When you work for a season in the Alps it’s a common misconception that you get to ski in lots of places. The key word in the previous sentence is work and therefore you tend to do most of your skiing in and around the same resort. So when you get the opportunity to explore it’s a real bonus.
Annie Donovan and I had planned for ages to visit Zinal, Val d'Anniviers in Switzerland. There is talk of running courses there and neither of us being familiar with the area we thought it was a good idea to go and have a look. It didn’t start well! I had left my stuff with Annie and when we met in Evian she had brought all of it. Well almost all. My ski boots were still in her kitchen, too far away to go and get them so I will rent a pair.
A look at the map showed the nearest of the 5 areas in the valley is St. Luc/Chandolin on a sunny west facing shoulder above the valley. I got a fetching pair of orange head boots from the ski shop, got our tickets and went exploring.
For an area we had never heard of it was surprisingly big. The two areas are separated by a rocky ridge from which there are a number of steep gullies on the Chandolin side and a good selection of more open bowls and easier angled slopes on back into the St Luc pistes. The areas are connected by a 3-person chair running onto the ridge from Chandolin and by a series of drag lifts on the other. A word of warning, if you don’t like button lifts and T-bars, you won’t like it here!
On the far right, (south) side of St Luc is a 2k poma lift, the Pas de Boeuf. The variety of skiing here is vast with much to keep skiers entertained both on and off piste. We really enjoyed this area and felt it would be great for entry level off piste and there are extensive pistes to cater for all abilities as well as for teaching.
We found accommodation right at the end of the valley beyond Zinal at a small Auberge. It is a peaceful place or it would have been if not for the group of school kids who were letting off fireworks late into the evening!
The following morning was another blue sky, sunny day and we were on the Zinal cable car straight after breakfast. At the top station a bowl opened out and the off piste possibilities are endless. We worked our way to the top of the hill at almost 3000 m and looked west over the ridge into a massive off piste area. Looking down to a large lake with a big dam dominating the valley, a big slope at a reasonable angle with very few tracks drew us to explore further. It was a little windblown as we left the ridge but the snow quickly became excellent and we enjoyed a great descent with fresh tracks all the way to the dam 1300m below.
The track to the village of Grimentz took us over the dam and down a track on the left side of the valley. The south facing slopes above had slid quite dramatically in places so we didn’t hang around. Grimentz is the main village of the upper part of the valley and the old part is beautiful and exactly my idea of a classic alpine village.
The ski area of Grimentz s really interesting with many folds, gullies, ridges etc giving lots of good piste skiing and more off piste opportunities than we could count. A quick lunch in the village and we jumped on the bus for a 15 ride back to Zinal. Back on the cable car and straight back up to the summit ridge, followed by a descent down the Chamois bowl. There is a black piste down the bowl which zigzags past the steeper area at the top but the gullies through the rocks were tempting and in great condition and the powder fields below were fantastic.
Rejoining the piste you have the option of returning to Grimentz or taking the track right to Mottec where you meet the bus for a 5 min trip back to the cable car at Zinal.
The bus system was superb, swiss efficiency I suppose, but both buses we went to met were bang on time and would allow easy exploration of the various ski areas.
At Mottec we took off our skis at the road side beside the bus stop nest a chalet which is being renovated by Eric and Penny. They swear it’s going to be ready by March and when it is its going to be a fantastic base for this great ski area.
The term "hidden gem" is becoming overused and the expression “call a place paradise and kiss it goodbye” could apply here but...this might be the best ski area you never heard of!
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