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Anybody been to zermatt?

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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
me and my dad are going to switzerland this winter and i was wondering if anyone had been. didnt feel like going to regionals cuz i want an americans perspective. what mountains are best? what food is good? will i be able to demo skis? any help will be given +k thanks
Aug 13 2012 9:40PM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7495 - Karma: 11,561
Youre in the alps. Ski everything you can. Ive gone to Saas in the summer, and the terrain below the glacier looks so sweet. Zermatt is really close, so I imagine you could ski both. Just ski what ever you can. Bring some skis that can charge too...
Aug 13 2012 10:13PM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7495 - Karma: 11,561
Sorry for the dub post, but the food is outstanding no matter where you go. If you go to Saas-Fee, Don Ciccos (sp) is great. Everything else will be just as good. Try the bakeries too
Aug 13 2012 10:14PM
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Twig
Posts: 6430 - Karma: 60,415
Zermatt has better terrain than Saas-Fee if you time the snow right. Saas-Fee has a better park once it gets going. There are better resorts than both for park/big mountain though.
Laax has the best park in Switzerland, Saas being next.
Andermatt probably has the best freeride IMO, but Zinal, Verbier/Nendaz and Engelberg also have some awesome terrain. Pretty much everywhere has some great freeride options if you time the snow right though, its the alps.

I really like swiss food. In Saas-Fee (my home now) Restaurant Alphitta makes great swiss food, as does the Fee-Chaeller. Osteria Della Amici is definitely the best italian here, really authentic, small family business.

Depending on how long you will be here for, may be worth renting a car and hitting up a variety of resorts.
Aug 14 2012 9:23AM
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dilla_says_go
Posts: 5333 - Karma: 168
Zermatt is pretty much the shit. Tons of terrain, great vibe. It's probably one of the most iconic ski resorts in the world and it should be on every skiers hit list. Make sure you take some laps on the Italian side in Brueil/Cervenia as well.
Aug 14 2012 9:45AM
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pmsnow
Posts: 992 - Karma: 87
My mom spent a few years living there as a kid. I'll see if she will write something up for you when I get home from work this evening. It was a while back but I am sure most of the perspective would stay the same. She would tell me stories as a kid and that place sounded like paradise. You will have a great time regardless.
Aug 14 2012 10:15AM
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,640
I was there last month, didn't do any skiing, but I got a good idea of the town vibe. It's pretty touristy in the summer, but very Swiss, great food, pretty easy to get around. No roads, just wide sidewalks. Bars are sweet, everyone was friendly. Oh man I want to go back
Aug 14 2012 12:44PM
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FullTiltBoots
Posts: 477 - Karma: 2,761
what he said. Beautiful, iconic and so much terrain. We did a FT promo tour though there a few years back. Best part about the town is how peaceful it is, no gas cars! You'll see a bunch of these little guys tooling around. Enjoy!

Click for larger image
Aug 14 2012 12:53PM
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williams
Posts: 3083 - Karma: 9,072
zermatt is rad. you should go there.
Aug 14 2012 12:57PM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7495 - Karma: 11,561
Watch out for these..they dont stop for anything or anyone
Aug 14 2012 1:05PM
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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
+k to all. gettin stoked and im not planning on doing any park so any powder/big mtn tips and advice are appreciated
Aug 14 2012 4:59PM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591
shred a line for me
Aug 14 2012 5:43PM
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SketchySwiss
Posts: 393 - Karma: 43
Don't expect to ski like it's winter.. The glacier is pretty flat. The village is crowded with Japanese Kamikazing themself on the Matterhorn and everything is expensive. It is built for tourist and not representative of swiss at all.

But you'll have a lot of fun there. Going to Zermatt is a unique experience. Everytime.

Watches are pretty cheap tho

Aug 14 2012 7:07PM
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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
im going in january
Aug 14 2012 7:14PM
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Hughes
Posts: 1023 - Karma: 941
the park isn't great in zermatt so if you want to ski park you should go to saas which always has a decent park. if you time it right for the snow you can get some pretty sick terrain

and there's also a huge gap jump over the igloo bar which is siiick
Aug 15 2012 11:43AM
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tcgoldman
Posts: 704 - Karma: 723
zermatt is so sick. such a cool place to go anytime of the year especially in winter.
Aug 15 2012 3:42PM
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snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
i was just there. so sick. the town is really cool. about renting, bayardo sports has some armada park skis but the people there are dicks. If you dont care what skis you get go to dorsaz sports or something like that. Its closer to the lifts and they are a lot nicer but no freeride or park skis
Aug 15 2012 8:17PM
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snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
in my experience everything in switzerland is really fucking expensive
Aug 15 2012 8:20PM
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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
damn i was looking to rent some powder sticks
Aug 15 2012 8:21PM
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snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
there was one place that rented black diamond and some k2 backside skis but it was really expensive. It was like 70 franks a day or something just for skis. i can probably find out what its called if your interested
Aug 15 2012 8:41PM
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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
ya if u wouldnt mind that would be awesome
Aug 15 2012 8:55PM
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snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
ok I cant find it. Sorry about that. Here are my directions though. When your in the town, just walk down the main road. Its really long. The store is right before you go up a really steep uphill (I believe its a brick road). Sorry the directions are so vague.
Aug 15 2012 9:18PM
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S.C
Posts: 3068 - Karma: 2,285
just got back from a trip there, and its worth visiting without even going skiing. skiing would probably be awesome too.

go there!
Aug 15 2012 10:01PM
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MANDER
Posts: 4017 - Karma: 2,038
Zermatt is amazing. Make sure you check out the Brown Cow afer skiing for a great burger and then T-Bar if you want a night out on the town.
Aug 16 2012 6:27PM
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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
+k thanks cant wait for winter!
Aug 16 2012 8:11PM
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