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Need advice for skiing easiest runs in Zermatt and St. Moritz

Hi,
I plan to spend one day each before and after the Glacier express ride in early February.
I would love to ski for a couple of hours in each area, but really need the most gentle runs. Could you please help me with the logistics? Which lift to take when I am in Zermatt and where to rent the skies to make it easier for me? Also where in St. Moritz should I go for half a day of gentle skiing,,ideally with beautiful views of the mountains and lakes? Where to stop for a nice drink with a view?
Thank you!

Posted by
700 posts

While I understand the intent, this is really a bit of an inefficient idea, since you'll
have to go through all the overhead/hassle for a couple of hours of skiing. Also,
considering it's Switzerland, not cheap.

I have not been to St Moritz, but in Zermatt, some of the runs off the Suneggabahn
are gentle, and also lead to a trove of nice restaurants heading down towards
Findeln. The Sunegga also starts from town so fairly accessible (the lift structure
in Zermatt is not that dense or easy to get to). But for your purposes, I would also
consider ditching the skiing in Zermatt and just taking the train to the top of the
Gornergrat. You'll get all the views, a long train ride to catch scenery, copious
views of the Matterhorn, and a place at the top for dining/drinking. Get off at
Riffelberg and go to the hotel Riffelhaus for a view as well.

The Gornergrat also starts in town, so easy to get to. As for ski shops, they will be
chock-a-block along the main streets.

Note that most runs are above the treeline, so you can see what's coming up a long
way off (unless it's foggy, in which case you can't see a thing). The difficulty ratings
for a run are just approximations, since you often have a large width of trail to pick
your route from. Finally, the runs are long, with little option for bailing out should you
get to a place where you feel you are overmatched.

If you go ahead with the skiing plan, you might wish to consider hiring a guide to
make sure you get around efficiently and safely. Might even be able to cut the
lift lines.

Posted by
7329 posts

Zermatt and easy skiing don't go hand-in-hand; there are easy runs in various areas but it tends to be disjointed if you cannot go down a red (intermediate) piste.

Sunnegga was mentioned, indeed you can cruise from Blauherd down to Findeln via Sunnegga on an easy piste, facing the Matterhorn and with some of the best restaurants in the resort near Findeln (Chez Vrony, Paradise, Findlerhof - reservations essential in all three!).

Just below Gornergrat, the chairlift up from Riffelberg has several easy pistes along it. You could also try to go down from Gornergrat but the very top of the piste is a bit steeper and narrower despite its blue (easy) rating.

Last but not least, despite the red ratings, everything above Trockener Steg is fairly easy (a bit less that what I previously mentioned, though). The two Furggsattel runs are very, very wide so the steeper gradient at the top is forgiving, and the run down from Klein Matterhorn is not too challenging either; the steeper pitches are very wide - don't take a wrong turn to Italy, though.

If you want a skiing route for the day, you can combine all three in the order I listed them. From Findeln, take the chairlift to Breitboden, then the Balmbrunnen run to Riffelalp (red, but not nasty), and the train up towards Riffelberg or Gornergrat.
Once you're done there, do not ski down below Riffleberg (it is not that easy), but take the gondola down to Furi, and up to Trockener Steg.