Switzerland: Swiss Alps – Skiing Zermatt
Skiing at Zermatt is probably the best in Europe. It’s a long way of trains, buses, cablecars and crowds of people to get to the highest point at Klein Matterhorn at 3,883 m (12,740 ft), but from here the world is your oyster! The views are beyond insane in all directions (and the massive triangular peak of Matterhorn looms nearby), and on a clear day you can see well into Italy. The snow is perfect this high up and you are skiing on a glacier so most runs are wide and panoramic. Matterhorn is the most beautiful peak in the Alps – almost a perfect pyramidal shape with the elevation of 4,478 m (14,692 ft). Interestingly, it’s four steep faces point almost exactly to the four compass points. When skiing at Zermatt, there is a track #69 that takes you very close to the base of the mountain. It’s a somewhat narrow and difficult but still groomed track that’s sort of off the beaten path. The sight of the magnificent peak bathing in sunshine is priceless though!
