The best part of zermatt is the view of the ever present matterhorn and the mid mountain restaurants and cottages. Never seen anything like it in the US. It's cool to just be skiing and all of a sudden a little cottage that happens to be a restaurant pops up and you can get fondue and drinks.
Most European ski areas are pretty scenically attractive - was not sure why the reviewet was making such a big deal about the Matterhorn...good to great mountain ski restaurant and cafes are standard in Europe
We've skied Zermatt twice and are headed back next year. Perhaps my age is showing but I find it way better than Vail, Breckenridge, Steamboat and, yes, even Whistler (all of which we absolutely loved). I guess I never realized how much I favor long cruisers, massive terrain, zero lift lines, world-class mid-mountain dining and great apres ski. Having said that, thanks for the thorough and fair review!
You are not old, Zermatt way better then all the resorts you mentioned. I live in Tahoe and would go to Zermatt before even thinking about going to Vail or Whistler.
Honestly I'm 25 ski in the Canadian Rockies my whole life and i love technical challenging terrain and abundant snow but I also love just cruising down long groomers and I want to make it my goal to ski in Europe this winter.
As a Swiss, i highly appreciate that you've mentioned that every off-piste area (not counting the yellow marked "slopes" with 15m on either side of the poles) is NOT controlled! I've seen many people (not just north america tourists) ride through stuff they definitely shouldn't on their own without avy-gear...
As am Irish person who occayskirz in Austria I would not expect off piste areas to be controlled at all + not sure why anyone would expect to be controlled. Go off piste and it is your tiskt
@@amblincork in nirth america, they basically controla the whole larger area of a skiidng area. Alot of those named freeride runs, which you can see alot of videos from, are considered "in bounds" in north america. So if someone thinks it works the same over here you get people that put themselves (and others) in unnecessary danger.
You might have to start a separate ranking for European ski destinations. The concept of bowls doesn’t exist like it does in the US. There are some so called ski-routes, which are minimally maintained slopes. Otherwise,once you leave the groomers, you are off piste and completely on your own. You can totally hike mountains all around Zermatt using the ski infrastructure as an access point. Just be careful, you easily end up on a glacier, above a cliff or in dangerous terrain. There are so called ski tour maps and routes but you better get a guide and know your back country basics!
As a European skier I see no problem with Zermatt's navigation and signage. There are basically only a few runs down from any ski lift, and you just have to stick to piste numbers that you have studied when riding the lifts, for example, pistes 11, 7, 1 and 3 from Rothorn to town or piste 7 all the way from Testa Grigia to Cervinia. There are number signs at each junction. And imo numbers are much easier to recognise than convoluted names, and I also found it easier to get into the wrong runs in Vail than in Zermatt.
I agree - I suspect the authors are not used to the “logic” of European signage and more familiar with the “logic” in the US. There is room for improvement, but a 2 is far too harsh
A great way to save money is to stay in Tasch, Switzerland. It is a 15 minute train ride away from Zermatt. It is the next closest town and rooms are 1/2 to 1/3 they are in Zermatt.
It's 15 mins by train, 15 mins from train station to the first lift, plus the walking in Tasch. While this might sound like a good option, loosing 40 mins each day to reach the first lift is really not fun.
@@perakojot6524 Not quite, the first lift, a train, Gornergratbahn, is across the station in Zermatt and it will take you to 3100 meters in 30 minutes. The fastest and best way to get up the mountain. From there you can ski to the other areas.
@@perakojot6524 The Gornergratbahn is just across thes street from the railway station in Zermatt and it will take you to 3100 meters in 30 minutes, faster than the lifts. But, of course, staying in Täsch will take out the magic of being in Zermatt.
I can't wait to see you guys review more of Europe. I've been deciding where in the apps I want to go next season. I especially can't wait to see you review Courchevel and Verbier.
This is for sure. But adjusted for patrolled/off piste acres. North am patrol puts in significant work to open challenging terrain and that acreage should count. Probably also recalibrate crowd flow & lifts…. Nothing in North America except Targhee, Ajax, & Revy should be like above a 5 lol
@@cmacblue42 Not sure about the rules, but I always thought that going off pise was actually forbidden in Europe. Although many do it to the sides of groomed pistes or near ski lifts were it's clear to plan the route in advance.
Great video! Love all the footage. I'd probably love Zermatt on a clear day, but on a cloudy day the lack of trees would drive me nuts! Glad you hit it on a beautiful day.
@@el_moooooTo put this in perspective, some of the US ski areas have had for them very bad seasons. Reality is weather patterns have changed and we must recognise this
The most important thing to be prepared is as was said slopes run out quickly and can be very icy, like world-cup piste icy due to artificial snow and climate change (thaw-freeze cycling). Race carver >>> freeride skis.
i remember looking out over the glaciers from the gornergrat once in summer, thinking "wow, beautiful view", until i spotted a couple hikers on a trail below that didn't look too far away at first glance. those hikers looked so incredibly tiny that it really reset the perspective on just how majestic and massive these mountains are. there are bigger mountains and crazier views in the world, but they usually require mountaineering to get to and certainly aren't accessible by train. that gornergrat view imo tops anything in the alps short of maybe the jungfrau region
You can get as (will use American terms) rad / sick as can be got here. Including mild altitude actual sickness just from riding up a cabke car. But you need to be able to ski all conditions, you probably need a guide and if you have the skills and knowledge of the mountaineering side of things and glacier travel those lifts get you a good way into serious terrain. You wont need 112 underfoot for 6 turns next to a piste. But in terms of the pistes the review has a point but would suggest the mediocre in the title has a good element of click bait to it. Worth a wander around town to see the mountaineers cemetery and the old huts that hold livestock. Great in summer for hiking and when you see the glaciers then you understand the warnings about leaving the piste. The glacier pistes have large diggers filling in the crevaces. Pretty nice to ski in the summer. When in the States I was all for a sandwich in the pocket, but a few years and having experienced food in the Alps leave at least a couple of days for a sit down lunch... or perhaps pocket bacon on the lift and call in for desert.
I went for 9 days last year. Skied my legs off. I loved everything but the electric taxis that have no regard for people's safety. Navigation was easy for me. I always knew exactly where I was just by looking at the Matterhorn. BTW I had the absolute best sandwich of my life on Cervinia. The bread was outstanding. Next winter I am thinking about a month in a apartment. I love it so much. The downside it would be my second trip there and there are other mega resorts I haven't been too.The other downside is a season pass is high cost and that hurts.
@@amblincork i wouldn't know, there aren't that many French in Verbier. Mostly locals and Brits The Brits are either insanely good or insanely sh*t, there's few inbetween
this is a legit review of going to Zermatt. I went last year and couldn't agree more. If you are American and are use to hard charging all day and getting into really spicy situations you will be disappointed. The goods exist but you have to pay a lot of money to have someone take you there. We got lucky and found powder up on the glacier but there's not enough snow to really ski any of their lower mountain free skiing zones. We tried and it was beyond terrifying lol. That being said it was still a fun trip in a travel sense and you will be eating better quality food and drinks than anywhere in america which will make you just feel better over all. If it snowed like it does in Utah there id never ski anywhere else.
I spent two weeks snowboarding in Zermatt in 2008 and loved it, but would agree with most of this video. Actually, my guide (from the region), was telling me that I should check out Laax and even Saas Fee, which I did this year (Saas Fee). Anyhow, if you are an avid snow sports fan, Zermatt is a pilgrimage you have to do once in your life, but there are plenty of "better" resorts for actual ski/snowboard in the Alps.
This is the best and most correct description of Zermatt I have ever seen. Do not go to Zermatt before Christmas, they keep many lifts closed when there are less people in town, but charge you full price. They also take every opportunity to close lifts at the slightest "weather" pretext. Especially, they will charge you full price for a day skipass when 90% of the lifts are closed. They have closed the best off piste area, Triftji, and send you to Hohtäli, which is full of rocks... The lift company management is spoiling the place. If you have lots of money, the title is perfect.
@@JakobSvensson55 Every winter for the last 30 years, on average 4-5 weeks. Last time March 23. I still go to Zermatt, because I have friends there, but NOW I recommend people to go to Cervinia. Of course, if you can afford a guide, do tours and heliskiing, it is still great. But how many people can afford it?
Thanks! We have been visiting Zermatt from mid to late January and have always enjoyed good weather, great conditions, better pricing and no crowds. We've considered visiting a little earlier or later in the ski season but, based on your comments, it's sounds like that would be a terrible idea.
Would the second week of january be a bad pick then? I was there at the end of march (when everything was closed every day), but that was just bad luck I guess.
I skied 10 days at Zermatt and never skied a groomer except to get to the bottom at the end of the day a few times. Every run, every day was un- tracked powder. The village is quite fun with interesting places to eat and you stay in 19th century dovetail lodges. It is fantastic!
