What skiing dreams are made of

I sat anxiously staring outside of the glass windows of the gondola, the village of Zermatt where I started was far out of sight. In its place was now a white mountain slope intercepted only by blue glaciers. A riot of mountain peaks extended from left to right on the horizon. It was an exhilarating start for the skiing day that began right outside the steps of the Excelsior hotel where we were staying for the trip. An electric bus promptly picked us up and dropped in front of a cable car station where the lift was headed to the Matterhorn glacier paradise. The name of it truly justifies what I ended up after the ride, a glacier paradise!

Walking out of the last cable car that went over the seracs and crevasses of the blue Theodul glacier to reach the top of the steep Klein Matterhorn, a cold jet hit my face and I could feel the wind chill of being at 3800 mts. I was entranced at the visual spread of mountains neatly laid out before my eyes. I stared down at twisting trails and our planned route back on skis through a ski area renowned for year around skiing. It also happens to be the highest in Europe and the largest summer skiing area in the world. With a plume of snow billowing in our wake we started off downhill on our skis.

It was a clear blue day and the sun reflected dazzlingly on the white snow. We passed by sign boards warning of crevasses if we treaded outside the maintained trails. Orange markers joined by a rope made sure we didn’t  stray off the groomed path. The grandeur of the alps stretched in all directions while the peak of Matterhorn distinctively stood out in reachable distance. Each time I looked at it I would think, the view of Matterhorn wouldn’t get any glorious than this. But the mountain was hard pressed to swoon us and with every turn we made, we fell in love with the monolith face of this mightiness.

There were skiers of all ability, abilities better than mine,  skiing with breathtaking agility and speeding past. They would blur out of focus as fast as they came in the frame. After the long ski run to the village, sitting in the warmth of a bus, as a water drop trickled down my nape I realized how much snow had gotten under my jacket.

We had a great time skiing at Zermatt but what really makes this a great ski holiday? This is what we think, read on.

Snow conditions

I totally believe powder has healing powers and its available in plenty at Matterhorn. The simple secret for reliable snow has always been, the higher the better. It holds absolutely true at Zermatt. The cable car to the Matterhorn glacier paradise puts ski enthusiasts at a height of 3883 mts, the highest in Europe. Snow is guaranteed at such elevation and skiing is possible even in summers, its hard to go wrong choosing Zermatt for a ski holiday.

Miles of playground

Whats better than great snow conditions, more of it. With over 360 kms of piste and even more available for heliskiing, its hard not to be kept entertained by the different terrains, snow parks and endless views. The ski area stretches to the Italian side to the town of Cervinia. One can claim having crossed countries on skis ;). Our pick of the best run also happens to be the longest ski run in Europe, its 25kms starting from the Matterhorn glacier paradise to get down to Zermatt.

Igloo village

Imagine waking up on a bed of ice and be ready to hit the slopes right outside the door. We arrived at Zermatt a week earlier than the planned opening of the biggest igloo at Igloo Dorf. But we heard rave reviews of the igloos glistening with snow crystals and about relaxing in the hot tubs after a fun day on the slope all while overlooking Zermatt and the mighty alps  until the sky is taken over by stars. Igloo Dorf also welcomes day time visitors to enjoy some fondue or mulled wine in their igloo restaurant while ice sculptures stare down the hungry guests.

Fast lifts

The vast Zermatt Matterhorn ski area is connected by modern mountain lifts, cable cars and a train. Peaks spread out beyond the valleys, glaciers tread down and the lakes glimmer in afternoon sunshine. So even if one is not into winter sports, there is a lot to do with so much accessibility.

Mountain vistas

Zermatt is fringed with the tallest mountains in the alps, 38 of which are over 4000 mts high. Its a paradise served an a plate of white for any alpine enthusiast. There are awe inspiring panorama points at Rothorn, Trockener Steg, the Matterhorn glacier paradise for that perfect photograph to take back home some memories.

Fine dining

Its claimed that Zermatt has the highest concentration of gourmet restaurants apart from the mighty 4000 mts peaks its surrounded by. From simple swiss fondue to elaborate multi course meals spanning delicacies from around the world Zermatt can keep any foodie going for days. Its a perfect place to relax and rewind in a town that has its own charm and culinary delicacies to boot.

Apres ski & nightlife

Believe it or not there is a term for all the fun that is had in the evenings at a ski resort after all the skiing and snowboarding on the slopes, Apres Ski. A great way to keep the day’s high going is at trendy mountain huts listening to great music and enjoying some hot and cold drinks. In Zermatt there are plenty of options to choose from for that great Apres ski experience.With myriad skis and snowboards parked outside its door Hennu Stall is hard to miss on the final run down to Zermatt. We would inevitably end up here in the evenings and absolutely loved the energetic crowd dancing away in their helmets and ski boots. It is only ideal that you continue this dancing at the local pub down in Zermatt. Be warned, parties in Zermatt can often get endless. Zermatt also hosts concerts year around and next time we will plan our trip right to experience the heady mix of live music and mountains.

If you go, the Zermatt Matterhorn website has extensive resources to plan an epic holiday and activities around Zermatt.

We would like to thank Visit Zermatt for hosting us during our stay in Zermatt. Of course all opinions expressed here are our own.