Switzerland, Europe
Grimentz/Zinal
1,330m vertical, 115km piste, 22 lifts linking Grimentz and Zinal. Northeast-facing terrain, Magic Pass access. Val d'Anniviers.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
7 Dec 2025
Closes
21 Apr 2026
Days open
135
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Grimentz/Zinal spans 1,570 to 2,900 metres across 115 kilometres of piste served by 22 lifts, with a vertical drop of 1,330 metres linking two authentic Valais villages 8 kilometres apart. The ski area opened in its current form in winter 2013/14 when a 3-kilometre aerial tramway connected the formerly separate sectors of Grimentz and Zinal. Terrain splits 23% beginner, 51% intermediate and 26% advanced across 40 runs, with northeast-facing slopes ensuring reliable snow coverage from early December through late April. Five 4,000-metre peaks form the Imperial Crown backdrop - Weisshorn at 4,505 metres, Zinalrothorn, Obergabelhorn, Dent Blanche and Bishorn.
Beginner slopes cluster around Bendolla on the Grimentz side and Sorebois at Zinal, whilst intermediates spread across both sectors on wide, groomed bowls between 2,000 and 2,900 metres. Advanced terrain includes the 1,300-metre Lona black run at Grimentz and the 7-kilometre Chamois descent linking Zinal to Grimentz village. The Gardes de Bordon freeride zone at Zinal covers 100 hectares and includes Switzerland's first avalanche training centre, opened in 2014. Off-piste routes into Vallon d'Orzival drop 1,500 vertical metres to the hamlet of St Jean.
Grimentz village sits at 1,572 metres with dark timber chalets dating from the 15th century, whilst Zinal at 1,675 metres retains a quieter mountain character beneath the Imperial Crown cirque. Lift queues remain rare even during February half-term, and seven mountain restaurants serve the ski area including Espace Weisshorn at 2,700 metres. Snowmaking covers 30% of terrain with 250 cannons ensuring coverage on lower sections. The area attracts freeride skiers seeking untracked powder days after storms.
Daily lift passes cost CHF 72, rising to CHF 82 at peak periods, with the Val d'Anniviers pass adding St-Luc-Chandolin and Vercorin for CHF 89. Magic Pass holders access the resort as part of a CHF 459 season ticket covering 80 Swiss areas. Free ski buses link Grimentz, Zinal and neighbouring valleys throughout winter. The resort suits confident intermediates, advanced skiers and powder seekers, though limited mellow terrain restricts absolute beginners.
1330m
Vertical
40
Runs
115 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
40 runs across 115 km of piste
Grimentz/Zinal spreads 40 runs across 115 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 51%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 10 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
40
runs
40 runs across 4 grades
Beginner9 runs · 23%
Intermediate20 runs · 51%
Advanced10 runs · 26%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Grimentz/Zinal
The 2025/26 season runs 7 December 2025 through 21 April 2026, with weekend operations potentially starting mid-November in favourable snow conditions. Bendolla and Sorebois sectors typically open weekends from 15 November, transitioning to daily operations by early December. The season extends 19-20 weeks depending on snowpack, closing in mid-to-late April as spring temperatures rise. Altitude between 1,570 and 2,900 metres provides a 5-month operating window, longer than many mid-sized Swiss resorts.
Annual snowfall averages 430 centimetres across the ski area, with the resort recording 150-200 centimetres base depth each winter according to 10-year records. February delivers the heaviest precipitation with 30-plus centimetre storms occurring 3-4 times monthly from December through April. Northeast-facing terrain holds snow quality through spring, whilst 250 snowmaking units cover lower runs to Grimentz and Zinal villages. Base depths fluctuate from 20 centimetres early season to 60-165 centimetres by mid-winter, with summit zones retaining coverage into late April.