Spot on and fantastic review. I had the good fortune of being able to stay at the Gornergrat Kulm Hotel at the top of the cog train during the holidays. Just an astonishing set of views, phenomenal infrastructure and food that puts North America’s to shame. Thanks for putting this out there and can’t wait to see the rest of your European reviews coming soon!
Thanks for taking the time to put this great video together. I hope to make it out there as a bucket list vacation and can use this video to help with planning.
I'm relatively new to your channel but I'm a skier from Boston, skiing Maine Vermont New Hampshire in the 1970's, I miss it dearly, it's great to watch you ski and your commentary about the mtns of the world. Great job, very interesting information. Much appreciation.
I found the Monte Rosa Douforspitze Dom, Dent Blanche, Grand Combin and distant Mont Blanc just as spectacular! Yes the Matterhorn haunts, dominates the setting.
Awesome video! American here and just went to Lech / St Anton. Loads of snow and off piste open. You need to check it out. Has the majesty and solid snow accumulation.
I’ve seen many reviews of Zermatt & this is by far the most useful. That said, I believe that Zermatt’s total score reveals the deep flaws of this unweighted ranking criterion. Zermatt is for a typical ski-goer a world class experience. Only underwhelming to those exclusively seeking the “gnarliest” terrain.
yeah, the challenge rating doesn't tell enough. Maybe he should make a seperate rating for beginners, intermediats and experts. f.e., I wouldn't care much about expert runs. I do them sometimes, but I prefer red and blue pistes. Similarly someone new to skiing would likely want good beginner pistes and not care as much about the rest.
Very comprehensive review! While I rarely skied on the Swiss side, I've spent many a days in Cervinia and I always loved it! Very budget friendly too. Just a small addition. Turin would ne the closest airport and it's a major airport too, with Ryanair, especially, operating many routes. Thanks again for the review!
I can not understate how much snow quantity and quality have dropped over the past 10 years in the alps. Every year the season gets bleaker and bleaker, the pistes are usually well maintained, but sometimes you feel like you're skiing in the summer because only the pistes have artificial snow and the rest of the terrain is green/grayish. Even when it starts snowing more in early jan, after a week everything is extremely icy. In a few more decades, there won't be many glaciers left in europe and even during the winter, most pistes will only be skiable after heavy use of artificial snow.
I did wonder this. I learned to ski in Zermatt and Saas Fee in the mid 1990s and last visited on a trip to Chamonix, Courmeyeur and Zermatt in 2014. The snow in this video and the one on the Vallee Blanche looks awful compared to the standard conditions in the 1990s and 2000s. Even Jan/Feb 2014, we had powder conditions everywhere in Zermatt, Cham and even Courmeyeur. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such little snow in Zermatt.
@@mkronos02that’s shocking. Was the lake even frozen?? I remember as a kid going skiing in Zermatt at half term in February, there would usually be snow all the way down to Visp and Brig if not Geneva.
@@bigslydoc yeah the nights were cold enough. At noon it was usually 45F on at the sea so it was pretty mushy by the end of the day. I know a week after I left, there was enough snowfall to get the Ice St mortiz cancelled though, so maybe they had a good end of the season
Thanks for the review, nice to see the clips. Been to Zermatt 5 or 6 times as a skier and boarder and it's in my top 3 ski areas along with Val D'Isere/Tignes and Courchevel/Val Thorens (3 valleys). Zermatt is a must visit place for the Matterhorn alone. The 'village' seems more like a town to me, with the electric taxis buzzing around it's a bit charmless apart from the amazing views up the valley. There is plenty of off-piste which can be as challenging as you like (at your risk) so a ton of terrain to do aside from the pistes which you don't explain. If you are an advanced off pister the terrain is ten times what you said easily. There is a lot of off piste in Cervinia too. Yes, the mountain restaurants are the best I've been to. I don't recall navigation issues. I think you are not used to large European resorts where it is necessary to study the piste map and not just rely on signs. The snow was late this season so you definitely didn't see it as at least I remember it.
This video is soooo accurate. I couldn't have said it better myself. After skiing Zermatt last year I had the same conclusion. Every skier should visit Zermatt... but not for the skiing. Skiing is mediocre at best, and for experts bad, but the place is still magic.
@@kevinl8440 I watched about half of it and found some of the crisps puzzling. Example the criticism of the piste signs made no sense to me . I haven't skied in Zermatt but am familiar with a number of ski resorts in adjacent Austria which had similar signage and the signage is good in Austria.. The complsi t about the la k of easy routes for novice skiers also did not make sense, moderate reds are suitable for every skier bar those learners in the first few days of learning to ski. If you are an expert skier, fine but videos like this are for general skiers. I am not an expert skier but would call myself good.If the cost of Switzerland were not a factor, then based on this video I would visit Zermatt. As for the occasional patch of bare ice, my attitude would be so what - I have skied quite a few times on tbe Hintertux glacier in Austria in very easy and late season and grew accustomed to a steep slope with a lot of the glacier ice exposed.One of the advantages of skiing in Europe is a reasonably wide variety of ski areas with varying terrain and conditions are available even without the use of a car for transport.
This is the most accurate review I have seen. We went last winter and it was a really neat trip, but the skiing was just...boring. Actually, 90% boring and 10% icy, mostly at the bottom. It was worth a visit, once.
I saw an Air Zermatt rescue while sipping a beer at Trockener Steg. That was pretty cool. The town is what every ski town in the US tries to look like. There’s too much uphill skiing for my taste. Gotta go once.
Best Zermatt Cervinia review I have seen - detailed, objective and really well thought through - really, really helpful. Maybe add that Milan Malpensa (not Milan Linate) is the airport of choice and whilst Turin is closer than Milan there are less flights and due to altitude flights have been known to be redirected. Also, there is a lot of talk of more on the Italian side of a link with the Monterosa ski area (Champoluc etc) which will create one of the largest linked areas there are - and add a greater variety due to the Monterosa characteristics. Many thanks and will look forward to other European reviews.
Zermatt is a fantastic resort but the real problem for an advanced skier is that the resort is so huge it is virtually impossible to know where to ski without a mountain guide which is quite expensive. Different parts of the resort have different weather conditions which affects the snow conditions which vary with snowfall. If you are looking to ski black diamonds or off piste powder you can't just arrive, pick an area to ski and expect to have good skiing. In addition skiing off piste is extremely dangerous, far more so than anywhere in the US without a mountain guide. I have over 500 days of skiing in Zermatt, all with the person generally considered the areas best mountain guide and still have had many close calls. Despite knowing the area very well, I would never ski off piste without a mountain guide. But with a guide the skiing in Zermatt can be out of this world.
Thank you for a very informative and honest review. Please do more reviews for European ski resorts, and if possible for Japan too. Japan has so many smaller resorts and I think your honest review might help them.
Heading there for Christmas skiing. I'm Australian, we dont get snow or mountains or ski resorts, or ski lifts or skis or ski passes. This is gonna be craazy.
If these european review will become the norm you should at one point review Via Lattea. Its relatively close to Zermatt and its made of 5 different resorts all connected together via trails. The slopes may not be the best or the most interesting, and some lifts are somewhat outdated, but its a really fun place. (And its really cheap when you take into account how big it is)
You failed to notice the biggest problem of Zermatt: ski in a bad weather day. Because the entire mountain has no single tree in sight, the visibility is terrible when weather is bad. Worse, they close most of lifts during windy or snowing days. Among 9 days I was there a few years ago, only 3 days the mountain was fully opened.
The points you criticized apply to many European ski resorts. Off-piste “runs” aren’t even closely as popular as in the United States. Therefore, there are less slopes per lift, what ultimately leads to more congested slopes. It can be little tough to navigate those more crowded slopes, but usually people are aware of others and you can pass without much distance as long as you’re not too fast. Furthermore, it is common here for Ski resorts to be quite big and involving numerous villages far apart in the valley, for example Skiwelt, Kitzbühel, Skicirkus, 3/4 Vallees or Sella.
I would think the reason off piste runs are not as popular in Europe is that a big proportion of skiers in Europe are at best pnce a year skiers and a lot would be not be expereinced off piste at all..and a lot of skiers go as much for the apre ski as for the skiing ! And of course Europe has a very bog selection of ski areas.
Two things: 1) It's Valtournenche, and 2) if you're on the Ikon pass you don't need an entirely separate ticket for the Italian areas, you can purchase a "supplement" ticket for a lower price. Great review!
Honestly the biggest issue is the unpredictable weather conditions. We went there in great weather, so obviously it was a nice experience, but bad weather either leads to low visibility or even large closures due to wind.
I like snow, Europe looks awesome if you’re looking for wildly epic views and awesome amenities , but i want steeps and big dumps of snow . Great video though and its still on the list to visit
beautiful and interesting video even though I live near Cervinia and know it fairly well, I really look forward to seeing reviews of other European ski resorts.
