The mountain village of Zermatt is one of the great ski and climbing centres of the world. Nestled in a deep valley enclosed between steeply scarped mountains, it is dominated by the huge and gracefully curved pyramid of the Matterhorn.

From the moment you step off your Swiss-red train, and catch sight of the cobbled streets, you know you are in a special place. What strikes me most often is the silence. There are no cars here. This immediately creates a welcoming atmosphere. The air is fresh and alpine. But more than this, you immediately feel a part of the village. It draws you in. Most everyone is on foot, locals and visitors alike. The main street bustles happily with pedestrians. There are no impersonal tour buses belching out noise, fumes, and package tourists. Zermatt is no auto through-route. The train stops here. All journeys on from here are on foot or ski. Everyone is here because they love mountains. Walking through the cobbled paths of town, between the ancient sunburnt barns and chalets, you catch your first glimpse of the Matterhorn and know you have come to the right place. You will immediately feel like you have stepped back in time. Welcome to Zermatt…

To access the ski terrain, we take three different trams to reach the top of the mountain, which is called the Klein Matterhorn.  The elevation is quite high (3883m) and it can take some people a while to get used to the altitude.  It takes almost an hour to access the skiing from the time you arrive at the base tram – but its well worth the wait. 

Because the skiing is on a glacier, the runs are serviced by t-bars, however there is a chairlift near the bottom that runs provided there is enough snow.  The conditions are mid-winter perfect and there are frequent snowfalls – even powder days!  Most of the terrain is intermediate to advanced and there is a surprisingly large amount of vertical to enjoy. The weather this time of year is typically beautiful – sunny and warm.  The snow stays firm all day and there are moguls and off-piste skiing usually open. 

Whether you are aiming to gain focus for the season or are looking to upgrade your certification –Zermatt is the place to do it!

Check out the pictures…