Optimal timing spans mid-January through mid-March when base depths exceed 100 centimetres and powder remains untracked for days after storms. February offers peak conditions but attracts school holiday crowds, whilst March balances snow quality with longer daylight and warmer temperatures. December and early January suit early-season enthusiasts, though coverage remains variable below 2,000 metres. April delivers spring corn snow on sunny slopes, with softer afternoon conditions. Quieter periods include early December, January outside holidays, and post-Easter April.
No major events disrupt normal operations, though the Sierre-Zinal mountain race passes through the valley each August. Night skiing does not operate at Grimentz/Zinal. The resort maintains a low-key calendar focused on daily operations rather than special programming. Avalanche training sessions run regularly at the Gardes de Bordon centre throughout winter for groups and ski schools.
Season 2025 - 2026
7 Dec 2025
Opens
21 Apr 2026
Closes
135
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Grimentz/Zinal, and where to stay
Grimentz/Zinal occupies the upper Val d'Anniviers, a side valley branching south from the Rhône near Sierre in canton Valais, southwest Switzerland. Grimentz sits at 1,572 metres on the western fork, whilst Zinal at 1,675 metres lies 11 kilometres southeast up the main valley beneath the Imperial Crown massif. The valley extends 30 kilometres from the Rhône, narrowing as it climbs through traditional Valaisan hamlets including Vissoie at 1,200 metres, where the road splits toward both resort villages. Surrounding peaks include five 4,000-metre summits forming an alpine amphitheatre above Zinal.
Sierre lies 27 kilometres north via winding mountain roads, serving as the valley's transport hub at 533 metres in the Rhône corridor. From Sierre, the route climbs 16 kilometres to Vissoie through switchbacks and narrow sections carved into steep valley walls. Beyond Vissoie, roads diverge - 7 kilometres west to Grimentz or 11 kilometres south to Zinal. The journey from Sierre takes 35-45 minutes by car or PostBus, with road conditions requiring winter tyres November through April. Other Val d'Anniviers villages include St-Luc, Chandolin and Vercorin, accessible via separate forks from the main valley road.
Road access from Geneva follows the A9 motorway east through the Rhône valley to the Sierre-Ouest exit, then Route 9 into Val d'Anniviers. The 185-kilometre drive takes 2 hours to Vissoie under normal conditions, adding 15-20 minutes to reach either village. From Zurich, the 260-kilometre route via Bern and the Lötschberg takes 3.5-4 hours. Roads narrow considerably above Sierre, with buses using both lanes on tight switchbacks. Parking exists at both village lift stations, with Zinal charging daily fees whilst Grimentz offers free spaces near the Bendolla gondola.
Geneva Airport sits 185 kilometres west, with hourly direct trains to Sierre/Siders taking 2 hours 15 minutes. Zurich Airport lies 260 kilometres northeast, requiring train changes via Bern for a 3.5-hour journey. From Sierre station, PostBus route 451 serves Vissoie every hour, requiring a change to routes toward Grimentz or Zinal with journey times totalling 45-60 minutes. Free ski buses circulate between Val d'Anniviers resorts during winter, though services to outer villages run infrequently. Private transfer operators including Taxi Anniviers serve both airports, whilst car rental desks operate at Geneva and Zurich terminals.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Grimentz/Zinal, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
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21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 16 Aug 2026
2900m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Overcast9°C / 13°C · W 22km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
0cm
Total lifts22
Live open status isn’t available right now.
7 Dec 2025 - 21 Apr 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 41 hours· Updated Aug 16, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
2,900 mUpdated Aug 16, 2026 at 6:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Mon, Aug 17
Thunderstorm
Temp13° / 9°°C
Snow0.0cm(95%)
Wind22 km/h W
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Grimentz/Zinal snow report
Track current conditions at Grimentz/Zinal in Switzerland. This report covers snowfall totals, base and summit depth, and the forecast across 40 runs.
Snow measurements
Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 1570m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 1330m higher at 2900m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.
Weather conditions
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Grimentz/Zinal's base and summit.
Data sources
We pull Grimentz/Zinal's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 22 lifts, including an aerial tram and 3 quad chairlifts.
When to check
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Grimentz/Zinal.