That's a pretty fair assessment of Zermatt. The Trifji mogul run is worth a mention. Off-piste fans should definitely look elsewhere, but you won't get the same level of scenery.
aha Just went there in January, pretty much my exact thoughts. Gonna hit arlberg next year and if it's a flop too i'm out on Skiing in europe. Too much variability with snow.
Snow seems to be arriving late in Europe over the last few years. Often a big dump early December then nothing much for 6 weeks. It's getting warmer, too sadly.
i have skied there in the summer and winter...both a blast...but it's mostly on piste skiing in the winter...zermatt need a ton of snow to get really going...
You forgot something really unique in Zermatt, which is the possibility to « bag » a 4’000m summit with ease, bringing you into the « serious » mountaineers club. From Klein Matterhorn, you are about 3km away and 366m below the summit of the Breithorn, which sits at an altitude of 4’164m. You need good but not extraordinary physical condition, some days to acclimate to the altitude and a local guide. It’s a gentle walk up, where you finish usually with crampons, without technical difficulty. On top, you’ll be rewarded by one of the most breathtaking 360° views about the Alps… and some bragging rights! The descent is easy: back to about 4000m where you put your skis and enjoy a long and amazing ski descent back to Zermatt. There are no other resorts in the Alps offering this opportunity.
Two things: Precipitation is lower in the Alps, because the next ocean is thousands of kms away and not literally "next door" as in the Rockies and there's also less humidity transported. I am not sure if it is fair to compare Europe and North America in this regard. And the second thing is about the off-piste experience: It's not that good because you're not supposed to go off-piste in a ski resort and nobody cares therefore about these parts of the resort. If you go off-piste, you should either use the yellow "slopes" or do it as part of a ski tour and know what you're doing. Zermatt offers some great descents by ski, only reachable when you use touring skis and have two, three days for spare, e.g. Schwarztor, Theodul Glacier, Stockij/Zmutt Glaciers or, the longest and toughest, from the Signalkuppe. They're all on glaciers, though, so you should never go without being very experienced or a mountain guide. A note about all the lifts: I am a bit surprised that it is worth mentioning how modern they are, as this is normal in Europe and nobody bats an eye about it here. Are the lifts in North America really that old?
@@amblincorkSome are and that's the ones with the yellow poles, usually. Everywhere else is at your own risk. You can go where you want, but it will be costly if they have to rescue you. Verbier is better for freeriders, even better are Arolla and La Grave. Or you hire a mountain guide, use ski touring equipment and go far away from any ski resort.
Somebody just died falling in a crevasse off piste in Saas Fee. With glaciers, you have to be extremely careful. A kid also died in an avalanche in Zermatt off piste after a huge snow dump. Know your conditions and be safe!
European ski culture is so much better than the US. Love a good apre, and ski patrol not being pass pullers is nice. I did Bad Gastein recently and loved it, would recommend it to anyone.
This is an outstanding review - well done! It perfectly covers the pros and cons of Zermatt. This is not the most challenging ski mountain and the snow coverage is not great. However, it's probably the most beautiful and memorable I've been to. The overall scale, size and views is mind-blowing. The Swiss lift system is unparalleled. The town and apres is phenomenal. Cant wait to go back.
I have been to Zermatt this February (2024) and the snow was at the lowest level seen in many many years. I think this had impacted negatively your review done in January/February (2024). Yellow slopes were almost all closed (3 open out of 14) when I was there. I think you should have mentioned that in the review as your job is obviously thorough and well informed, you must have known conditions were way worse than usual. This video is however very well done and informative.
If you decide to stay in Cervinia, you won't really be able to get to do much of Zermatt's skiing in one day. If you stay in Zermatt you can do most of Cervinia in a day (and still have time for a nice pasta lunch)
If you only ski the pistes, Zermatt may not seem too testing. However, at the end of the day when everyone is coming down and back to the village, runs that first seem easy, are jet black, mogul and icy. Then there is the off piste, which should always be done with a UIAGM Guide only as they will find the best snow and then the whole Zermatt Cervinia Valtournenche ski area opens up to a whole different level. The skiing is steep, deep and in the right conditions, it is the best ski area in the world.
Cervina Is planning to one day installed 3S gondola’s to go up to the border. When that happens wind closures will not occur as much as they are very wind tolerant compared to trams and gondolas.
We were there a week before you filmed this. Great resort, just hindered by wind and subsequently restricted up high, which limits the decent runs. So mediocre might be harsh but agree is pretty limited skiing without all the upper lifts going.There is really only 3 ways to access the mountain too counting the train, all going in different directions. I disagree it is difficult to navigate though. It isn't complicated really as there aren't that many options. I recognised where every shot you showed was and we only skied 7 days. Went to 3 Valleys the week after, at VT, and got to say, the terrain, snow quality, overall lift layout and run variety etc was way better there.
I love your channel and have been a subscriber here and on another account. I believe you should have another category for convenience. For example, there are no ski-in, ski-out accommodations in Zermatt (except for one on the Gornergrat side). It takes you a minimum of 20 - 45 mins to get to the slopes if you're lucky. You know what I mean. Let me use Vail as a comparison, you can ski in town if you're lodge is down there. Walk a minute to the lifts and you're off. Zermatt having the most beautiful scenery falls short due to this and is just a pain to get to the slopes! I agree with your ranking and I enjoy it a lot. Thank you once again, and please consider adding the convenience rating. One thing you forgot to mention, Zermatt has an okay terrain park at best!
@@PeakRankings Thank you for the response. Correct, however I meant if you miss the train to Gornergrat by a minute you'll have to wait 24 mins for the next one. That ride lasts around 20 mins to the top. So 44 mins of delay to get to the slopes. The Matterhorn gondola is like 40 mins to the top station and then another 10 mins to the glacier area. 50 mins to the slopes or 40 mins top station of that gondola. You mentioned wind factor and I've been to Zermatt 3 times this past 12 months and wind is always closing down the glacier area. Like 70% of the time. You were really lucky on that trip! Keep those videos coming!!! THANK YOU!!
@SAS-by4bt thats all correct but the vernacular is the best option. Goes regulary and is fast. From there can access where the train goes and get over to GMP too by skiing, which is the whole point right. We started there at 9 doing a few runs until they told us Cervinia was open at 10, and then still made it over to Italy by 11.30.
Interested to hear this , pedestrianisation is probably the cause of it and sounds like the experience we uad in Chamonix having to rely on public transport to get anywhere was a pain .
@@scollyutube That's great! Thanks to @peakrankings for making this video and many videos to come! I only commented on Zermatt because I feel I'm an expert here. I've ridden just this year in Zermatt (twice) Vail, Beaver Creek, Mammoth, Whistler, Sun Peaks, Big White, Park City, 5 resorts in Austria and going to the 3 Valleys and Val d'Isere to close the season. I just don't find Zermatt convenient, that's all. HOWEVER, once on the top it's really nice! It's more convenient to stay in Cervinia, honestly!
I have been skiing in Zermatt about 50 times over the years so I know it well. Your review is not bad. I go mainly because there is far less snow boarders than other resorts probably as its so expensive and I find it more spacious and less congested. No waiting at lifts and snow sure...I go December to April
There's a resort in Austria that had an underground funicular. It caught on fire in 2000 and killed 155 people. 12 people escaped the train that caught fire by descending the tunnel, but the others on the train were either trapped, or ascended after getting out. The conductor and only passenger of the other train were asphyxiated by the smoke, as were 4 people in the top station, though one was revived by fire crews. Morbid Midnight has a video on this fire.
It’s better than a “mediocre” resort, that’s just a stupid title. It’s not my favourite Ski area, but it is stunning, the village is charming, and traffic free, the Matterhorn is hypnotic and the ski area combined with Cervinia is easily enough for a week, without getting bored. The mountain restaurants are lovely and the food excellent. The trains up the mountains are also a pleasant and different experience to other resorts. It is a great place to go and anyone who hasn’t been should visit. You won’t be disappointed.
Honestly, this video is really not fair. Clearly during their visit conditions were not the best, a week later or 2 before and the experience would be totally different. This season has been tough for below 2500 meters.
Navigation 2. Like everywhere, look at the ski map and time table first and you won't miss anything!! And the crowd is almost inexistant on the Swiss side, expect between Christmas and New Year (e.g. wait for 1, max 2 Big cablecar Gant Hottäli), The rest of the season you can grab the same gondola again at the bottom, after 1,000 meters of altitude gain on the White Hare, and immediately ride back up.
By that I mean extensive terrain that's solid yet unremarkable, fantastic lift system yet crowded runs, along with a lively and active town. Both are great for the person who wants to ski a little alongside shopping, eating, and going out.
The signage problem is the same all across the Swiss resorts. Compared to the French Alps they have completely removed the Green piste designation (really helpful for amateurs) and the signs don't count down the length of the piste so you're not sure when you're getting close to the end.
