Zermatt and Cervinia 2025-26

A snowHead

Really grateful for the updates @JohnMo.
Looking at the live maps, I notice the Riffelalp reds, most of the Gifthittli blues and everything over by Kumme are still closed. Do you know if there is a schedule for these to open, or is it based on conditions/base depth? I've never been this early in the season, so I don't know if I should be expecting any of those runs to open before Christmas.

A snowHead

I'm heading to Aosta for a long weekend from Friday and Cervinia looks to be worth a trip given the amount open compared to elsewhere.
Is it worth parking at Valtournenche, or carrying on up to Breuil for a day?

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Cervinia is 15-20 minutes further driving. Parking is free at Valtournenche but €10 at Cervinia gondola. Lifts up from Valtournenche are all fast. Easy connections to CBL side of Cervinia, new fast lifts in both directions. The slight difficulties are getting between CBL and PM sides of Cervinia. Either you have to ski down to the village or ski through Switzerland and don’t miss the left turn to Theodulpass (unless you have an international lift ticket). Both seem much more of an issue before you get there than they are IRL. The worst 2 lifts are the PM-CBL gondola (long and pretty flat) and the Plateau Rosa cable car. Pick a route that only involves doing these once each but you should make the effort to get over to Pancheron at least.

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@what...snow, excellent information, thanks!

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@what...snow, Heading to Cervinia for a week in mid January .
Was wandering which are the best lifts to use to get over to Zermatt.
Also any recommendations for bars for a bit of apres after a days skiing.
.

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@Chicko, There’s 2 ways over.

1. 3 chairs in a row from Plan Maison takes you to Theodulpass. Turn left at the first junction for Zermatt, just after the restaurant. There’s a big sign.

2. Plateau Rosa cable car from Cime Blanche Laghi. It’s a big old cable car and they will cram everyone in before it goes. Less comfortable than being sat on a chairlift. Again turn left at the huge sign.

I was skiing with my son and we could ski straight into our hotel so we went for a drink up the mountain before skiing home, at Teodulo or Bontadini as that’s the side we needed to be. The loudest après we passed was the bar beside Pancheron and I think pounding up from under the Dragon hotel in the village, near the bottom of Cretaz.

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@what...snow, Thanks much appreciated.

After all it is free

Thanks. Fingers crossed all goes to plan, then. The webcam at Hurli is looking very enticing, so hopefully that'll open soon too.

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6 of us arrived in Cervinia Monday afternoon following 2days snow? Conditions are excellent, it’s very cold at night but bright sunshine all day. Not many layers needed. People in shirtsleeves at lunch at Cretaz today. I skied Cervinia, my 5 friends went to Zermatt and missed the last link back by 14 minutes! Not getting rooms, they’re in a taxi at present expecting a 3.5/4 hour trip. €800

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Would have been cheaper to stay the night in zermatt and ski back tom morning. They could be enjoying some apres now instead of a 4 hour car journey.

Just checked Bookings.com and 2 rooms for 5 persons 450 chf.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

They just didn’t plan it properly, had a meal, had one more run, lost someone for a while, the whole 9 yards. Taxi came to €900. It was mentioned I’d have to pay my share out of the whip!! So me getting out later worked well for me. Also they were charged €50 extra for the add on to Zermatt, we thought is was €21 but heyho. They did consider rooms but said sod it let’s get back.

A snowHead

@Stevo55, Easy done. I am always really strict with family/friends when they visit if they go over to the other side without me. There are “last lifts back to Switzerland” signs on the main lifts and I tell them to make absolutely sure they are on the lifts before that time. Of course being a hypocrite I ignore the timings on the “I know better” principle. One day that will bite me on the backside.

A snowHead

Just stumbled on this forum. In the US and planned my first trip to Alps. 2 50+ year old snowboarders who can keep up with kids half our age...as long as it doesn't involved intentional air. Accidental air is acceptable. Alcohol mandatory.

Rather impulsive trip planning. That said we have an Airbnb in Valtournenche. First week in March. Flying into Milan, renting car and driving up. Anything I might have missed?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Anyone one the ground in Zermatt? How are things looking there?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Just on the train up to Gornegrat and it’s looking pretty good. A useful top up yesterday. Shame the lower slopes don’t open until next week.

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After all it is free

I think a hidden cost that people dont factor in is also your ski pass, even if international, if bought on Italian side has to be initiated there every morning, so you would also have to buy a new international lift pass on the Swiss side to get back

I'd still stay personally, rather than spend hours in an expensive taxi

Surely you could hike up also? The run down from the top / Cervinia is gentle enough.

Also in a lot of countries you could prob pay a pisteur or restaurant worker to bring you up on a skidoo, but suspect the Swiss are too officious for that.

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I'm coming to Cervina for New Year week with my wife and daughter for the first time. My daughter and I will ski anything pisted (within reason) my wife is a nervous intermediate and doesn't like steep sections. Any recommendations for first time visitors / must do's? From what I've read so far blues 6, 26, 5 would suit my wife perfectly, but would be good to get her on some of the easier reds. Thanks

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There's always some douche who misses last lift.

