Zermatt Ski

Zermatt Ski

Zermatt Switzerland is one of the most loved places to ski in the world, and for many good reasons, in addition to the presence of the Matterhorn of course. The town itself is rather small, especially compared to the back drop of the town that is the massive Swiss Alps, and only has between 5,000 and 6,000 people that live there full-time. It is almost always filled with tourists, particularly during the winter, and in fact, there is often as many tourists in the town as there are residents. And most of those visitors are usually there for the skiing, or to participate in other winter sports, but mostly for the skiing for sure.

While the Matterhorn is what mainly attracts winter sports lovers to Zermatt, there are a number of other great ski spots in the part of the Swiss Alps that sits in Zermatt as well. The Matterhorn is no doubt one of the highest peaks that is accessible from Zermatt, but the other mountain peaks that surround it are considerably impressive as well. And skiing any one of them will result in being afforded some of the best views of the Matterhorn, and some of the best mountain scenery in the world, and of course some of the best skiing you will ever find too. Fortunately, visiting Zermatt specifically for the Matterhorn doesn’t mean that you can’t get there and decide to ski other areas around Zermatt as well, and there are a number of additional mountain peaks you will want to check out if you do.

Peaks Higher Than the Matterhorn – The Matterhorn is quite far from being the highest mountain peak in the Swiss Alps, it is simply one of the more impressive. In fact, there are many mountain peaks in this particular mountain range that reach well above 3,000 feet, and even quite a few that reach more than 4,000 feet. The Matterhorn itself is as massive as the latter, but there are still other summits that reach even further into the sky than the great Matterhorn. These higher mountain peaks are located in two distinct areas, which include the Gornergrat area and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise area. In these areas most of the summits you will see will be well over 3,000 feet. Some of the most magnificent summits that you will find in the area, and that are a once in a lifetime sight to see, include the following, in no particular order:

  • Gornergrat
  • Gandegghutte
  • Stockhorn
  • Rosenritz
  • Liskamm
  • Dufourspitze
  • Matterhorn
  • Breithorn

Each of these is accessible by a Zermatt ski lift, as there are many that run every day and take you to numerous spots throughout the Swiss Alps Mountains. One thing is for sure, and that is that Zermatt certainly does accommodate their ski enthusiast visitors. There are also plenty of mountain summits that sit much lower in these areas than those mentioned above, and they are worth seeing and skiing as well. They also make skiing in Zermatt more accessible for those that are beginners, as the skiing in the lower mountain summits is much less difficult. There are also many lower summits in other areas of the mountain as well, although they are a bit further from the Matterhorn, and a bit more difficult to ski than the other lower mountains.

Peaks Lower Than the Matterhorn – Sitting much more to the west of the great Matterhorn are the Rothhorn and Sunnegga areas of the Swiss Alps, and although most of the mountain summits in these areas are not nearly as high as some of those in the Gornergrat and Matterhorn areas, they are in no way less majestic at all. Rothhorn itself reaches over 3,000 feet into the air, but most of the other mountains in these areas are much less than 3,000 feet. These areas are characterized by some pretty steep summits, though, so many of the runs you will find in these areas are for the mid-range and up experience level skier. The great thing about these areas is that there are a number of runs that will take you right back into Zermatt, which is convenient if you are staying in one of the Zermatt hotels, or if you want to stop off in Zermatt to grab a bite to eat. And while the mountain peaks in these areas basically all sit lower than the Matterhorn, there are still massive to be sure. Some of the most magnificent of the smaller mountains in the Swiss Alps include the following:

  • Fluhalp
  • Triftji
  • Breitboden
  • Blauherd
  • Gant
  • Grunsee
  • Findelbach
  • Sunnegga

For the average ski enthusiasts some of these smaller summits are just as enjoyable as the larger ones, because it is the conditions that characterize the mountains more than it is the height when it comes to good skiing. The Sunnegga and Rothhorn areas of the Swiss Alps may be characterized by lower mountain peaks, but they still offer world-class level skiing. A trip to see the Matterhorn is no doubt necessary for sure, because it is a sight like no other that you will ever see again, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spend a lot of your time in other areas of the majestic Swiss Alps Mountains as well.

In order to take advantage of all of the different great ski areas that are accessible from Zermatt you will need at least a week there. The Matterhorn may be the highlight of your Zermatt vacation, but it is definitely not the only thing to enjoy there. Take advantage of everything, and you will surely make memories that will last a lifetime or more.