Decent review, but a few things are completely incorrect. You gave a 7 for crowd flow, but having been there 6 times, the crowd doesn’t even come close to American resorts. So that score is completely incorrect. The other thing you mentioned which is incorrect IMO is Navigation. The resort has an app witn a state of the art map which makes navigation fairly easy. Navigation in places like Vail or Breckenridge is no better or worse. Lastly, the footage in the video looks like it was taken in late winter. The grooming in Zermatt is second to none and much better in my experience than at American resorts. I have never experienced “east coast” conditions in the 6 times I have skied there. Zermatt is an absolute winner compared to most resorts. You should adjust some of these scores.
Thanks for your comment Sander and appreciate the feedback. We visited Zermatt in late January and early February this year, and all our footage is from those time periods. We are going to stand by our scores for now. While the lift lines themselves are significantly less of an issue than in the US, Zermatt’s issue is the congestion on the pistes. Since our crowd flow category measures both lift lines and crowds on the slopes, we deducted points from Zermatt due to its experience with the latter. In terms of navigation, the app can be helpful when riding the lifts or before starting a run. However, in our view it’s tough to use while actively skiing or riding, making it difficult to make important game-time decisions when it comes to choosing the right trail / going in the direction of a certain lift or attraction. Hope this helps clarify things!
@@PeakRankingsyou should have an Idea of what ski runs you are doing before your descent and the slope numbered sign in Europe are generally good..can't see why they need to be bigger !
@@PeakRankings Navigation in Zermatt is better than Vail and Breckenridge, all piste are clearly marked by a number while in the US you get loads a convoluted names for really short runs...
Part about navigations and stucking in wrong country is sweet... Especialy that you do not show it on maps :) It is easy to navigate in your own living room. Just preapre before and it will be great :) Btw great video, keep skiing in Alps then you will change your view on that sport.
A good review, although possibly a little harsh based on snow conditions when you went which was worse than usual for that time of the season. I was there from the beginning of March and after several snowfalls, some down to village level, cover was excellent. The off piste really opens up after a dump, so like every resort, your experience will vary hugely depending on when you visit. You wouldn't review Whistler based off the 23/24 season for example. The rest of your analysis was pretty spot on though.
As someone who has more than 100 ski days in Zermatt, I could agree with most of the stuff, but some marks are unrealistic. Navigation is not nearly as bad as you are pointing out, one has to take the size into account when judging the navigation (it is significantly easier to make good navigation in 2000 acres resort than in 9 or 14k acres). So realistic mark there should be at least 4 if not 5. The other thing you are totally wrong in Challenge. It is obvious you haven't tried Stockhorn area which by itself is better than 90% of challenging US resorts (for example you give Vail 7 for challenge and Vail is frankly a joke compared to Zermatt). There is plenty of challenging terrain on Rothorn and even on the lower side of the mountain, but it is true this is heavily affected by the lack of snow. However, you are already penalizing resort for the lack of snow. I would say the actual mark for Challenge should be 7 and you can maybe bring it down to 6 due to lack of snow, but mark 4 is a disgrace. Finally, while quality and quantity of snow is indeed lacking throughout the season, even in the very late season the total opened area available for skiing is larger than the most of US resorts in total, so 6 mark again is unrealistic. You seems to be heavily US biased. For example, you give bunch of US resorts 10 for aesthetics and they are at least couple of levels below Zermatt. Or for example giving 8 to Snowbird for size while compared to European resorts it's totally mediocre in size, even small. Or lift infrastructure, if Whistler is 10, then Zermatt is 12 for lifts. There are also other important stuff that ppl in Europe appreciate, for example quality of slope preparation which is better than anything you can find in US, or length of single decent and the mileage you can travel descending on skis in a day or total altitude difference you can make in a day which is again incomparable to anything in US or North America. I managed on multiple occasions a vertical difference of 12km (that's over 40k feet!!!) in a single day in Zermatt. Finally, since you are comparing overpriced crappy infrastructure and wild North American resorts to cultivated and technologically advanced, far better organized and above all affordable European resorts you should at least introduce a category of "value for the money".
I actually think the navigation in Zermatt is much better than Vail (I assume you have also been there based on your comments). It is so easy to go down the wrong runs in front side Vail while I have never gone down a wrong run in Zermatt. Also agree that that the aesthetics of the European Alps is generally unmatched in the Rockies. I also rarely find bubbles lifts with heated seats in the North American resorts that I have been to, such as the Epic resorts in Colorado, Tahoe and Whistler.
I agree with you that Vail is harder to navigate but Zermatt doesn't have the challenging terrain like Vail does just because it's closed most of the time. It's easy to fine challenging terrain in Vail, but in Zermatt, it's hard to find it. That's what the video was referring to, in my opinion. Good observation on the navigation part!
Stockhorn area? The cable car there has been down for years, the Triftji and Stockhorn T-bars as closed. And to Rote Nase, thy will only let you with a ski instructor or guide. You can ski Hohtäli, but it is full of rocks.
@@kalle7741 Well, this and last years were bad. Before 2021 I've never seen rocks on Hohtäli. Triftji and Stockhorn T-bars were open just 3 weeks ago. Cable car to Stockhorn has been closed for good since 2007, however Rote Nase cable car is typically working even though not the last two years and is more than sufficient. And regarding ski instructor or guide for Rote Nase, I call it BS. Skied there a bunch of times even without backcountry gear, never ever being asked for a ski instructor or a guide.
@@perakojot6524 1. So the T-bar to Stockhorn was open in March? (It would be happy news.) 2.The Triftji T-bar? (Same applies.) 3. The cable car to Rote Nase is with instructor only. May be without in March. When did you ski there?
Seriously if the coloured and numbered signs in Europes ski areas are a problem for any skier then maybe those skiers should stick to nursery slopes. Not sure why intermediate reds should pose a problem for any skiers other than complete beginners....
The best part of zermatt is the view of the ever present matterhorn and the mid mountain restaurants and cottages. Never seen anything like it in the US. It's cool to just be skiing and all of a sudden a little cottage that happens to be a restaurant pops up and you can get fondue and drinks.
common at every alps ski resort
US ski resorts have no soul, it feels like I am eating in a school canteen.
Most European ski areas are pretty scenically attractive - was not sure why the reviewet was making such a big deal about the Matterhorn...good to great mountain ski restaurant and cafes are standard in Europe
Chez Vrony and Adler Hitta are our favorites.
@@eddiemalvin I´d say Enzian, Findlerhof, Zum See are much friendlier than Adlerhitta.
We've skied Zermatt twice and are headed back next year. Perhaps my age is showing but I find it way better than Vail, Breckenridge, Steamboat and, yes, even Whistler (all of which we absolutely loved).
I guess I never realized how much I favor long cruisers, massive terrain, zero lift lines, world-class mid-mountain dining and great apres ski.
Having said that, thanks for the thorough and fair review!
You are not old, Zermatt way better then all the resorts you mentioned. I live in Tahoe and would go to Zermatt before even thinking about going to Vail or Whistler.
Honestly I'm 25 ski in the Canadian Rockies my whole life and i love technical challenging terrain and abundant snow but I also love just cruising down long groomers and I want to make it my goal to ski in Europe this winter.
i’m with you all the way! going for my first time in February
This video really shows your ability to critically and comprehensively review a mountain. Really helpful info as always!!
As a Swiss, i highly appreciate that you've mentioned that every off-piste area (not counting the yellow marked "slopes" with 15m on either side of the poles) is NOT controlled! I've seen many people (not just north america tourists) ride through stuff they definitely shouldn't on their own without avy-gear...
As am Irish person who occayskirz in Austria I would not expect off piste areas to be controlled at all + not sure why anyone would expect to be controlled. Go off piste and it is your tiskt
@@amblincork in nirth america, they basically controla the whole larger area of a skiidng area. Alot of those named freeride runs, which you can see alot of videos from, are considered "in bounds" in north america. So if someone thinks it works the same over here you get people that put themselves (and others) in unnecessary danger.
Yellow pistes are secured before opening, but no daily controls.
@@WaechterDerNacht I dont really see how it is practical to control very big off piste areas
You might have to start a separate ranking for European ski destinations. The concept of bowls doesn’t exist like it does in the US. There are some so called ski-routes, which are minimally maintained slopes. Otherwise,once you leave the groomers, you are off piste and completely on your own. You can totally hike mountains all around Zermatt using the ski infrastructure as an access point. Just be careful, you easily end up on a glacier, above a cliff or in dangerous terrain. There are so called ski tour maps and routes but you better get a guide and know your back country basics!
As a European skier I see no problem with Zermatt's navigation and signage. There are basically only a few runs down from any ski lift, and you just have to stick to piste numbers that you have studied when riding the lifts, for example, pistes 11, 7, 1 and 3 from Rothorn to town or piste 7 all the way from Testa Grigia to Cervinia. There are number signs at each junction. And imo numbers are much easier to recognise than convoluted names, and I also found it easier to get into the wrong runs in Vail than in Zermatt.
The signs in Zermatt are miserable but slowly improving. For years many skiers from Cervinia had to stay overnight in Zermatt because of bad signs.
