Grimentz-Zinal (St Luc/Chandolin and Vercorin too)
Grimentz/Zinal are two interconnected ski areas in the beautiful Swiss Anniviers of Valais, south of the Rhone River valley. With over 70 miles of slopes and terrain, Grimentz-Zinal is among the 15 largest Ski resorts in Switzerland, fun for a family ski visit. You can easily ski both in the same day with the interconnected tramway/cable car from the village of Grimentz. And the Val d’Anniviers also is home to Vercorin and St Luc Chandolin Ski Areas, all valid on the same ski pass.
Grimentz slopes start with a gondola ride from the historic Swiss chalet village of Grimentz, on the Bendolla. Zinal, on the other side of the dramatic valley, is reached by a 125-person Cable Car (Tramway) from Grimentz. Or if you are lodging in Zinal, you would start your day on their gondola. The views of Weisshorn glacier, hundreds of surrounding peaks, including Switzerland’s famed 5 4000-meters “The Imperial Crown” and below, the Moiry Dam from both ski arenas are sensational.
Zinal’s on-piste ski terrain is a bit steeper, albeit shorter runs, while Grimentz has some very fun long interesting, more gently pitched pistes. Zinal’s upper mountain skiing is served by 9 lifts, a mix of chairlifts, a gondoal and two long pomas. The off-piste/freeride skiing, easily accessible terrain from both ski areas is virtually unlimited, with huge bowls and valleys very popular with experienced off-piste skiers and riders. We always recommend you hire a guide to ski tour and go off-piste safely. Zinal’s wide-open ungroomed terrain near the “Gardes de Bordon” is especially popular among free-riders for off-piste skiing and there’s an Avalanche Training Centre here. Zinal is also home to a Swiss Ski Racing Arena, so you may find signature trails closed for training. Also Kite skiers love Zinal’s peak for soaring.
For on mountain lunch at Zinal, Espace Weisshorn is chic, sophisticated, with amazing views of the Weisshorn, Zinal’s ski slopes and the glaciers. This modern open-kitchen restaurant is upstairs above the Cable Car summit, at 2700-meters, easy to reach, with a diverse menu, bar and wine selection. Its popular, so make a reservation, and request a window table! More casual, Marmotte is a cute self-service hut a few hundred yards down from the Espace Weisshorn (Cable Car Summit) where the outside open air deck has an amazing view of the glacier.
The Black Diamond Chamois run from Zinal’s summit to the Grimentz base is aptly named – it’s very steep, 5 miles, with a vertical drop of 4,300’ on all-natural snow. When returning to Grimentz, you can always opt to download on the beautiful cable car with a great view of the Chamois steeps, and then the charming village of Grimentz on your approach.
Grimentz – Zinal have 20 lifts and 26 prepared pistes. Grimentz on piste terrain, with a couple of exceptions, is not so very steep but super scenic, fun and interesting.
On the western most side of the ski terrain, Grimentz’s Orzival Poma brings you to the most panoramic summit. Make the short climb up to the Roc D’Orzival at 2853-meters (9,360’) for a stunning 360-degree view of the Valais region looking across the Rhone River at Crans Montana and Anzère, plus you can see the Matterhorn and many of the Swiss Alps 48 over 4,000M Peaks from this stunning vantage point.
Grimentz has a great beginner area just off the top of gondola mid mountain, plus a fun park, cross-country ski trails, a toboggan run and winter hiking trails.
L’Alpage de Marais on-mountain chalet in Grimentz is a great lunch spot in an old farm, typically in the sun – reached by the Grands Plans quad. Back down just above the village of Grimentz, we also enjoyed a posh lunch at the modern Guerneres, at Nava. A few hundred yards above the gondola base you can ski right in on your right as you decend. Its pricey but nice, and quiet, with excellent service. You can lodge at this modern, rather massive wood building above town, at Guerneres Residence Resort in your own chalet, with access to the Hotel’s pool, spa and dining. This Alpine Resort property also has lodges in Courcheval, Meribel, Val D’Isere.
Grimentz charming village at 1564-meters is a highlight of any visit to the Val d’Anniviers. Here you will discover a narrow, pedestrian village street lined with historic Swiss wooden houses and beautifully carved balconies. Just strolling this old cobblestone street is a treat, admiring the early Swiss engineering and clever architecture which has withstood time and serious snow load. Little gift shops, a boulangerie, creperie, and a few restaurants add to the enchantment of this storied village – considered by some as the most beautiful winter village in Switzerland (it is charming for sure but there are many charming villages across Switzerland).
We stayed at Hôtel de Moiry, a lovely chalet in the heart of the old village of Grimentz, a short walk to the Grimentz Zinal ski lifts. Moiry is very traditional, pine wood rooms with duvets, not fancy – but clean and neat and cozy. Ours had an amazing balcony view. Their restaurant is excellent, popular even with locals. Our best raclette in Switzerland was cooked on an open fire and carved from a huge cheese wheel! Breakfasts are bountiful in the dining room, and there’s a convenient ski room with boot dryer. For 60 years, the Salamin family has managed this authentic generational hotel. Proprietor, mountain guide and photographer Aurel’s amazing animal photography dons the walls.
Alpina is a more modern Grimentz chalet ski hotel, right at the base of the Grimentz Gondola and Zinal Cable Car if you prefer to be closer to the lifts, in a less traditional, more upscale property. Alpina has good apres ski too, as does L Tsirouc – a short walk up the slopes, or stop on your ski down before the skiers tunnel.
From Grimentz you can ski or snowboard off-piste to neighboring Vercorin on a yellow route with enough snow and a guide, over to neighboring Vercorin (if you do, you will need to take a bus back). We were unable to ski this route, not enough snow. However, we did ski Vercorin on a separate ski day, its just a 20-minute drive from Grimentz, and also on the the Magic Pass.
Vercorin is a small family ski resort with a long 8-person gondola rising over 1000 meters to the upper mountain summit at 2336-meters (7,600’) where there’s a summit quad with a few trails. There are also a few surface lifts, a learn-to-ski zone and terrain parks. A few long trails bring you all the way back to Vercorin’s gondola base.
Grimentz-Zinal, Vercorin and St-Luc/Chandolin are all in the Val d’Anniviers, for a total of 220km of pistes, with 44 lift in the valley – all of which are on the Magic Pass in close proximity to each other.
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