Grimentz – Beginners
At the top station of the gondola (Bendolla – 2112m) there is a splendid amphitheatre of mountains forming a backdrop and in the foreground excellent gentle slopes for beginners. There is a large restaurant here making it especially welcoming for beginners. From Bendolla the lifts fan out and once the beginner has mastered the basics, there are blue runs from all the top stations and then right down to Grimentz. We must stress however that the Grimentz blue run is a wide path, shared with hikers, and is only for skiers who can manage linked snowploughs, on what can be a quite tricky narrow piste.

Grimentz – Intermediates
Red pistes also run from the top stations, in some cases meeting up with the blue.

Grimentz – Experts
The piste Lona, descending from the topmost station nearly all the way down to Grimentz, provides a challenging black run of over 1000m vertical drop. There are a further two black runs of medium length. When the snow conditions are right there is some very good off piste in the area. The Ski Club of Great Britain describes it as “an off piste paradise”.

Zinal – Beginners
The situation at the top station of the cable car (Sorebois – 2440m) is similar to Bendolla, but although there are slopes here for the absolute beginner, there are only 2 blue runs on the longer lifts and skiing down to Zinal is for the intermediate and expert.

Zinal – Intermediates
This is an intermediate skier’s playground from all the top stations right down to Zinal.

Zinal – Experts
This is a splendid area for the expert who for instance can ski from the top station (2880m) on a black run right down to the hamlet of Mottec below Zinal, a descent of 4300 ft. From here you catch the ski bus back to Zinal. Alternatively, an unpatrolled track near the bottom of the run takes skiers back to Grimentz.

St. Luc/Chandolin – Beginners
There is a baby lift near the top of the funicular and plenty of blue runs, but Grimentz is the place for the absolute beginner. The Pas de Boeuf poma lift is very definitely not for the beginner as it is long, zigzagging and with a very steep top section.

St. Luc/Chandolin – Intermediates
Many red runs serve the intermediate here including one from the topmost station (Bella Tolla – 3000m) right down to St. Luc.

Vercorin
A good half hour’s drive from Grimentz and Zinal on a road with many a hairpin bend. Having said that there are 35 km of good intermediate skiing.