Zermatt – Matterhorn Village Ski Vacation

Village of Zermatt

The small village of Zermatt sits at the base of the famous Matterhorn peak in the heart of the Swiss Alps.  The 5,550-person village is rich in Swiss culture and traditions.  Located in southern Switzerland near the Italian border, this village offers seclusion while still providing easy access to major cities and airports.  The closest airport is Italy’s Malpensa International Airport near Milan, just 127 miles away.  In Switzerland, the Zurich Airport is 174 miles away and the Geneva International Airport is 147 miles away.  No cars are allowed in the village; residents and visitors may only use electric cars, carriages, sleighs, ski-buses (solar electric) or helicopter as means of transportation into and around the village.

There are several hotels/resorts (some five-star), holiday apartments, chalets and camp sites throughout the area.  Resorts and hotels range in price, location and size and offer a variety of amenities, including some with ski-in/ski-out mountain access.

The Matterhorn

Activities offered on the mountain include skiing, snowboarding, Nordic/cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, ice climbing, ice skating and hockey.  Matterhorn Village boasts the longest ski season in the Alps, with ski runs opened year-round.

The mountain offers three major skiing and snowboarding areas: Rothorn Paradise, Gornergrat Paradise and Matterhorn/Schwarzsee Paradise.  Rothorn has 29 runs and a top elevation of 10,180 feet above sea level.  Gornergrat has 19 runs and a top elevation of 10,135 feet above sea level.  And the tallest of them all with a top peak of 14,692 feet is the Matterhorn.  Also part of the Matterhorn ski area is Schwarzsee Paradise at 8,474 feet and the two have a combined total of 35 runs.  The three areas combined offer a total of 194 miles of marked runs representing all difficulty levels.  In the summer, skiing is available on 4 to 13 miles of runs (depending on weather).  Snow-making machines are also available year-round, if needed.

A variety of runs are offered including groomed, powder, glacier and off-piste runs.  The Gravity Park is open 300 days of the year and offers half pipes, jumps, kickers and rails for snowboarders. Ski-kiting and heli-skiing are also available, for those looking for a little extra adventure.  There are 7.5 miles of cross-country skiing trails with different levels of difficulty, as well.

The mountain has 74 transport facilities, capable of moving 75,700 passengers per hour. Gondola, drag and chair lifts are available along with railways and cableways, including the highest-reaching cable car in Europe, going 12,672 feet up the mountain.

Excursions and Attractions

When you decide to take a break from the slopes and trails, there are plenty of other things to do around the village.  Enjoy 360-degree views of the Swiss, Italian and French Alps from some of the highest panoramic vantage points in Europe.  While you’re up top, stop by the Glacier Palace located more than 12,000 feet up the Matterhorn.  Take the journey 50 feet beneath the mountain’s glacier to enjoy ice sculptures, wine tasting and appetizers at this unique attraction.

Early risers can travel up to Rothorn Paradise for a sunrise excursion.  Watch as the first rays of sun slowly light up the Matterhorn peak and surrounding Alps.  It’s an absolutely breathtaking sight, and well worth getting out of bed.  Other activities available in the village are helicopter sightseeing tours, paragliding, husky adventures, and several mountainside and ski-up restaurants and cafés.

For more information, visit www.ski-zermatt.com.

Alpine Skiers Have A Nordic Advantage

I began skiing in 1965 in western New York State.  In those days the equipment was rudimentary to say the least.  I was a downhiller for 15 years before discovering there was another way to slide on snow.  What wasn’t immediately apparent as I became enamored with cross-country (XC or Nordic) skiing was that my alpine experience gave me a great leg up on others who began skiing with XC.  In fact, as a professional ski instructor, I recommend to those who got into cross-country without ever having bought a lift ticket that they rent some equipment and take an Alpine lesson.

Of course not every down hill skier will opt for Nordic skiing but it’s likely that our image keeps many from trying the sport.  So how do you know if you would enjoy Cross-Country skiing?  Do you find that you tire of coming down the same runs over and over and go exploring the edges of an area, where the trails tend to be narrower, the trees closer?  Do you bike, run or do some other aerobic exercise during the warmer months?  Maybe you even race in one of these sports.  Do you love hiking in wild country?  On the other side, are you tired of crowded runs, lift lines, and high daily rates?