I agree - I suspect the authors are not used to the “logic” of European signage and more familiar with the “logic” in the US. There is room for improvement, but a 2 is far too harsh
Totally agree. It is easy as long as you use your brains😊
A great way to save money is to stay in Tasch, Switzerland. It is a 15 minute train ride away from Zermatt. It is the next closest town and rooms are 1/2 to 1/3 they are in Zermatt.
Thanks
It's 15 mins by train, 15 mins from train station to the first lift, plus the walking in Tasch. While this might sound like a good option, loosing 40 mins each day to reach the first lift is really not fun.
@@perakojot6524 Not quite, the first lift, a train, Gornergratbahn, is across the station in Zermatt and it will take you to 3100 meters in 30 minutes.
The fastest and best way to get up the mountain. From there you can ski to the other areas.
@@perakojot6524 The Gornergratbahn is just across thes street from the railway station in Zermatt and it will take you to 3100 meters in 30 minutes, faster than the lifts.
But, of course, staying in Täsch will take out the magic of being in Zermatt.
If you are on budget, Cervinia is a better option.
Independently owned on-mountain huts is the biggest reason for me that Europe slaps NA for skiing. Culture through the roof.
Snow is the main issue in europe atp
@@grogsand4102Yes, fortunately the other stuff (kinda) makes up for it
All I need is a lift, a parking spot, a brown bag lunch, and some good terrain with snow on it. That bougie crap is a distraction.
@@JohnDoe-my5ip yeah, zermatt sounds more like south beach on snow.
Are you there to ski or to party?
I can't wait to see you guys review more of Europe. I've been deciding where in the apps I want to go next season. I especially can't wait to see you review Courchevel and Verbier.
Both are coming!
@@PeakRankings Verbier, 3 vallees in France, Ischgl and Solden in Austria, we have some really good ski resorts here :D
@@Shumitu If you liked Is Ischgl you would like St Anton am Arlberg as well - I only spent 3 days in Ischgl but will definitely return
@@amblincork added to the list!
If you start adding European ski resorts, you are going to need to re-calibrate "size" on the American side.
😂 we shall see
This is for sure. But adjusted for patrolled/off piste acres. North am patrol puts in significant work to open challenging terrain and that acreage should count.
Probably also recalibrate crowd flow & lifts…. Nothing in North America except Targhee, Ajax, & Revy should be like above a 5 lol
And need to recalibrate mountain aesthetic too. No way you can rank Whistler on a par with Zermatt.
@@hoffmann6520 YES! The Alps destroy the Rockies in mountain aesthetic, no doubt!
@@cmacblue42 Not sure about the rules, but I always thought that going off pise was actually forbidden in Europe.
Although many do it to the sides of groomed pistes or near ski lifts were it's clear to plan the route in advance.
Great video! Love all the footage. I'd probably love Zermatt on a clear day, but on a cloudy day the lack of trees would drive me nuts! Glad you hit it on a beautiful day.
Thanks Grant!
You usually will find trees lower down
@@amblincork coverage and snow quality in trees looks quite poor however
@@el_moooooTo put this in perspective, some of the US ski areas have had for them very bad seasons. Reality is weather patterns have changed and we must recognise this
Please review tignes and Val d’isere, always lots of snow and incredible off and on piste terrain
This is very helpful - I will be using this guide when planning my trip to Europe. Thanks so much for making this information available!
The most important thing to be prepared is as was said slopes run out quickly and can be very icy, like world-cup piste icy due to artificial snow and climate change (thaw-freeze cycling). Race carver >>> freeride skis.
Yes the après and tourism scene looks awesome. But hard to justify flying to Europe from Western Canada to ski cat tracks with nice views
i remember looking out over the glaciers from the gornergrat once in summer, thinking "wow, beautiful view", until i spotted a couple hikers on a trail below that didn't look too far away at first glance. those hikers looked so incredibly tiny that it really reset the perspective on just how majestic and massive these mountains are. there are bigger mountains and crazier views in the world, but they usually require mountaineering to get to and certainly aren't accessible by train. that gornergrat view imo tops anything in the alps short of maybe the jungfrau region
You can get as (will use American terms) rad / sick as can be got here. Including mild altitude actual sickness just from riding up a cabke car.
But you need to be able to ski all conditions, you probably need a guide and if you have the skills and knowledge of the mountaineering side of things and glacier travel those lifts get you a good way into serious terrain. You wont need 112 underfoot for 6 turns next to a piste.
But in terms of the pistes the review has a point but would suggest the mediocre in the title has a good element of click bait to it.
Worth a wander around town to see the mountaineers cemetery and the old huts that hold livestock.
Great in summer for hiking and when you see the glaciers then you understand the warnings about leaving the piste. The glacier pistes have large diggers filling in the crevaces. Pretty nice to ski in the summer.
When in the States I was all for a sandwich in the pocket, but a few years and having experienced food in the Alps leave at least a couple of days for a sit down lunch... or perhaps pocket bacon on the lift and call in for desert.
Great job as always! Setting the standard for consumer guides...
An excellent review and delighted to see that you are now starting to review European resorts as well. Looking forward to watching these!
Hell yah, keep the European content coming please!
I went for 9 days last year. Skied my legs off. I loved everything but the electric taxis that have no regard for people's safety. Navigation was easy for me. I always knew exactly where I was just by looking at the Matterhorn. BTW I had the absolute best sandwich of my life on Cervinia. The bread was outstanding. Next winter I am thinking about a month in a apartment. I love it so much. The downside it would be my second trip there and there are other mega resorts I haven't been too.The other downside is a season pass is high cost and that hurts.
come to Verbier
@@IStMl I was told french skiers are very soggy! Is that so ?
@@amblincork i wouldn't know, there aren't that many French in Verbier. Mostly locals and Brits
The Brits are either insanely good or insanely sh*t, there's few inbetween
@@IStMl I might. I booked Zermatt for a month next year and been thinking Verbier
@@amblincork i wouldnt know, there aren't many French in Verbier
DUDE‼️ I cannot stress to you how much I love your vids‼️‼️‼️
this is a legit review of going to Zermatt. I went last year and couldn't agree more. If you are American and are use to hard charging all day and getting into really spicy situations you will be disappointed. The goods exist but you have to pay a lot of money to have someone take you there. We got lucky and found powder up on the glacier but there's not enough snow to really ski any of their lower mountain free skiing zones. We tried and it was beyond terrifying lol. That being said it was still a fun trip in a travel sense and you will be eating better quality food and drinks than anywhere in america which will make you just feel better over all. If it snowed like it does in Utah there id never ski anywhere else.
You’re gunna get so much heat for this video 😂 bravo
I spent two weeks snowboarding in Zermatt in 2008 and loved it, but would agree with most of this video. Actually, my guide (from the region), was telling me that I should check out Laax and even Saas Fee, which I did this year (Saas Fee). Anyhow, if you are an avid snow sports fan, Zermatt is a pilgrimage you have to do once in your life, but there are plenty of "better" resorts for actual ski/snowboard in the Alps.
It is a bit like the UTMB ultras races - famous around the trail running world but there are eqaully good and far cheaper trails races in Europe -
This is the best and most correct description of Zermatt I have ever seen.
Do not go to Zermatt before Christmas, they keep many lifts closed when there are less people in town, but charge you full price.
They also take every opportunity to close lifts at the slightest "weather" pretext. Especially, they will charge you full price for a day skipass when 90% of the lifts are closed.
They have closed the best off piste area, Triftji, and send you to Hohtäli, which is full of rocks...
The lift company management is spoiling the place.
If you have lots of money, the title is perfect.
True
When were you there?
@@JakobSvensson55 Every winter for the last 30 years, on average 4-5 weeks. Last time March 23.
I still go to Zermatt, because I have friends there, but NOW I recommend people to go to Cervinia.
Of course, if you can afford a guide, do tours and heliskiing, it is still great. But how many people can afford it?
Thanks! We have been visiting Zermatt from mid to late January and have always enjoyed good weather, great conditions, better pricing and no crowds.
We've considered visiting a little earlier or later in the ski season but, based on your comments, it's sounds like that would be a terrible idea.
Would the second week of january be a bad pick then? I was there at the end of march (when everything was closed every day), but that was just bad luck I guess.
I skied 10 days at Zermatt and never skied a groomer except to get to the bottom at the end of the day a few times. Every run, every day was un- tracked powder. The village is quite fun with interesting places to eat and you stay in 19th century dovetail lodges. It is fantastic!
Man, these Videos are so well researched. It must take a lot of work. Great job and please keep them coming!
Spot on and fantastic review. I had the good fortune of being able to stay at the Gornergrat Kulm Hotel at the top of the cog train during the holidays. Just an astonishing set of views, phenomenal infrastructure and food that puts North America’s to shame. Thanks for putting this out there and can’t wait to see the rest of your European reviews coming soon!
