had been fortunate enough to have climbed in the past. From here we made our way in Knee deep powder down the Triftji area to the T-bar and back up. This drag lift is seriously long and takes a lot ofenergy out of you on the way back up. From here we headed down to Findeln for another well earned lunch. Down here you find several of the best Restaurants in the Alps.
I much prefer boarding on the Rothorn and Stockhorn areas than on Zematts third area the Klein Matterhorn which is much less challenging and always seems to be busier than the other two areas. New lifts have been put in for 2004 to help speed things up and ease congestion at the busiest spots. It takes a long time to get up to 3800 Metres via three stages but the views are well worth it yet again. Once at the top you walk through a tunnel and come out looking down towards Cervinia in Italy. Be warned, this is very high and even if you are fit you will undoubtedly feel the effects of the altitude so take your time. A good idea is to take a look around the Ice Grotto with all its ice sculptures...quite an impressive place. You are infact inside a real living glacier and inside it explains all you ever wanted to know about them. The pistes up here are not very steep but they are nice and wide to practice your carving !
Zermatt is famous for its mountain Restaurants and many of the popular ones require a reservation at peak times. We had good food and service in a different place each day, our favourite was away of the beaten track from Schwarzee round towards Zmutt in the shadow of the Matterhorn, the only problem was the flat cat track to return to Zum See and it involved a bit of unstrapping and walking but it did help to burn off a few calories after lunch.
We stayed in the Hotel Alex which has delightful rooms with your own large Jaccuzzi bath, the Hotel has a first class waiter service Restaurant and is run by very friendly and efficient staff. The Alex also has a decent sized swimming pool and squash courts if you have any energy left.
The town has plenty of Bars and they are not as expensive as some people think. You would certainly pay more in some French resorts. |
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| Strengths |
Good snow record.
Long season.
Big area.
Amazing scenery.
Great mountain Resturants.
Plenty of untracked Powder after a dump if you go and find it.
Plenty of good nightlife.
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| Weaknesses |
Three areas are not really linked.
Fair bit of walking at resort level.
Not really a good place for beginners. |
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
| Over 140. |
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| 5 of 5 03/01/2004 @ 22:56 |
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| Price Paid |
| £360 ish |
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| Booked Trip Through |
| myself |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
This place rocks. not the easiest place for beginners but if you have a week under your belt and a bit of confidence i reckon you'd be carving up the slopes in no time, then come back a pro.
Got to geneva with easy jet. took the train to zermatt [1 stop in visp a 5min connection]. takes about 3.5 hrs tho trains are good and the journey was a complete piece of piss. ask for the return tourist train transfer for cheaper tickets at the kiosk just outside the airport past the restuarant [when you go thru the revoloving doors]
stayed for a week in the metterhorn hostel. kitchen had a fridge the size of a mouses snatch, kettle and microwave. rooms pretty crowded but hey, its cheap and nice.
just getting a pass for the zermatt slopes would kept me comming in my pants for a life time. the pass for cervinia, italy opens up a whole new world. its warmer there but all the runs are easy reds/blue and no-where near as varied as zermatt. try the #7 and feel the burn its so f*ken long. so i recomment if you want to board cervinia then get a holiday there and go with nervous begginers and get pissed in the bars to make things more interesting [wot u do that already?!].
i went 2nd week in december, good snow but quite firm. they started making a couple of pipes and the slopes were really quiet with no q's, even when the hols started.
microwave pzza £2, big beer in town bar £3. carry outs from co-op 12 pack 500ml cans £6. up the slopes just hope you win the lottery to drink and stay away from the hot wine sh*te unless you like drinking aftershave off a wino's shirt.
everyone should go there at least once in a life. pure quality. |
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| Strengths |
| variation. nice resort. good bars. cheap carryouts. boarders can take 1 run back to resort from the matterhorn. |
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| Weaknesses |
| 3.5 hrs from geneva. matterhorn hostal really gets crowded. |
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
| all scotland. mayrhofen. st moritz. cervinia |
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