Zinal Ski Resort Guide
Like its neighbour Grimentz, Zinal ski resort is renowned for its epic freeride terrain. The traditional Swiss Village offers incredible charm and extensive off-piste terrain that will keep the most avid snowboarders in search of fresh lines.
ZINAL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Accessing Zinal for the first time from Grimentz I took the Grimentz-Espace Weisshorn cable car. Not only does this cable car offer great views back over Grimentz village, it also gives you an incredible view down the Chamois off-piste run. The cable car ride was an eye-opener to everything that was possible in Zinal.
ZINAL SKI AREA
The combined Grimentz-ZInal ski area in the Val d’Anniviers region of Switzerland offers 115km of slopes, some insanely good freeride terrain and two authentic mountain villages. Popular with advanced skiers and snowboarders for high altitude skiing and an exceptional reputation for powder skiing. Getting between the two ski areas is easy via modern lifts.
In line with the freeride aspect of the resorts, you will find an avalanche training area to practice your beacon work that I hope you will never have to use for real.
BEGINNERS TERRAIN AT ZINAL
Zinal is less beginner-friendly than Grimentz although there are a couple of places for beginners to learn their turns. A magic carpet is situated near the base of the gondola next to the Swiss Peaks Resorts hotel. This area is small but well designed for your first ski or snowboard lesson. In the resort itself, there is no green graded terrain and all blues lead into reds. This can make Zinal a daunting place for beginners to learn.
INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN AT ZINAL
Intermediates will find plenty of fun blue and red graded pistes to enjoy in Zinal. L’arēte leads down from the Corne De Sorebois which has some great views across the valley. Intermediates looking to enjoy the off-piste should head to the Durand surface lift where options are aplenty either side of Crête and Durand pistes.
ADVANCED TERRAIN AT ZINAL
Zinal has a couple of nice steep black runs with the best pitch perhaps being Col. The Chamois run and the Dam run can be considered exhilarating with the freeride area offering some great off-piste options.
FREESTYLE TERRAIN AT ZINAL
Freestyle isn’t really a reason to head to Zinal. There is a small park with some ride on boxes and features.
LIFTS AT ZINAL
In the Grimentz-Zinal combined area you will find a total of 21 lifts. Zinal has a mix of modern lifts combined with older surface lifts. The village of Zinal is linked to the resort by a modern 8 seater gondola whereas the ski area is linked to Zinal via cable car. Within Zinal the Durand surface lift is long but offers some of the best runs in the resort. Corne 4-seater takes you to the top of the resort at 2896m.
ZINAL PROS
The terrain at Zinal offers plenty of easy access off-piste.
The village of Zinal has everything you would expect from a ski town.
There were no lift queues in Zinal despite visiting during the holiday period.
Zinal is part of the Magic Pass giving you access to other great Swiss ski resorts.
POV riding through the Zinal freeride zone
ZINAL CONS
Beginners don’t really have good options for learning to ski in Zinal.
Getting from Zinal to Grimentz feels more work than getting from Grimentz to Zinal. I would choose Grimentz as my base to explore both resorts.
TRAVEL TO ZINAL SKI RESORT
ZINAL BY CAR
Travelling to Grimentz-Zinal by car is fairly easy. It is likely that you will have arrived at one of the main airports. Geneva would be the closest option at just over 2 hrs drive to the village. The mountain road is well-maintained but you will have to look out for local drivers. I wouldn’t define myself as a slow driver and yet there was some mad overtaking happening around blind corners. If you plan to visit Grimentz-Zinal by car be sure to carry chains with you as this is a requirement for some roads.
ZINAL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There are not many things in life more efficient than the Swiss transport system so why not try and reach Grimentz-Zinal by public transport. From Geneva to Sierre is the easy part, jump on the train and let it do the work for you. From Sierre, you will have to first take a bus to Vissoie before changing onto a bus to ZInal.
Honestly, although I am a big fan of Swiss public transport for me Grimentz-Zinal is a drive to resort.
ZINAL SNOW RECORD
The Grimentz-Zinal ski area is known for its freeride terrain and quality of snow. Surprisingly OnTheSnow list the average snowfall for Grimentz as 233cm per winter. 2m of snowfall in the area doesn’t seem like a realistic statistic so I would take that with a pinch of salt.
