Awesome!

(Editors note - Says it all really!)
See our video here

In four days we were there( from 09 to 12.122021) only 15 lifts of 54 were opened.

Also if it was windy at the pass to Italy, one could have opened more lifts and departures on Zermatter side in the lee, in order not to annoy the guests.

And then the price you have to shell out for 4 days: 316 € for 15 open lifts in Zermatt.
For comparison in the same period 08 to 12 Dec: 189 € for 31 open lifts in Ischgl.

I was so far in the Kaunertal, Ischgl, Kappl, Galtür, Ötztal, Zillertal, Kitzbühl, Warth-Schröcken, Damüls and Oberstdorf and already in Zermatt to ski.
Everywhere except Zermatt they open all the lifts in the morning. If it is very windy, one or the other gondola is stopped briefly until the gust has subsided.
But Zermatt is quite different - they open only a few lifts in the morning and then wait to see how full the lifts are.

Such a thing is not possible in a place with such a reputation!
See our video here

Simply put, Zermatt lives up to the hype. It's easy to attach the terms world class & world's best to a ski resort when you have a big powder day. Its better when you can say it of a place when you haven't. We didn't have a massive powder day at Zermatt, but we still did ski powder & got to experience the best of the resort, all the while with our eyes being drawn with dropped jaws to surrounding glaciers & the amazing Matterhorn. We are happy to put 'world's best' in front of Zermatt for a few categories like: the train to the resort, the piste trails, off-piste & freeride terrain plus its extraordinary ever improving lift system.

Having said that, Zermatt isn't perfect. It can get overcrowded & the village is growing every year. Large areas of the resort are often closed in bad weather with the upper glacier particularly vulnerable to localised strong winds. Its not that child friendly. Lift bases are spread across a wide area & most of the learn-to-ski areas are up high in exposed positions - great in fine weather, not so great if its cold, snowing, blowing, white out or a dastardly combination of them all. The resort is also the most expensive in Europe. Still not as expensive as other continents, but still....

We do love Zermatt though. The mountain restaurants are sensational & the après ski options on the way down from Gornergrat via Furi are sensational all the way into town. The freeride terrain inbounds is awesome. Wind blown powder was untracked off the Rothorn & Rote Nase plus a few other spots that shall remain nameless to protect the vulnerable! (And a special mention to the extraordinary elevator shaft perched on the Rote Nase - wonder who thought that up & more to the point who approved it! Kudos to them!) The backcountry ski touring potential is endless. The village is vibrant & friendly even though filled with a high percentage of visitors that are more interested in how they look than anything else! We love the range of bars & restaurants too.

And in the end, even though it is the most expensive resort, in the most expensive country in Europe, it is still possible to stay & ski in Zermatt on a budget & have a fine old time.

Zermatt is an eye opening experience even for the most hardened campaigner. Save your pennies & spend a few days skiing here before you die. Would suck to miss out.

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

See our video here

The view of the glacial panorama from the Gornergrat leaves you speechless. The exhilaration you get from an early morning bomb down to Cervinia from the GMP gondola leaves you breathless. The cheeky powder runs under the Matterhorn (using the tucked away Hornli lift) and the more spectacular BC Swartzor, leave you frownless. Racing down through the upper village of Furi for apres beers leaves you knackered! This is quintessential Swiss Alpine skiing.

The lift infrastructure is first class. There is a considerable "Bogner Set" here whose idea of a day on the slopes is to ski between coffee - lunch - schnapps venues, so most of the mountain is virtually untouched.
See our video here

Excellent summer skiing experience on Theodul Glacier. Trails were long and well-groomed. Less than 20 people on the slopes. Runs from 9am to 2 pm. Incredible scenery and excellent night-life with plenty of restaurants to choose from.

Prices are quite reasonable for such an excellent venue. Lots of 4 star hotels to choose from. Easy to get to with the Gottardbahn. Would definitely revisit.
See our video here

Skiing on the Italian side (Cervinia) is fast, easy cruisy runs, perfecto if you're an Italian who just wants to look cool on the slopes; or indeed any other nationality for that matter. The powder is largely left untouched but you'll have to hunt around for decent inclines to use it on. There some good, if rather short runs through the pow on the lower slopes of Monte Cervinia (the Matterhorn) itself!

Otherwise, head on over to Zermatt, chalk and cheese. There's loads of off-piste but it gets skied-out very quickly when there's been some fresh. The Gandegghütte is highly recommended for lunch. No running water ,it's a rambling old wooden house/chalet a wee bit of walking/skating to get there but well worth it.

Heli-skiing on the Cervinia side is remarkably cheap and then there's all the powder you can shake a ski pole at! Pick ups can be organised in the resorts on the glacier at Plateau Rosa near the Swiss/Italian border.
See our video here

Awesome
See our video here