Whilst most people’s ‘powder skiing places to visit’ list might have included ski areas like Whitewater, Mt Baker, Snowbird, Niseko or Hakuba, my list always had Grimentz Zinal on it. Yep, say it again. Grimentz Zinal. For years I’d looked on as the trail map slowly but surely evolved. I watched with delight as a cable car connection between the two resorts was established a few years ago. I watched with dismay as my local currency fell against the Swiss franc, only to rise again (lift passes are cheap here anyway). And finally, in early Feb 2019 I arrived via train & bus at the tiny village of St Jean, just down the road from Grimentz, tail wagging.

Snow had fallen the previous few days & the sun had been largely absent, so I was super excited to wake up to a cold, bluebird morning. The day started well – got first gondola. The first tracks crowd was about 70 people – just the way we like it. Monday mornings don’t get any better!

Some nice fresh lines were chalked up from the top of Grimentz under the towering spire of the Bec de Bossons. Super dry snow & a crisp blue sky is so tasty. A few groups were skinning up & heading out to their own private stashes. The groomers were perfect for all the families on the hill, the mountain huts were doing a brisk trade in the sunshine & the terrain parks were even getting a workout (there was powder for goodness sakes – what is wrong with some people!).

As the day progressed, I got to know the lay of the land too. From the top of the Orzival lift, some sensational 1500m (5000ft) vertical backcountry freeride runs in deep powder on north aspect terrain all the way back into St Jean were a highlight. Fresh lines amongst well-spaced trees in the lower mountain finally gave way to alpine meadows, the odd barb wire fence & hay barns. True Swiss Alps skiing at its absolute best. A drink at the local bar whilst waiting for the next bus up was just the tonic before taking the cable car across to Zinal.

Zinal has some delightfully long fall line piste trails & freeride zones. Whilst it is hard not to just stop & stare dumbfounded by the stupendous views; or succumb to the calling of a sun lounger & a bevy, the skiing should win out. Legs quickly turning to mush, I had scoped some lines under the cable car that would lead me (eventually) back to Grimentz. Finishing the day as the sun was disappearing, skiing knee deep powder was perfect. The last long point & shoot schuss back into Grimentz providing time to smile & reflect on an awesome experience.

So even though the day’s skiing was perfect, is Grimentz Zinal perfect? Through my rose-coloured lenses, it seemed so. Yeh ok some of the ski lifts in the resort are old & relatively shit. There is no other way to say it. But the lifts at Whitewater are rubbish too! The older style ski lifts just reinforce that whilst Grimentz-Zinal is growing in popularity, it is not nearly so over-crowded that it needs to replace perfectly good T-bars with 8-person hooded chairs with heated seats. Let’s hope the day never comes. A few other little niggles exist but nothing insurmountable. Trying to speak French being one of them. My French is awful, but that’s my fault! Most of the local’s English is excellent by comparison.

I could harp on longer & throw around a few more superlatives, but it should suffice to know that I got exactly what I’d hope for in Grimentz Zinal. It is a fantastic ski destination for any real, imagined or budding Powderhound. Oh……… and I have been to Whitewater, Mt Baker, Snowbird, Niseko & Hakuba (et al) lots of times. They are alright, but not as good as Grimentz Zinal. Peep peep, toot toot.

You can see our thoughts on the pros & cons on the Grimentz Zinal overview page and also see our European ski resort ratings regarding how we score it compared to other skiing areas.