ZINAL LIFT PASS PRICES
In Zinal you have two main options in terms of lift passes. The first and my preferred option was to use The Magic Pass. The Magic Pass is a pretty sweet lift pass that combines 52 Swiss ski resorts on one lift pass. Buy it early enough and your Magic Pass could be available for as little as 399CHF.
Option number two is to purchase a local area pass for the Val d’Anniviers. The local area pass includes Grimentz-Zinal, as well as nearby St Luc and Vercorin. These local passes are available as 1 day, 2 days or multi-day options. A 6 day Val d’Anniviers pass will cost you 295CHF.
ZINAL SKI RESORT VIDEOS
ZINAL GALLERY
ACCOMMODATION AT GRIMENTZ-ZINAL
During my stay in Grimentz, I stayed in this pet-friendly rental apartment. It was a perfect location with a short walk to the Bendola gondola and the Zinal cable car. Located within walking distance of the supermarket, ski rentals and a great bakery it’s an ideal spot. Negatives… be careful not to get stung on paying for sheets etc which was added on at an additional cost. The village of Grimentz has lots of varied accommodation to choose from. Although I rented my apartment through Airbnb there are lots of locally run hotels that offer luxury stays or more budget-friendly options.
ZInal village has a Swiss Peaks Resorts hotel. Although I did not stay in Swiss Peaks in Zinal I did stay in their Vercorin location and was very impressed.
ZINAL SEASON DATES
The ski season in Grimentz-Zinal can begin as early as November with the season running through into mid-April. In the 2021-22 season, it is expected for the season to run until April 24th. In general, Grimentz-Zinal elevation at 1500m with skiing possible at near 3000m is a good guarantee of a suitable snow cover.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON ZINAL
I would love to revisit the Grimentz-Zinal ski area as I feel there is still lots of terrain left to ride. The terrain is more suited to advanced skiers and snowboarders with little in the way of beginner terrain. If I was to revisit the area I would probably opt to stay in Grimentz over Zinal. I feel a base in Grimentz gives you the best access to both resorts.
Grimentz Ski Resort Guide
The Val d’Anniviers in Switzerland popped onto my radar when a Twitter follower posted a photo of a beautiful sidecountry ski run in Grimentz. The reputation that Grimentz holds for freeride is exceptional and it seems like every lift here opens up a new possibility. Arguably some of the best lift-accessible freeride terrain on my Magic Pass trip.
GRIMENTZ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Waking up in Grimentz to a bucket load of new snow was exactly what was needed to start the trip on a good note. The Val d’Anniviers had endured around 10 days without snowfall prior to arrival so it was a pleasant surprise.
The Bendola gondola from the base area to the main resort area at 2112m gives you plenty of time to survey the tree lines runs that lead back to the village. It was here that I spent the majority of the afternoon escaping the cloud and seemingly finding every treestump hidden under the fresh snow cover.
GRIMENTZ SKI AREA
The combined Grimentz-ZInal ski area in the Val d’Anniviers region of Switzerland offers 115km of slopes, some insanely good freeride terrain and two authentic mountain villages. Popular with advanced skiers and snowboarders for high altitude skiing and an exceptional reputation for powder skiing, Grimentz is a paradise in the Valais.
In line with the freeride aspect of the resorts, you will find an avalanche training area to practice your beacon work that I hope you will never have to use for real.
BEGINNERS TERRAIN AT GRIMENTZ
This is where Grimentz doesn’t shine. There is a learners area at the top of the Bendola gondola but there is little in the way of suitable terrain to progress onto. A short run is accessible via the Marenda button lift and you also have the winding run from the top of Grands Plans chair.
INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN AT GRIMENTZ
Intermediate skiers and snowboarders will love Grimentz with plenty of long blue and red pistes. From the top of Orzival the Panorama run is popular along with Becs and Tsarva from the Becs De Bosson chair.
ADVANCED TERRAIN AT GRIMENTZ
Although the majority of challenging posted terrain is across in Zinal the advanced skiers will love Grimentz for its freeride opportunity. Lona is perhaps the most popular and famous option here, starting in the shadow of Becs De Bosson and running down to the village in the right conditions.
The Itinerary run, Abondance, is enjoyable in the right conditions with a number of chutes to drop into. This area is caked in sunshine and has been known to slide.
Also, consider Crēts a steep but short black piste that leads back to the top of the Bendola gondola.
FREESTYLE TERRAIN AT GRIMENTZ
Grimentz has a small terrain park accessible by the Orzival button lift. The larger features were still being constructed during my visit but the lower park was really nice with a couple of small jumps and some ride on rail features.
