Zinal

Zinal and neighbouring Grimentz are located in the Val d'Anniviers, a side valley near the Valais town of Sierre. This valley is about half between Verbier and Zermatt, as the crow flies and in fact from some of the skiing there are views of the Matterhorn mountain in Zermatt. Zinal is a cute and unspoiled mountainside village with high altitude (snow sure) varied runs, including genuine reds and blacks as well as some very good off-piste terrain. Experts will be kept surprisingly busy here and it is a bit of a mecca for free-ride experts. However, intermediates should not be put off at all as this (along with neighbouring Grimentz which is lift linked to Zinal) is a great family ski resort - we recommend staying in one of the chalets in Zinal as these offer great value for money for families.

The après ski scene is fairly quiet but the resort is still charming and a great choice for families as well as the off-piste thrill seeker. The wonderful old Ferme building has recently been bought by a British company that have chalets in Zinal. New life will be breathed into this centrally located restaurant and bar giving Zinal a genuine option for après ski activity. Although there are a few hotels with bars to visit in the evenings because there are mostly chalets in Zinal the nightlife is quite quiet.

The Valley ski pass includes skiing in neighbouring Grimentz and St Luc/Chandolin (giving 220km of piste in total) and there is a wonderful itinerary route leading from the top of Zinal down into Grimentz. However, a new cable car link between Grimentz and Zinal opened in November 2013 which makes for a much larger interlinked ski area. The new cable car consists of two cabins of 125 places each. Now that the two resorts are linked the combined ski area is bigger than many other more recognised resorts in Switzerland.