Two of the Best Places to Ski Off Piste in Switzerland
Klosters Klosters is already a world-famous ski resort, namely due to the famous and infamous celebrities and royals that frequent it.
It is an excellent resort whose reputation is wholly deserved, yet the off piste skiing that is available is often forgotten, and off piste at Klosters is its true raison d'être.
The mountain's specialty is in powder; powder skiing through soft and light powder snow is the name of the game here.
To get this is quite a simple task - instead of skinning up the sides of the slopes for hours, you can take a few lifts to the highest points and ski straight from there.
When the snow is good and it's cold at the mountain's base, skiers can descend from those heights in alpine terrain, through to the trees and down through soft, rolling meadows to the bottom.
Though seemingly lost at the base of the valley, skiers have no trouble getting back: the whole area is interconnected by buses and trains, so after a long run down (from top to bottom can take 3 hours!) you can hop on transport for a 20 minute ride back to the resort! A fresh snowfall isn't necessary to be able to enjoy the above - not many venture off piste in Klosters so long after a big dumping, powder is still fresh and often completely untracked.
Zermatt Zermatt is as enticing as the light or rich wines that can be found in the surrounding regions - it is a resort that is impossible to get enough of.
The first time the Matterhorn and the surrounding 4,000 metre plus peaks greet you as you disembark from the train can bowl even the most seasoned skier over.
Zermatt's highlight is the big mountain powder skiing that can be found; huge glacier runs, long back-bowls and steep couloirs.
Off piste skiing in Zermatt gets better as the season progresses.
It hits its peak in March as the snow that has accumulated all year is still cold enough to be light, fresh powder.
(This is due to the large number of North-facing runs.
) On top of this already unbeatable factor, the food and accommodation options at Zermatt are among the best for any resort worldwide.
Traditional Swiss food can be found amongst a mixture of all types of European fare! There is no ski-in ski-out accommodation, however when skinning to find off piste skiing, a short walk in the morning to the gondola, (or even shuttle bus stop), seems minimal!
It is an excellent resort whose reputation is wholly deserved, yet the off piste skiing that is available is often forgotten, and off piste at Klosters is its true raison d'être.
The mountain's specialty is in powder; powder skiing through soft and light powder snow is the name of the game here.
To get this is quite a simple task - instead of skinning up the sides of the slopes for hours, you can take a few lifts to the highest points and ski straight from there.
When the snow is good and it's cold at the mountain's base, skiers can descend from those heights in alpine terrain, through to the trees and down through soft, rolling meadows to the bottom.
Though seemingly lost at the base of the valley, skiers have no trouble getting back: the whole area is interconnected by buses and trains, so after a long run down (from top to bottom can take 3 hours!) you can hop on transport for a 20 minute ride back to the resort! A fresh snowfall isn't necessary to be able to enjoy the above - not many venture off piste in Klosters so long after a big dumping, powder is still fresh and often completely untracked.
Zermatt Zermatt is as enticing as the light or rich wines that can be found in the surrounding regions - it is a resort that is impossible to get enough of.
The first time the Matterhorn and the surrounding 4,000 metre plus peaks greet you as you disembark from the train can bowl even the most seasoned skier over.
Zermatt's highlight is the big mountain powder skiing that can be found; huge glacier runs, long back-bowls and steep couloirs.
Off piste skiing in Zermatt gets better as the season progresses.
It hits its peak in March as the snow that has accumulated all year is still cold enough to be light, fresh powder.
(This is due to the large number of North-facing runs.
) On top of this already unbeatable factor, the food and accommodation options at Zermatt are among the best for any resort worldwide.
Traditional Swiss food can be found amongst a mixture of all types of European fare! There is no ski-in ski-out accommodation, however when skinning to find off piste skiing, a short walk in the morning to the gondola, (or even shuttle bus stop), seems minimal!
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