You’re not about to abandon Alpine, but there’s nothing like variety to renew your enthusiasm for being outdoors in winter.  In the seventies I dreamed of skiing out west and finally got to Telluride in 1978.  In 1980 my wife purchased a pair of XC skis and I crammed my feet into her boots and gave it a try.  I immediately went out to get a pair of my own.  Here was a snow sport that was accessible any time it snowed; on a Wednesday at lunchtime or on a snowy Saturday.  I was no longer limited to driving north to ski three times a year.  Through the eighties and nineties it was possible to get on skis more than thirty days each year.  Since the mid eighties I’ve down hill skied twice, once at Breckenridge and once at Solitude.  It was OK but the thrill was gone.

It’s a fact that the average North American Nordic skier is considerably older than those involved in Alpine.  But in the largest ski race on the continent, the Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin, the bulk of racers are in their thirties and forties.  My son was a downhiller as he was growing up and has now converted to the skinny side (Nordic skis are often called “skinny skis”).

It’s great skiing in forest preserves and the few places in greater Chicago that groom trails for cross-country skiing.  There’s a feeling you get, being out in snowy woods, that is even more beautiful than in the summertime.  The U.S. has some superb Nordic ski areas and some of the best are in the upper Midwest.  At the most elite of these, trail fees are less than $30 per day; in fact it’s rare that a daily fee exceeds $10.  Compare that to Alpine lift tickets.  Unlike Alpine, most beginners don’t bother with a lesson.  That’s too bad because proper technique can make the experience far more rewarding.

That brings me back to the Alpine – Nordic advantage: no fear of descending a hill.  Hills in cross-country are far tamer than at down hill areas.  Modern ski equipment allows excellent control so that in spite of the boot-heel not being connected to the binding, it’s possible to turn the skis at will.  In areas where trails are groomed (tracked), you can just ride down the tracks.  If a turn is involved, you can stem one ski out of the tracks to assist in the turn or just jump out of the tracks to use both skis on a steep descent.  Alpine skiers have the confidence to do this.

Of course what goes down must come back up.  I often hear, “Oh, cross-country skiing – that’s too much work!”  If one had to climb an Alpine hill that would be true but Nordic hills are smaller and, hey, it’s good for you.  And when you’ve worked to get up the hill, the run down seems far more delicious.  Nordic clothing is much lighter when you are generating your own internal heat and you’re often shielded from the wind by trees.  The new, breathable fabrics keep you warm and dry.  I don’t miss coming over the crest of a hill on the chairlift and getting blasted by a brutal, chilling wind.

An alternative style of Nordic skiing is skating.  Skiing in tracks is now referred to as classic skiing or diagonal striding (or just striding).  In the eighties Bill Koch, an American, developed skating which revolutionized Nordic skiing.  Skating form is similar to speed skating on ice but here we use a packed trail with no indented tracks.  It is somewhat more energy-intensive but it’s faster for a given effort.  It also requires specialized equipment to ski efficiently.

Most races in the U.S. allow the skating technique and have a separate category for classic skiers.  If you have raced in a warm weather sport, you truly would love Nordic racing.  It has even more excitement than summer racing in my opinion.  Of course most people don’t race and still get great enjoyment out of this sport.  A complete set of good equipment can be had for under $300.  Or you can rent it locally at Arrowhead Golf Course in Wheaton or Camp Sagawau in Lemont for around $10 a day.

Most CMSC clubs probably have some skiers that are both Alpine and Nordic but I’m aware of two clubs that are exclusively Nordic.  The Nordic Fox Ski Club (www.nordicfox.org) that meets at Arrowhead in Wheaton and Northwest Nordic Ski Club (www.nwnordicskiclub.com) that meets at various locations in and around Arlington Heights.  Also the Lake Shore Ski Club has a strong Nordic contingent (www.lssc.org).  Just to give you a sense of the kind of bargain that’s available for a Nordic trip, my club, Nordic Fox, spends a week in Ironwood on the west side of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula every January.  The cost for Sunday through Thursday night’s lodging, breakfast, dinner and area tickets is under $200.  Our further distance trips range from $500 to $1000 for a week.  Every few years we head out to Yellowstone National park which is truly magnificent in winter.  This trip runs as high as $1400.

Any questions?  Contact Scott Smith – Nordic Fox Ski Club at trinord@yahoo.com