Thanks for taking the time to put this great video together. I hope to make it out there as a bucket list vacation and can use this video to help with planning.
Always a W when PeakRankings releases a new video!
I'm relatively new to your channel but I'm a skier from Boston, skiing Maine Vermont New Hampshire in the 1970's, I miss it dearly, it's great to watch you ski and your commentary about the mtns of the world. Great job, very interesting information. Much appreciation.
I found the Monte Rosa Douforspitze Dom, Dent Blanche, Grand Combin and distant Mont Blanc just as spectacular! Yes the Matterhorn haunts, dominates the setting.
Awesome video! American here and just went to Lech / St Anton. Loads of snow and off piste open. You need to check it out. Has the majesty and solid snow accumulation.
I have skied St Anton a few times and loved it - Ischgl was great also
I’ve seen many reviews of Zermatt & this is by far the most useful.
That said, I believe that Zermatt’s total score reveals the deep flaws of this unweighted ranking criterion.
Zermatt is for a typical ski-goer a world class experience.
Only underwhelming to those exclusively seeking the “gnarliest” terrain.
yeah, the challenge rating doesn't tell enough.
Maybe he should make a seperate rating for beginners, intermediats and experts.
f.e., I wouldn't care much about expert runs. I do them sometimes, but I prefer red and blue pistes. Similarly someone new to skiing would likely want good beginner pistes and not care as much about the rest.
Very comprehensive review! While I rarely skied on the Swiss side, I've spent many a days in Cervinia and I always loved it! Very budget friendly too. Just a small addition. Turin would ne the closest airport and it's a major airport too, with Ryanair, especially, operating many routes. Thanks again for the review!
If youre a park skier, its heaven tbh. skied the summer park on the plateau rosa in september and it was dope.
I can not understate how much snow quantity and quality have dropped over the past 10 years in the alps. Every year the season gets bleaker and bleaker, the pistes are usually well maintained, but sometimes you feel like you're skiing in the summer because only the pistes have artificial snow and the rest of the terrain is green/grayish. Even when it starts snowing more in early jan, after a week everything is extremely icy. In a few more decades, there won't be many glaciers left in europe and even during the winter, most pistes will only be skiable after heavy use of artificial snow.
I did wonder this. I learned to ski in Zermatt and Saas Fee in the mid 1990s and last visited on a trip to Chamonix, Courmeyeur and Zermatt in 2014. The snow in this video and the one on the Vallee Blanche looks awful compared to the standard conditions in the 1990s and 2000s. Even Jan/Feb 2014, we had powder conditions everywhere in Zermatt, Cham and even Courmeyeur. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such little snow in Zermatt.
@@bigslydoc i was in st moritz this year in feb, the roadsides were green. I remember years where there were 8+ feet of snow at the roadside
@@mkronos02that’s shocking. Was the lake even frozen?? I remember as a kid going skiing in Zermatt at half term in February, there would usually be snow all the way down to Visp and Brig if not Geneva.
@@bigslydoc yeah the nights were cold enough. At noon it was usually 45F on at the sea so it was pretty mushy by the end of the day. I know a week after I left, there was enough snowfall to get the Ice St mortiz cancelled though, so maybe they had a good end of the season
The last 3 years have generally been great in the Alps
i actually just went to zermatt last weekend, so good to see so many spots that i visited here. Great video!
Thanks for the review, nice to see the clips. Been to Zermatt 5 or 6 times as a skier and boarder and it's in my top 3 ski areas along with Val D'Isere/Tignes and Courchevel/Val Thorens (3 valleys). Zermatt is a must visit place for the Matterhorn alone. The 'village' seems more like a town to me, with the electric taxis buzzing around it's a bit charmless apart from the amazing views up the valley. There is plenty of off-piste which can be as challenging as you like (at your risk) so a ton of terrain to do aside from the pistes which you don't explain. If you are an advanced off pister the terrain is ten times what you said easily. There is a lot of off piste in Cervinia too. Yes, the mountain restaurants are the best I've been to. I don't recall navigation issues. I think you are not used to large European resorts where it is necessary to study the piste map and not just rely on signs.
The snow was late this season so you definitely didn't see it as at least I remember it.
This video is soooo accurate. I couldn't have said it better myself. After skiing Zermatt last year I had the same conclusion. Every skier should visit Zermatt... but not for the skiing. Skiing is mediocre at best, and for experts bad, but the place is still magic.
If the skiing is mediocre then why ski there ?
@@amblincork Seriously?? Did you not even watch the video?
Agreed. Although as a person who simply likes long slopes this place was nice enough.
@@kevinl8440 I watched about half of it and found some of the crisps puzzling. Example the criticism of the piste signs made no sense to me . I haven't skied in Zermatt but am familiar with a number of ski resorts in adjacent Austria which had similar signage and the signage is good in Austria.. The complsi t about the la k of easy routes for novice skiers also did not make sense, moderate reds are suitable for every skier bar those learners in the first few days of learning to ski. If you are an expert skier, fine but videos like this are for general skiers. I am not an expert skier but would call myself good.If the cost of Switzerland were not a factor, then based on this video I would visit Zermatt. As for the occasional patch of bare ice, my attitude would be so what - I have skied quite a few times on tbe Hintertux glacier in Austria in very easy and late season and grew accustomed to a steep slope with a lot of the glacier ice exposed.One of the advantages of skiing in Europe is a reasonably wide variety of ski areas with varying terrain and conditions are available even without the use of a car for transport.
@@shanmaomao4156 So name a few areas you consider great
This channel is so good. A consumer report for ski resorts. Keep up the good work!
Just went to Zermatt in April. Every subject covered by this video is 100% spot on!
This is the most accurate review I have seen. We went last winter and it was a really neat trip, but the skiing was just...boring. Actually, 90% boring and 10% icy, mostly at the bottom. It was worth a visit, once.
took my last turns of the season today, glad to have one of your vids to send the season off right!
I saw an Air Zermatt rescue while sipping a beer at Trockener Steg. That was pretty cool.
The town is what every ski town in the US tries to look like.
There’s too much uphill skiing for my taste. Gotta go once.
Best Zermatt Cervinia review I have seen - detailed, objective and really well thought through - really, really helpful. Maybe add that Milan Malpensa (not Milan Linate) is the airport of choice and whilst Turin is closer than Milan there are less flights and due to altitude flights have been known to be redirected. Also, there is a lot of talk of more on the Italian side of a link with the Monterosa ski area (Champoluc etc) which will create one of the largest linked areas there are - and add a greater variety due to the Monterosa characteristics. Many thanks and will look forward to other European reviews.
Zermatt is a fantastic resort but the real problem for an advanced skier is that the resort is so huge it is virtually impossible to know where to ski without a mountain guide which is quite expensive. Different parts of the resort have different weather conditions which affects the snow conditions which vary with snowfall. If you are looking to ski black diamonds or off piste powder you can't just arrive, pick an area to ski and expect to have good skiing. In addition skiing off piste is extremely dangerous, far more so than anywhere in the US without a mountain guide. I have over 500 days of skiing in Zermatt, all with the person generally considered the areas best mountain guide and still have had many close calls. Despite knowing the area very well, I would never ski off piste without a mountain guide. But with a guide the skiing in Zermatt can be out of this world.
Thanks for doing Zermatt! I agree with your review, but it’s still my favorite cause I don’t need the extreme terrain, and we had good snow!
Thank you for a very informative and honest review. Please do more reviews for European ski resorts, and if possible for Japan too. Japan has so many smaller resorts and I think your honest review might help them.
Heading there for Christmas skiing. I'm Australian, we dont get snow or mountains or ski resorts, or ski lifts or skis or ski passes. This is gonna be craazy.
If these european review will become the norm you should at one point review Via Lattea. Its relatively close to Zermatt and its made of 5 different resorts all connected together via trails. The slopes may not be the best or the most interesting, and some lifts are somewhat outdated, but its a really fun place. (And its really cheap when you take into account how big it is)
Thanks for the suggestion!
You failed to notice the biggest problem of Zermatt: ski in a bad weather day. Because the entire mountain has no single tree in sight, the visibility is terrible when weather is bad. Worse, they close most of lifts during windy or snowing days. Among 9 days I was there a few years ago, only 3 days the mountain was fully opened.
Great review! Can’t wait to see what other int’l resorts you will cover. 🎉
The points you criticized apply to many European ski resorts. Off-piste “runs” aren’t even closely as popular as in the United States. Therefore, there are less slopes per lift, what ultimately leads to more congested slopes. It can be little tough to navigate those more crowded slopes, but usually people are aware of others and you can pass without much distance as long as you’re not too fast. Furthermore, it is common here for Ski resorts to be quite big and involving numerous villages far apart in the valley, for example Skiwelt, Kitzbühel, Skicirkus, 3/4 Vallees or Sella.
I would think the reason off piste runs are not as popular in Europe is that a big proportion of skiers in Europe are at best pnce a year skiers and a lot would be not be expereinced off piste at all..and a lot of skiers go as much for the apre ski as for the skiing ! And of course Europe has a very bog selection of ski areas.