LIFTS AT GRIMENTZ
In the Grimentz-Zinal combined area you will find a total of 21 lifts. The Grimentz area is a mix of modern with some old surface lifts in place. The Bendola gondola is sufficient for ensuring there are no queues leaving the village. From the top of Bendola, the new Col Du Pouce chair is fantastic a large 6-person bubble lift that is modern and comfortable. From here you have the option to ride the Lona 2 surface lift but this is long and steep in places. Two further chairs Tsarva and Grand Plans link the area well, however replacing the Orzival surface lift could improve access to the Roc d’Orzival.
GRIMENTZ PROS
The terrain at Grimentz is exceptional with plenty of challenges to be found close to all the lifts.
Off-piste options in Grimentz seem endless!
The village of Grimentz is exactly what comes to mind when you think Swiss mountain village.
There were no lift queues in Grimentz despite visiting during the holiday period.
Lifts in Grimentz are modern and fast with further upgrades currently being planned.
Powder days in Grimentz were epic
GRIMENTZ CONS
Beginners are the ones that really miss out at Grimentz with a lack of real beginners terrain.
There are a number of long surface lifts that can feel arduous.
TRAVEL TO GRIMENTZ SKI RESORT
GRIMENTZ BY CAR
Travelling to Grimentz by car is fairly easy. It is likely that you will have arrived at one of the main airports. Geneva would be the closest option at just over 2 hrs drive to the village. The mountain road is well-maintained but you will have to look out for local drivers. I wouldn’t define myself as a slow driver and yet there was some mad overtaking happening around blind corners. If you plan to visit Grimentz by car be sure to carry chains with you as this is a requirement for some roads.
GRIMENTZ BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There are not many things in life more efficient than the Swiss transport system so why not try and reach Grimentz by public transport. From Geneva to Sierre is the easy part, jump on the train and let it do the work for you. From Sierre, you will have to first take a bus to Vissoie before changing onto a bus to Grimentz.
Honestly, although I am a big fan of Swiss public transport for me Grimentz is a drive to resort.
GRIMENTZ SNOW RECORD
Grimentz-Zinal ski area is known for its freeride terrain and quality of snow. Surprisingly OnTheSnow list the average snowfall for Grimentz as 233cm per winter. 2m of snowfall in the area doesn’t seem like a realistic statistic so I would take that with a pinch of salt.
Powder Day In Grimentz
GRIMENTZ LIFT PASS PRICES
In Grimentz you have two main options in terms of lift passes. The first and my preferred option was to use The Magic Pass. The Magic Pass is a pretty sweet lift pass that combines 40 Swiss ski resorts on one lift pass. Buy it early enough and your Magic Pass could be available for as little at 399CHF.
Option number two is to purchase a local area pass for the Val d’Anniviers. The local area pass includes Grimentz-Zinal, as well as nearby St Luc and Vercorin. These local passes are available as 1 day, 2 days or multi day options. A 6 day Val d’Anniviers pass will cost you 295CHF.
GRIMENTZ SKI RESORT VIDEOS
GRIMENTZ GALLERY
ACCOMMODATION AT GRIMENTZ
During my stay in Grimentz, I stayed in this pet-friendly rental apartment. It was a perfect location with a short walk to the Bendola gondola and the Zinal cable car. Located within walking distance of the supermarket, ski rentals and a great bakery it’s an ideal spot. Negatives… be careful not to get stung on paying for sheets etc which was added on at an additional cost. The village of Grimentz has lots of varied accommodation to choose from. Although I rented my apartment through AirBnb there are lots of locally run hotels that offer luxury stays or more budget-friendly options.
GRIMENTZ SEASON DATES
The ski season in Grimentz can begin as early as November with the season running through into mid-April. In the 2021-22 season it is expected for the season to run until April 24th. In general, Grimentz elevation at 1500m with skiing possible at near 3000m is a good guarantee of suitable snowcover.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON GRIMENTZ
As someone who prides themself on exploring new resorts around the world the biggest compliment I could offer Grimentz is that I would visit again and would happily look for an apartment here. The combined area of Grimentz-Zinal offers everything that I would want from a ski resort. The off-piste terrain here can be challenging, but even if you are considering your first forays into freeride then there are places you can explore. Perhaps the only people who miss out here are the true beginners with a lack of mellow runs.