Matterhorn Ski Paradise – unlimited fun on the slopes

Spoilt for choice

We sit on the fourth floor of the Petit Cervin and admire the immaculate blue sky over Zermatt. Here, where the finest gourmet creations were served in the evening, we now fortify ourselves with vitamin-rich breakfast food for the day ahead. If the selection of the breakfast buffet at the Petit Cervin is too small for you, you can also have breakfast at the Mont Cervin Palace without any problems and get everything a gourmet’s heart could desire in the early morning (we tried both). While we are spreading bread rolls, there is a lively discussion – where should we start our Matterhorn Ski Paradise slope adventure? A total of more than 350 kilometres of pistes are available in the cross-border area (Switzerland – Italy). But the fun also comes at a price – for example, the “International” day ticket costs 86 CHF for adults and the “Zermatt” day ticket costs 75 CHF. We decide to storm the summit right at the beginning.

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

From Mont Cervin Palace we march to the valley station of the Matterhorn Express. There are also free ski buses, but a morning walk has never hurt anyone (and I confess, the boyfriend carries my skis). The gondola lift takes you rapidly uphill with a view of the Matterhorn. From the two gentlemen who share the gondola with us, we learn that Zermatt is blessed with a lot of snow this year (in contrast to many other winter sports destinations). At the Tockener Steg we have to change to a large gondola lift for the last few meters of altitude.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, we reach the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at over 3,800 m above sea level. It’s not the height, but the incomparable panoramic view of over 38 Alpine giants that makes my heart beat faster. Somehow, I feel like I’m floating. We do not make a detour to Cervinia. Instead, we make a detour to the Furgsattel, take a look over to Italy and then enjoy an almost endless downhill ride (about 20 kilometers) down to Furi.

 

Sunnegga – Rothorn

Around noon we move to the other side of the valley. The gondola lift takes us from Furi to Riffelberg. Slowly it becomes apparent at the lifts that the imperial weather has not only lured us to the slopes. At the chairlift in the direction of Gifthittli and the subsequent descent to Findeln, it is quite crowded. Dodging the black-marked slope helps to escape the general crowd. In terms of altitude, we are in the extremes today. From Findeln and its incomparable chalets, we tackle the next highlight via Sunnegga. At almost 3,100 m above sea level, the Rothorn offers a postcard view of the Matterhorn.

Riffelalp – Gornergrat

In the late afternoon, we don’t miss the opportunity to conquer the last highlight. From the Breitboden we traverse to Riffelalp, where we take the Gornergratbahn to the Gornergrat. If you want to ski with the best view of the Matterhorn, I recommend a detour to the Slow Slope (from Rotenboden to Riffelberg). With the last rays of sunshine we set off from the Riffelalp on the valley run. The last few kilometres back to Zermatt we ride on a so-called downhill route, which takes us quite adventurously on narrow forest paths back to the valley station of the Matterhorn Express.

Culinary stops

Two things in advance: Firstly, in Zermatt you can eat exceptionally well on the slopes and secondly, on sunny days a reservation in the serviced restaurants (during the “peak hours”) is essential.

Restaurant Stafelalp

This weekend I discovered the cozy restaurant Stafelalp, which is located in an incomparable location directly below the steep north face of the Matterhorn. The restaurant can be reached directly from the slopes (from Schwarzsee) or on foot on the winter hiking trail via Zmutt. The sun terrace is only in the sun until about 2:00 p.m. in February. Inside, however, it is just as cozy. We tried a Matterhorn burger (39 CHF) and a lamb and cheese bratwurst (29 CHF – lamb from our own breeding) and were thrilled. Perfect gourmet experience on the slopes.

Chämi Find

I spotted the Chämihitta from the Furi-Riffelberg gondola. It is located directly on the red-marked valley run from Riffelalp to Zermatt at the Gornergratbahn Landtunnel stop. From the terrace you have a direct view of the Matterhorn. Ideal for a culinary stop in the late afternoon. We fortified ourselves here with a Valais platter.

Other culinary classics with a view of the Matterhorn and excellent cuisine are the Findlerhof and the Chez Vrony in Findeln. Without a reservation, however, nothing works here on sunny weekend days (believe me, I tried…). My first choice for a dignified après-ski stop is the bar of the Hotel Cervo (accessible via the Riedweg valley run).

Hot or not?

To be honest – skiing in the Matterhorn Ski Paradise was a pleasure on this Sunday – truly paradisiacal conditions. I’m totally thrilled with how many kilometres of pistes and, above all, altitude we have managed. The only drop of melancholy are the hefty ticket prices. But once you have experienced what is offered in terms of incomparable variety, you can also understand the pricing policy. Since there are comparatively many inexperienced skiers on the slopes depending on the season (holiday season), it is worthwhile to switch to more challenging black slopes or yellow-marked downhill routes in between.

Note: My stay in Zermatt was supported by Mont Cervin Palace and Zermatt Tourism – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.