Looking forward to see most of the austrian ski resorts on the top of that list
If you get stuck on the wrong side, it is suggested to pay 600-700 euro per helicopter ride.
The size and view should get 12 for zermatt
Was there 3/29 to 4/5/24, loved it. Been to Val Thorens, Val D'isere, and St Anton and enjoyed Zermatt the most.
Two things: 1) It's Valtournenche, and 2) if you're on the Ikon pass you don't need an entirely separate ticket for the Italian areas, you can purchase a "supplement" ticket for a lower price. Great review!
Thanks- appreciate those clarifications!
You did not tell us the price for the "supplement"...😆
Honestly the biggest issue is the unpredictable weather conditions. We went there in great weather, so obviously it was a nice experience, but bad weather either leads to low visibility or even large closures due to wind.
The lack of signage is the same across every resort in Switzerland. It’s just how it is.
I like snow, Europe looks awesome if you’re looking for wildly epic views and awesome amenities , but i want steeps and big dumps of snow . Great video though and its still on the list to visit
go to verbier, st. anton, andermatt. plenty of steep powder skiing in the alps
beautiful and interesting video even though I live near Cervinia and know it fairly well, I really look forward to seeing reviews of other European ski resorts.
Thank you, looking forward to sharing!
That's a pretty fair assessment of Zermatt. The Trifji mogul run is worth a mention. Off-piste fans should definitely look elsewhere, but you won't get the same level of scenery.
The title "...best mediocre.." fitted very well.
aha Just went there in January, pretty much my exact thoughts. Gonna hit arlberg next year and if it's a flop too i'm out on Skiing in europe. Too much variability with snow.
Snow seems to be arriving late in Europe over the last few years. Often a big dump early December then nothing much for 6 weeks. It's getting warmer, too sadly.
i have skied there in the summer and winter...both a blast...but it's mostly on piste skiing in the winter...zermatt need a ton of snow to get really going...
You forgot something really unique in Zermatt, which is the possibility to « bag » a 4’000m summit with ease, bringing you into the « serious » mountaineers club.
From Klein Matterhorn, you are about 3km away and 366m below the summit of the Breithorn, which sits at an altitude of 4’164m. You need good but not extraordinary physical condition, some days to acclimate to the altitude and a local guide. It’s a gentle walk up, where you finish usually with crampons, without technical difficulty. On top, you’ll be rewarded by one of the most breathtaking 360° views about the Alps… and some bragging rights!
The descent is easy: back to about 4000m where you put your skis and enjoy a long and amazing ski descent back to Zermatt.
There are no other resorts in the Alps offering this opportunity.
Two things: Precipitation is lower in the Alps, because the next ocean is thousands of kms away and not literally "next door" as in the Rockies and there's also less humidity transported. I am not sure if it is fair to compare Europe and North America in this regard.
And the second thing is about the off-piste experience: It's not that good because you're not supposed to go off-piste in a ski resort and nobody cares therefore about these parts of the resort. If you go off-piste, you should either use the yellow "slopes" or do it as part of a ski tour and know what you're doing. Zermatt offers some great descents by ski, only reachable when you use touring skis and have two, three days for spare, e.g. Schwarztor, Theodul Glacier, Stockij/Zmutt Glaciers or, the longest and toughest, from the Signalkuppe. They're all on glaciers, though, so you should never go without being very experienced or a mountain guide.
A note about all the lifts: I am a bit surprised that it is worth mentioning how modern they are, as this is normal in Europe and nobody bats an eye about it here. Are the lifts in North America really that old?
😊Not supposed to go off piste? Seriously? Some alpine areas are marketed as having great off piste areas....and routes will be suggested
@@amblincorkSome are and that's the ones with the yellow poles, usually. Everywhere else is at your own risk. You can go where you want, but it will be costly if they have to rescue you.
Verbier is better for freeriders, even better are Arolla and La Grave.
Or you hire a mountain guide, use ski touring equipment and go far away from any ski resort.
Somebody just died falling in a crevasse off piste in Saas Fee. With glaciers, you have to be extremely careful. A kid also died in an avalanche in Zermatt off piste after a huge snow dump. Know your conditions and be safe!
I urge you to look at a map brother
European ski culture is so much better than the US. Love a good apre, and ski patrol not being pass pullers is nice. I did Bad Gastein recently and loved it, would recommend it to anyone.
great video! i went in summer for biking, and it was beautiful but i want to go skiing sometime there
This is an outstanding review - well done! It perfectly covers the pros and cons of Zermatt. This is not the most challenging ski mountain and the snow coverage is not great. However, it's probably the most beautiful and memorable I've been to. The overall scale, size and views is mind-blowing. The Swiss lift system is unparalleled. The town and apres is phenomenal. Cant wait to go back.
I have been to Zermatt this February (2024) and the snow was at the lowest level seen in many many years. I think this had impacted negatively your review done in January/February (2024). Yellow slopes were almost all closed (3 open out of 14) when I was there. I think you should have mentioned that in the review as your job is obviously thorough and well informed, you must have known conditions were way worse than usual. This video is however very well done and informative.
If you decide to stay in Cervinia, you won't really be able to get to do much of Zermatt's skiing in one day. If you stay in Zermatt you can do most of Cervinia in a day (and still have time for a nice pasta lunch)
If you only ski the pistes, Zermatt may not seem too testing. However, at the end of the day when everyone is coming down and back to the village, runs that first seem easy, are jet black, mogul and icy. Then there is the off piste, which should always be done with a UIAGM Guide only as they will find the best snow and then the whole Zermatt Cervinia Valtournenche ski area opens up to a whole different level. The skiing is steep, deep and in the right conditions, it is the best ski area in the world.
Are you going to do a video about the 3 Valleys in France? I think that us the largest resort in the world.
Yep!
@@PeakRankings would be amazing if you did one for Verbier/4 vallées too. There was the RedBull Homerun just yesterday
Cervina Is planning to one day installed 3S gondola’s to go up to the border. When that happens wind closures will not occur as much as they are very wind tolerant compared to trams and gondolas.
Go to Saas fee, I’ve done a decades worth of seasons there. The slack country is incredible
Zermatt used to be near the top of my bucket list. Not anymore!
I went few weeks ago (i have some vids on my channel), and I agree with most that was said. There were many US skiers there I talked to.
We were there a week before you filmed this. Great resort, just hindered by wind and subsequently restricted up high, which limits the decent runs. So mediocre might be harsh but agree is pretty limited skiing without all the upper lifts going.There is really only 3 ways to access the mountain too counting the train, all going in different directions. I disagree it is difficult to navigate though. It isn't complicated really as there aren't that many options. I recognised where every shot you showed was and we only skied 7 days.
Went to 3 Valleys the week after, at VT, and got to say, the terrain, snow quality, overall lift layout and run variety etc was way better there.
Agree with your point on navigation and I too recognise where every on piste shots are made.
Excellent info. Thankyou.
I love your channel and have been a subscriber here and on another account. I believe you should have another category for convenience. For example, there are no ski-in, ski-out accommodations in Zermatt (except for one on the Gornergrat side). It takes you a minimum of 20 - 45 mins to get to the slopes if you're lucky. You know what I mean. Let me use Vail as a comparison, you can ski in town if you're lodge is down there. Walk a minute to the lifts and you're off. Zermatt having the most beautiful scenery falls short due to this and is just a pain to get to the slopes! I agree with your ranking and I enjoy it a lot. Thank you once again, and please consider adding the convenience rating. One thing you forgot to mention, Zermatt has an okay terrain park at best!
Thanks for the comment and suggestion! We didn’t find the walk to the lifts to be too bad, although it certainly depends on where you’re staying.
@@PeakRankings Thank you for the response. Correct, however I meant if you miss the train to Gornergrat by a minute you'll have to wait 24 mins for the next one. That ride lasts around 20 mins to the top. So 44 mins of delay to get to the slopes. The Matterhorn gondola is like 40 mins to the top station and then another 10 mins to the glacier area. 50 mins to the slopes or 40 mins top station of that gondola. You mentioned wind factor and I've been to Zermatt 3 times this past 12 months and wind is always closing down the glacier area. Like 70% of the time. You were really lucky on that trip! Keep those videos coming!!! THANK YOU!!
@SAS-by4bt thats all correct but the vernacular is the best option. Goes regulary and is fast. From there can access where the train goes and get over to GMP too by skiing, which is the whole point right. We started there at 9 doing a few runs until they told us Cervinia was open at 10, and then still made it over to Italy by 11.30.
Interested to hear this , pedestrianisation is probably the cause of it and sounds like the experience we uad in Chamonix having to rely on public transport to get anywhere was a pain .
