Grimentz Zinal has long been a Powderhounds’ favourite simply because it always provides the goods when we visit. And what a difference the new gondola makes to the Zinal sector of the hill. The previous old cable car provided a comparatively slow, uncomfortable journey to the ski terrain. The new gondola has not only slashed waiting times on busy mornings, but also goes higher up the mountain, ending at a new (monstrous) mountain top lair integrated with the Weisshorn cable car from Grimentz. It is a far cry from the old open terminal & outdoor bar that once graced this area. The spit and polished fine dining and bar/cafe seem out of place and unnecessary in Zinal. The facility would be more at home at Verbier or Crans Montana.

As with previous visits to the region, the snow was cold and deep (noting that we do time it to ensure such conditions). The runs from the top of Zinal’s 2,895m Corne de Sorebois were sublime. Skied the ‘backside’ chutes back into the lower Zinal lifts for the first time with a couple of Belgian crew. I have skied these previously toward Grimentz, linking into the Chamois run, but never back into Zinal. Found stellar, deep snow and a snowboarder-friendly traverse/exit back to the 55-year-old Tsarmettaz J-bar. (yep, 55 years old and still a critical piece of infrastructure on a powder day). That’s a total of over 600m skiable vertical which is just right for my aging legs.

With limited lifts on the first ski day, skiing the short but sweet steeps directly under the top station of the gondola was a real treat, and previously unattainable under the circumstances, first thing in the morning.

The skiing was so good in Zinal that despite my best intentions, I never ventured across to Grimentz. It didn’t help that the Chamois trail was closed 3-days running due to avalanche hazard, but given we safely skied most of the off-piste terrain above it, the closure seemed without merit.

A short word of warning for anyone considering the valley trail to Zinal. The lower section can be very tough (steep, bumped, icy), particularly later in the day. If in doubt, download on the gondola.

Eating on the mountain at Zinal is in 3 locations. The aforementioned new fine diner at Weisshorn; the original, popular Le Montagnard with its self-service & full-service restaurant at the gondy mid-station; plus the La Marmotte mountain hut in between. The most affordable lunch options are at the self-service restaurant, but it can have crowds of school kids too, so time your lunch a little earlier to avoid the noise. Tasty baguettes with fillings including steak can be had at the quieter La Marmotte but prices are very Swiss, and be warned, the coffee is rubbish and served in paper cups. For a good (ish) coffee, go to the Weisshorn.

Stayed at the perfectly located Hotel Le Besso in Zinal. Fine hospitality & food in a traditional hotel right next to the main bus stop (Zinal Centre), ice rink and supermarket, plus opposite the valley trail exit. The gondola was a few minutes stroll from the hotel.

Zinal village is situated amongst a spectacular mountain backdrop & retains much of its authenticity, with numerous ‘original’ buildings surviving more recent developments . There are a plethora of fine bars & restaurants to choose from. The best for a drink is Bar e Vox. If the weather is amenable and you have downloaded on the gondy, Bar Telepherique cleverly utilises the old cable car carriages as it basic structure and combines good tunes with booze in an outdoor setting. Franky’z Pub is ok, but the best service is very much reserved for ‘locals’, which I found quite off-putting. For evening dining you can choose from all sorts of fabulous options at each of the hotels/guesthouses, or a local creperie - Le Dahu. Peruse the menus out the front of each establishment to see what suits you best. The menus at Hotel Le Trift & Pension de la Poste look excellent, but the small dining rooms may require reservations most nights.

Don’t be surprised if you meet a Belgian at Zinal. The resort is very popular with them and caters to loads of Belgian school groups too, which thankfully stick to the novice trails.

As per my previous visit here, I took the train to Sierre/Sider then the buses up the mountain with the obligatory swap at Vissoie. It was as seamless as usual, the only pain being the lack of decent waiting room at the Sierre bus terminus. I enjoyed a lovely lunch with exceptional service at the Le Buffet de la Gare whist waiting for my bus.

Grimentz Zinal is one of those wonderful Swiss ski areas that during quiet, snowy weeks out of peak season, provides the best kind of powder ski experience without completely destroying your bank balance. Go here during a storm cycle and reap the powder rewards and then add it to your 'favorites' list as well.

See our thoughts about the resort’s pros & cons on our Grimentz Zinal overview page.

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Grimentz is lovely. I skied four days in Grimentz-Zinal in early March of 2024. It’s such a lovely ski destination all together. Very chill, no stress, and not much of a see-and-be-seen vibe as other higher end places have. You go to Grimentz to ski. And to relax. Were i to get married i may even suggest going there for your honeymoon. If the snow is good, there’s ample off-piste/freeride opportunities, if there’s no powder you cruise on the wide, well prepared, uncrowded groomers. And then you stop at a hut for a Vin Chaud if you get cold. All main terrain on both sides is above the magic 2000m limit which keeps the slopes and snow in good condition even with no recent snowfall. I stayed at Cristal Hotel on the Grimentz side, a classic Alps-style family owned / operated hotel with affordable and comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and an excellent breakfast. I never made it down to the town of Zinal, but the new gondola connecting the two sides makes the Zinal side just about as easily accessible as the Grimentz side when staying in Grimentz. Of the four days I skied, three were on groomers before the powder finally showed up on the last day. Zinal has perhaps the slightly better terrain, and I also found the snow to be of a tad better quality on that side (this could be a coincidence or could be tied to the angle of the sun being slightly more favorable on that side..?). The black runs on top of Zinal are fun, and the off piste looked excellent immediately off the top, although I did not get to partake due to lack of powder. Lift infrastructure seemed a bit dated on the Zinal side with several T-Bars and fixed grip chairs, but it kinda adds to the chill vibe of the area too. You don’t go here to chase vert, and fixed grip chairs gives you more time to talk on the ride back up.
The Grimentz side is slightly larger, lifts are a bit more updated, the groomers are wide and fun, but the terrain is for the most part not super challenging. When the powder arrived on the final day I skied (perhaps against my better judgement..) the Grimentz side. My off piste review is therefore based on Grimentz alone.. Terrain immediately off the top of the blue bubble chair was fun, and so was the terrain at the very top of the resort accessible with the T-Bar and a short hike. The freeride terrain I skied was not super challenging, but steep and long enough to break a sweat. I did not try to hike the ridge at the very top of the resort. There are definitely some short, but super challenging runs to be had there and the entry into each run looked gnarly...
I probably should have skied Zinal on the powder day instead, the freeride terrain down by the dam looked amazing, and the off piste off of the main run back from Zinal to Grimentz looked super fun. That will have to be next time, and I will definitely be back.
Apres is subdued, but Hotel Alpina at the Grimentz bottom station was a fun place to stop for a drink after a day of skiing, and Hotel Cristal also offered a small, short, but really fun apres as well. Cheese fondue at La Claire Fontaine was superb and highly worth a visit. The many cranes and real estate developments in Grimentz suggest that times may be changing, but for now I found the mountain to be uncrowded, and the powder lasted the entire day once it finally snowed.
Next time I go I will probably be more opportunistic and try to chase a storm there to take advantage of the great off piste. After three days of groomers I had skied them all and did not feel super challenged, and I probably would not go back just go ski all of them again. But oh what a lovely town, chill atmosphere, fantastic scenery and overall great place to visit.
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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.

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