Thinking about spending couple weeks in Sierre-anniviers next winter. Keen to check out the off-piste/easy touring.
Should I base ourselves in Grimentz or Zinal?
Thanks for any advice.
Julian
Thinking about spending couple weeks in Sierre-anniviers next winter. Keen to check out the off-piste/easy touring.
Should I base ourselves in Grimentz or Zinal?
Thanks for any advice.
Julian
Not much to choose between the two in my opinion and it is pretty easy to get from one to the other by public transport. You can ski from Zinal to Grimentz but not (easily) vice versa, if that makes any difference to you. There is possibly a little more going on in the town of Grimentz so if a choice of restaurants and bars is important to you Grimentz might be the better choice (although I am not sure either would be top of any list where that is a big consideration!)
You do not say what months you will be there. Grimentz is much better for your needs; there is good short off-piste available from the top stations, and St. Luc – Chandolin is easily reached. The possibilities are shown on Swiss CN 273S. Zinal has little easy touring and is the start point for quite testing spring tours from Mountet and Moiry huts.
Two easy trips we did in January from Grimentz.
1. Lifts and route 469 to Cabane des Becs du Bosson - well worth a visit anyway, with easy ascent of Pnte de Tsavolire and other possibilities on map. We descended Val de Rechy by Rte 472a, then ascended to the col S of La Brintsa. From there down 479a to St. Jean or traverse across to Grimentz.
2. From St. Luc up the lifts to gain Bella Tola summit (on foot). Descend WNW ridge to col, then descend N by 503a, traverse and ascend to Parilet and descend to the Illsee. Now ascend to Pas de l’Illsee and Illhorn, and descend pistes to Chandolin.
A car is useful, but all 4 resorts are linked by shuttle bus, and are on the one ski pass..
Jeremy Whitehead
Thanks for the replies.
Will be in Grimentz/Zinal 1st week of February.
Julian
I went to Grimentz a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it although as others have commented don't go there for the nightlife. We also rented an apartment but found that the cost of the food in the local supermarket was steeper thasn the slopes. So hotel based trip might be amore cost effective option.
I had one day with a young local guide, Pascal Zufferey 0041 7967 28009 and he was very good. We did a one day tour and climbed Sasseneire (3253m) and a younger faster skinner could have bagged nearby Diablon in the same day.
You just take the Becs de Bosson lift to the top , skin up and over the col de bosson and then a short easy traverse to the mountain hut on the far side for a coffee before skiing down to the base of Sasseneire and then easy skinning up again. Little bit of scrambling to get to the very top but nothing serious. Exit is a lovely long ski out to the Lac de Moiry. Fabulous day and well recommended for a good day out.