Hotel in resort or valley always cheaper than cross-border taxi.

In other news... Zermatt is building an 850ft / 260m skyscraper.

Poor people will live in floors 2-32.

Rich folk in floors 33-62.

Will open in the 2030s.

Marks a new era for Alpine building design.

Expect more Alpine skyscrapers elsewhere in the future.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-oddities/a-260-metre-skyscraper-in-zermatt/90460061

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Most regulars will know our American friend who has never been to Zermatt and whose post is above. The building was discussed above: short answer - it is not being built.

You know it makes sense.

@Proxii, Many thanks, that's very helpful. Looks like you've had great conditions this week.

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This has been a good / very good start to the season with snow starting early and building up into a decent base. However, we have kept having quite long dry stretches. We had good tops ups at the beginning of last week and the beginning of this week but we are still in a relatively dry period.

Ironically the mega week of Christmas where there a lot of intermediate piste skiers who would love clear days looks very unsettled. Even the very short term is still subject to massive uncertainty. It does look as though there will be snow on and off all next week. TBD quite how much.

A snowHead

It's been snowing on and off here in Cervinia since yesterday afternoon now, probably around 10-15cm of new snow. Some lovely powder this morning but poor visibility for most of the day.

A snowHead

Snowing in sunnega here today but not trockener steg/glacier paradise. We will see what we wake up to tomorrow.
Overall, conditions aren't terrible and they are better than I expected. Hard pack, and ice in a few spots, but well groomed everywhere.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

While there has been a few top ups (including in the past week) it seems a long time since there was a proper dump. Nothing looking likely in the coming week - nice weather for the New Years week crowd though.

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Fireworks banned for New Year in Zermatt. This prolonged dry period is really getting very annoying. After such a good start as well.

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How are the piste conditions in Cervinia? It seems that they have gotten far more top-ops than the rest of the Alps to the East and North, such as St. Moritz and the Arlberg. Are they nice and buttery or hard-pack and icy?

Thinking of going with a nervous intermediate in three days.

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Thanks for the heads up!

After all it is free

I have been in Zermatt for the last two days.

Yesterday we went over to Cervinia, down to the village and down to Valtournenche too. Today we started on Sunnegga and worked our way round via Gornergrat to Furi and skied the Schwarzee area this afternoon. So fair to say we have covered a fair bit of the area and have a feel for conditions overall.

I was expecting the conditions in Cervinia to be markedly better than Zermatt given they have had more recent snow, but I don't think there is much difference.

Both days have been blue skies with today colder than yesterday. A bit of wind in parts yesterday but today felt more still where we were at least. Definitely proper cold temperatures though with moments of brain freeze.

The pistes are nearly all open, apart from some blacks, where we can see the snow cannons going and piste bashers working, so maybe they are trying to get them open.

Generally the snow is fine to ski on. It's hard packed with plenty of soft on top of most pistes. Actual real ice is rare. However skiers who aren't confident may not like the hard packed areas where you can't grip on it so well. I have definitely been on December trips in the past where it's much worse with proper sheet ice.

The New Year queues were worse in Cervinia yesterday than Zermatt today.

My other half preferred the Cervinia skiing, and I had a better time in Zermatt today. I guess it's a case of horses for courses.

The locals are definitely a bit glum about the lack of snow in recent weeks and in the forecast. They are going to need a lot to fall for the off piste to open up.

Hope this helps with your decision.

Id agree with above. I've been here for about 10 days and have skied every run there is both here and italian side.

The snow was a bit better in Cervinia today but I think it's just because they've been blowing more. The lift lines were quite long however which negated the nicer snow. A few runs were buttery soft but the runs under the main lifts up from plan maison were quite hard packed and very crowded. The nr 7 piste down was lovely.

I've only come across a few places of pure sheet ice and they've been in Zermatt. But it's been sunny so they are sort of easy to spot. There was a big one on the lower section of the newly opened nr 15. Down lower on other pistes there have quite a few icy super hard scraped clean spots.

we ski here every holiday periods and while this one hasn't been the best in terms of snow, it's definitely not the worst either. Should be quite cold next week and the have been making snow the last 2 days to hopefully open up some more.
It's definitely chattery slightly more demanding skiing right now than the average soft groomer.

I've avoided skiing to the village from
Sunnega, it's a madhouse. But furi down is fine.

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I've been here (Cervinia) the last 3 days for the first time. It's been interesting for sure, favourite so far is run 7, an absolute cracker. For me, a once or twice a year skier, conditions have been great overall. A little icy in the shade lower down in the afternoon, but on the whole can't complain. Queues at the lifts have been insane in the mornings though, I usually ski this week in other resorts and have never seen as bad. I assume that's because there's a limited number of starting points, as up on the slopes haven't actually been crowded, the volume has seemed to disperse well. Looking forward to exploring further in the remainder of the week.

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Zermatt and Cervinia 2025-26

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