Grimentz

Grimentz Ski Resort

Located in the picturesque Val d’Anniviers in the southwest of Switzerland, Grimentz is home to some of the country’s best lift-accessed off piste.

Since the Sorebois cable car was built in 2013 to link it neighbouring Zinal, Grimentz has slipped firmly on to the radar of British skiers and snowboarders. Many are rightfully drawn to the resort by the cute villages and the peace and quiet, but an increasing number are coming here for the vast off piste and freeriding potential of the resort. After fresh snowfall, the options are almost limitless, both within the confines of the lift system and beyond – where there are some exceptional touring options.

Ski Club Freshtracks have been making the most of this for several years and again this winter, three off piste skiing weeks are based in Grimentz – with six days of expert mountain guiding included in the holiday price.

There are rarely waits for the lifts in Grimentz but the resort is concentrating on reducing lift waiting times even further - this season a six-seater chairlift will replace the current Les Crêts two-seater and for the 2020/21 season a ten-seater gondola will replace the Zinal-Sorebois cable car, reducing the travel time by almost 250%!

Our Grimentz Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Advanced ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Après ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Grimentz Skiing and Snowboarding

There are certainly better places for beginners to begin their skiing or snowboarding careers, however there is a decent Jardin des Neiges for first timers up at Bendolla. Progression on to longer blues is good, with the Grands Plans and Tsarva lifts providing some cruisey blues. Beyond this, the terrain for intermediates is fairly limited and some of the reds here are pretty steep in places.

On piste, there are some good challenges for advanced and expert skiers and riders, particularly in the Lona sector – where even the groomed reds are steep. Try the long Chamois black from the Zinal ski area, it can be a blast if the snow conditions are good. The real attraction for experts however is the extensive off-piste. There are loads of options, including over 1500m vertical down to Vercorin, returning from there to the village of St-Jean, a bus ride from Grimentz.

• Total Pistes: 115km
• Blue: 27%
• Red: 43%
• Black: 30%
• Additional Ski Routes: 15km
• Lifts: 20
• Altitude: 1570m – 2900m

Grimentz Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Grimentz Resort

The village is spread out on quite a steep slope with a lot of new building – but most of these are traditional wooden chalets. Most of this focuses around the base of the Bendolla gondola, slightly away from the chocolate-box old centre. Although the resort is generally quiet, as the lifts close, Chez Florioz on the piste just above the village is the place for a drink. The best restaurants are probably those in the main hotels, serving traditional Valais fare.

Away from the slopes there is a lot to do, including winter walking and tobogganing, whilst there’s also a good public pool and a natural ice-rink. Paragliding is also very popular here.

Season Dates

21st December 2019 - 19th April 2020

How to get to Grimentz

Geneva airport is around two hours away by car, or a little over three hours by public transport – you get the train to Sierre and then the bus. Zürich and Basel are other options, with the drive taking around three hours and the train taking an hour longer.

• Geneva airport: 2 hours (driving) or 3 hours (public transport)
• Basel airport: 3 hours (driving) or 4 hours (public transport)
• Zürich airport: 3 hours (driving) or 4 hours (public transport)
• Calais: approximately 11 hours driving (550 miles)

Grimentz Contact Details

• Website: www.valdanniviers.ch
• Email: grimentz@anniviers.ch
• Telephone: +41 02 74 76 17 00
• Facebook: @valdanniviers
• Instagram: @valdanniviers
• Twitter: @valdanniviers