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Ski Switzerland<br />
Time to chill: aprés-ski drinks at Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort in Zermatt<br />
Zermatt<br />
Powder lines beneath one of the<br />
planet’s most remarkable mountains<br />
PASCAL GERTSCHEN<br />
<strong>The</strong> resort in the shadow of the<br />
mighty Matterhorn mountain,<br />
one of the most distinctive rock<br />
formations in the world, Zermatt<br />
is often rightly lauded as among<br />
the planet’s most beautiful ski<br />
destinations. And it’s safe to<br />
say the piste map matches the<br />
scenery. Connecting to Breuil-<br />
Cervinia, a resort on the Italian<br />
side of the Matterhorn (or<br />
‘Cervino’, as it’s called across<br />
the border), the combined<br />
360km of pistes – 200km in<br />
Zermatt and 160km in Italy –<br />
offer endless runs of all grades,<br />
and nearly always look on to<br />
either the north, east or south<br />
face of the Matterhorn. As a<br />
result, Zermatt is incredibly<br />
photogenic. <strong>The</strong> views from the<br />
top of the Monte Rosa glacier are<br />
particularly special, with frozen<br />
mountain lakes visible beneath<br />
the peaks. Just make sure you<br />
don’t miss the last lift home if<br />
you do go to Italy, as it’s a three-<br />
and-a-half-hour drive round the<br />
mountain to get back once the<br />
lifts stop for the day.<br />
<strong>The</strong> option of heading into<br />
Italy for an espresso and a bowl<br />
of pasta for lunch isn’t the worst<br />
add-on for a ski resort, but<br />
what’s great about Zermatt is<br />
that the hefty 200km of pistes<br />
situated in the resort itself are<br />
enough to keep you comfortably<br />
entertained for a week-long stay.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are three main areas in<br />
Zermatt: Rothorn, Gornergrat<br />
and Matterhorn glacier paradise.<br />
<strong>The</strong> glacier delivers what it says<br />
on the tin: it’s a paradise. And<br />
the cable car trip to get you<br />
there will sit nicely on your<br />
Instagram. It reaches the highest<br />
cable car station in Europe at<br />
3,883m. If you want something<br />
a bit more off the beaten track,<br />
then Zermatt also has a full<br />
36km of freeride slopes, denoted<br />
with yellow markings, just<br />
waiting for your tracks.<br />
Nearest airport:<br />
Sion (80km)<br />
Elevation:<br />
1,620m–3,899m<br />
Total piste<br />
distance: 360km<br />
Longest run:<br />
25km<br />
Difficulty:<br />
20% blue (76km);<br />
62% red (220km);<br />
18% black/yellow<br />
(64km)<br />
Number of lifts:<br />
54<br />
More info:<br />
zermatt.ch<br />
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