@@scollyutube That's great! Thanks to @peakrankings for making this video and many videos to come! I only commented on Zermatt because I feel I'm an expert here. I've ridden just this year in Zermatt (twice) Vail, Beaver Creek, Mammoth, Whistler, Sun Peaks, Big White, Park City, 5 resorts in Austria and going to the 3 Valleys and Val d'Isere to close the season. I just don't find Zermatt convenient, that's all. HOWEVER, once on the top it's really nice! It's more convenient to stay in Cervinia, honestly!
I have been skiing in Zermatt about 50 times over the years so I know it well. Your review is not bad. I go mainly because there is far less snow boarders than other resorts probably as its so expensive and I find it more spacious and less congested. No waiting at lifts and snow sure...I go December to April
Go to Val d'isere!
Would love to hear your opinion on Livingo. Hope you'll manage to look there someday
There's a resort in Austria that had an underground funicular. It caught on fire in 2000 and killed 155 people. 12 people escaped the train that caught fire by descending the tunnel, but the others on the train were either trapped, or ascended after getting out. The conductor and only passenger of the other train were asphyxiated by the smoke, as were 4 people in the top station, though one was revived by fire crews. Morbid Midnight has a video on this fire.
It’s better than a “mediocre” resort, that’s just a stupid title.
It’s not my favourite Ski area, but it is stunning, the village is charming, and traffic free, the Matterhorn is hypnotic and the ski area combined with Cervinia is easily enough for a week, without getting bored. The mountain restaurants are lovely and the food excellent.
The trains up the mountains are also a pleasant and different experience to other resorts.
It is a great place to go and anyone who hasn’t been should visit.
You won’t be disappointed.
Honestly, this video is really not fair. Clearly during their visit conditions were not the best, a week later or 2 before and the experience would be totally different. This season has been tough for below 2500 meters.
Navigation 2. Like everywhere, look at the ski map and time table first and you won't miss anything!! And the crowd is almost inexistant on the Swiss side, expect between Christmas and New Year (e.g. wait for 1, max 2 Big cablecar Gant Hottäli), The rest of the season you can grab the same gondola again at the bottom, after 1,000 meters of altitude gain on the White Hare, and immediately ride back up.
I have been wanting to go to Zermatt for years. You just convinced me not to go anyway 😂😂. Very good informative video 👍🏻
It's the Vail of Europe
By that I mean extensive terrain that's solid yet unremarkable, fantastic lift system yet crowded runs, along with a lively and active town. Both are great for the person who wants to ski a little alongside shopping, eating, and going out.
The signage problem is the same all across the Swiss resorts. Compared to the French Alps they have completely removed the Green piste designation (really helpful for amateurs) and the signs don't count down the length of the piste so you're not sure when you're getting close to the end.
Decent review, but a few things are completely incorrect. You gave a 7 for crowd flow, but having been there 6 times, the crowd doesn’t even come close to American resorts. So that score is completely incorrect. The other thing you mentioned which is incorrect IMO is Navigation. The resort has an app witn a state of the art map which makes navigation fairly easy. Navigation in places like Vail or Breckenridge is no better or worse. Lastly, the footage in the video looks like it was taken in late winter. The grooming in Zermatt is second to none and much better in my experience than at American resorts. I have never experienced “east coast” conditions in the 6 times I have skied there. Zermatt is an absolute winner compared to most resorts. You should adjust some of these scores.
Thanks for your comment Sander and appreciate the feedback. We visited Zermatt in late January and early February this year, and all our footage is from those time periods.
We are going to stand by our scores for now. While the lift lines themselves are significantly less of an issue than in the US, Zermatt’s issue is the congestion on the pistes. Since our crowd flow category measures both lift lines and crowds on the slopes, we deducted points from Zermatt due to its experience with the latter.
In terms of navigation, the app can be helpful when riding the lifts or before starting a run. However, in our view it’s tough to use while actively skiing or riding, making it difficult to make important game-time decisions when it comes to choosing the right trail / going in the direction of a certain lift or attraction.
Hope this helps clarify things!
@@PeakRankingsyou should have an Idea of what ski runs you are doing before your descent and the slope numbered sign in Europe are generally good..can't see why they need to be bigger !
@@PeakRankings Navigation in Zermatt is better than Vail and Breckenridge, all piste are clearly marked by a number while in the US you get loads a convoluted names for really short runs...
I disagree, the grooming is miserable. I spend about 4 weeks a year in Zermatt, because I have friends there.
Good footage 😊
Part about navigations and stucking in wrong country is sweet... Especialy that you do not show it on maps :)
It is easy to navigate in your own living room. Just preapre before and it will be great :)
Btw great video, keep skiing in Alps then you will change your view on that sport.
You said Cervinia didn't have any freeriding, there is a couple of lines in between the marked piste, with a primary danger of cliffs and rocks.
A good review, although possibly a little harsh based on snow conditions when you went which was worse than usual for that time of the season. I was there from the beginning of March and after several snowfalls, some down to village level, cover was excellent. The off piste really opens up after a dump, so like every resort, your experience will vary hugely depending on when you visit. You wouldn't review Whistler based off the 23/24 season for example. The rest of your analysis was pretty spot on though.
Well done, we are seriously thinking of going in 2025 & that tells us everything!!
As someone who has more than 100 ski days in Zermatt, I could agree with most of the stuff, but some marks are unrealistic. Navigation is not nearly as bad as you are pointing out, one has to take the size into account when judging the navigation (it is significantly easier to make good navigation in 2000 acres resort than in 9 or 14k acres). So realistic mark there should be at least 4 if not 5.
The other thing you are totally wrong in Challenge. It is obvious you haven't tried Stockhorn area which by itself is better than 90% of challenging US resorts (for example you give Vail 7 for challenge and Vail is frankly a joke compared to Zermatt). There is plenty of challenging terrain on Rothorn and even on the lower side of the mountain, but it is true this is heavily affected by the lack of snow. However, you are already penalizing resort for the lack of snow. I would say the actual mark for Challenge should be 7 and you can maybe bring it down to 6 due to lack of snow, but mark 4 is a disgrace. Finally, while quality and quantity of snow is indeed lacking throughout the season, even in the very late season the total opened area available for skiing is larger than the most of US resorts in total, so 6 mark again is unrealistic.
You seems to be heavily US biased. For example, you give bunch of US resorts 10 for aesthetics and they are at least couple of levels below Zermatt. Or for example giving 8 to Snowbird for size while compared to European resorts it's totally mediocre in size, even small. Or lift infrastructure, if Whistler is 10, then Zermatt is 12 for lifts.
There are also other important stuff that ppl in Europe appreciate, for example quality of slope preparation which is better than anything you can find in US, or length of single decent and the mileage you can travel descending on skis in a day or total altitude difference you can make in a day which is again incomparable to anything in US or North America. I managed on multiple occasions a vertical difference of 12km (that's over 40k feet!!!) in a single day in Zermatt.
Finally, since you are comparing overpriced crappy infrastructure and wild North American resorts to cultivated and technologically advanced, far better organized and above all affordable European resorts you should at least introduce a category of "value for the money".
I actually think the navigation in Zermatt is much better than Vail (I assume you have also been there based on your comments). It is so easy to go down the wrong runs in front side Vail while I have never gone down a wrong run in Zermatt.
Also agree that that the aesthetics of the European Alps is generally unmatched in the Rockies. I also rarely find bubbles lifts with heated seats in the North American resorts that I have been to, such as the Epic resorts in Colorado, Tahoe and Whistler.
I agree with you that Vail is harder to navigate but Zermatt doesn't have the challenging terrain like Vail does just because it's closed most of the time. It's easy to fine challenging terrain in Vail, but in Zermatt, it's hard to find it. That's what the video was referring to, in my opinion. Good observation on the navigation part!
Stockhorn area? The cable car there has been down for years, the Triftji and Stockhorn T-bars as closed. And to Rote Nase, thy will only let you with a ski instructor or guide.
You can ski Hohtäli, but it is full of rocks.
@@kalle7741 Well, this and last years were bad. Before 2021 I've never seen rocks on Hohtäli. Triftji and Stockhorn T-bars were open just 3 weeks ago. Cable car to Stockhorn has been closed for good since 2007, however Rote Nase cable car is typically working even though not the last two years and is more than sufficient. And regarding ski instructor or guide for Rote Nase, I call it BS. Skied there a bunch of times even without backcountry gear, never ever being asked for a ski instructor or a guide.
@@perakojot6524 1. So the T-bar to Stockhorn was open in March? (It would be happy news.)
2.The Triftji T-bar? (Same applies.)
3. The cable car to Rote Nase is with instructor only. May be without in March. When did you ski there?
You ranked Mont Tremblant? I can't find the video. Could you give me the link? Much appreciated!
Video isn’t up yet, but should be soon!
Written review: www.peakrankings.com/content/tremblant
@@PeakRankings thx
Seriously if the coloured and numbered signs in Europes ski areas are a problem for any skier then maybe those skiers should stick to nursery slopes. Not sure why intermediate reds should pose a problem for any skiers other than complete beginners....