Grimentz-Zinal Val d'Anniviers

Ski Grimentz-Zinal on weekdays if possible, and especially avoid Easter weekend: a 2026 report found Thursday quiet before the area filled for Good Friday.¹⁴

An April 2026 alpinfans.com thread titled "Post-Ostern 2026 | Zinal Flop; St-Luc Top" describes Grimentz-Zinal as the busiest of the three Val d'Anniviers ski areas, though still quiet next to the major Alpine resorts.

From Bendolla, ride Col du Pouce once early, continue through Lona 2 to Becs de Bosson, and return to Col du Pouce around lunchtime.¹⁵¹⁶

alpinfans.com posts from February and March 2026 report a ten-minute Col du Pouce queue at 10:30 and less pressure around noon, with Becs de Bosson good for repeat laps.

Once you are high on the Zinal side, use the usually quiet Chamois link to Grimentz if the two Zinal chairs develop five-to-ten-minute queues.¹⁷

One February 2025 visitor made exactly this switch; Chamois must be open and is appropriate only for skiers comfortable on a long black run.

Treat 16:00 as a hard stop for the high lifts and position yourself for a final Becs de Bosson lap rather than beginning another cross-area transfer.¹⁸

A March 2025 report found every lift closing at 16:00 regardless of altitude and caught Becs de Bosson at 15:58 for a long, deserted final descent; verify that day's posted times.

Do not plan to drive directly between Zinal and Grimentz in winter: use the lift connection, because the direct road closes and the bus detours through Vissoie.¹⁹²⁰

A November 2025 r/askswitzerland thread puts the bus journey at roughly one hour with a change, while the gondola and cable-car journey is faster and open to pedestrians with the appropriate ticket.

At Grimentz, drop passengers and equipment at the lift terminal before parking in the two large surface lots just beyond the Coop off Route de Moiry, beneath the connecting cable car.²⁰²¹¹⁴

Roadside spaces under the cable are limited; a 2026 visitor reported paying CHF 10 per day through Parkingpay, so check the current tariff.

On a sunny weekend, be parked before 10:00; arriving later can mean a space far down the Grimentz lot, although that position is convenient if you finish via Chamois.²²¹⁶

A January 2024 Liftlines post found the lot effectively full on a sunny Saturday, and a March 2026 alpinfans.com post from a visitor arriving just before 10:00 was already parked well back and noted that Chamois made the location useful at day's end.

On busy bluebird days, reconsider the 15:40 bus from Zinal and 15:42 from Grimentz if you need the Vissoie connection to Sierre.¹⁷

In February 2025 about twenty passengers could not board the connecting bus; the reporter recommended skiing longer and using the 16:20 departure from Zinal or 16:15 from Grimentz, subject to the current timetable.

Use Chamois as a one-way Zinal-to-Grimentz finale rather than trying to lap it.²³²⁴

Posters on alpinforum.com (April 2019) and snowHeads praise its north-facing snow, panorama and more than 1,000 vertical metres; the long lower switchback track and the roughly ten-minute walk after the finish draw complaints.

On the Zinal side, prioritize the red and black runs served by Combe Durand, with Pylône 6 as a short north-facing mogul alternative.¹⁸²⁵

A March 2025 snowHeads trip report found Combe Durand's runs the longest, most sinuous and best-snowed on the Zinal side, and warned snowboarders about a subtle off-camber section shortly after starting the drag.

For advanced piste skiing on the Grimentz side, concentrate on Lona supérieure, Les Couloirs and the high Becs de Bosson sector.¹⁸¹⁶

A March 2025 snowHeads trip report describes mogulled variants and a steep entrance on Lona supérieure, calls Les Couloirs a long direct blast, and finds the high north-easterly Becs de Bosson holds snow better than the lower roads.

Use Bendolla for sunny, wide cruising and move to Sorebois when you want steeper walls and more freeride options.²⁶

A March 2018 skipass.com review by a month-long visitor found Bendolla pleasant but repeatedly interrupted by flats, and Sorebois more interesting for advanced skiers.

For a proper piste lunch, choose Restaurant BOB on the Grimentz side rather than defaulting to the Zinal mountain café.²¹

A poster in the snowHeads thread "Magicpass - deadline extended" recommended BOB's hot goat-cheese salad and criticised the Zinal restaurant's pricing; check the current name, menu and opening status, since the thread is older.

At Bendolla, order the tarte aux myrtilles if it is available.²⁷¹⁶

A 2020/21 alpinforum.com thread and a March 2026 alpinfans.com post both single out the blueberry tart, the latter as the lunch stop before moving to Col du Pouce.

Arrive stocked for self-catering and compare equipment-hire prices before the trip rather than assuming resort purchases will be reasonable.²⁸

A March 2019 skipass.com post from a family found only two small supermarkets near the Grimentz lifts, brought most of their food, and judged local ski hire roughly twice comparable French pricing.

Do not spend the whole morning sampling Grimentz lift by lift if your one-day plan includes Zinal.²²

A first-time Saturday visitor did Bendolla, Col du Pouce and Lona 2 before it was nearly 11:30, then realised properly surveying Grimentz would consume the remaining day.

Do not treat the Aigle village run as an ordinary red: inspect conditions and download from Zinal if it is icy or visibility is poor.²⁹²⁷

A February 2021 skipass.com thread and a 2020/21 alpinforum.com thread describe an exceptionally steep lower pitch, full-width catch nets and evenings when the surface became hard enough that experienced riders chose the gondola instead.

Do not avoid the drag lifts, because several of the better and quieter runs depend on them.³⁰

A snowHeads thread titled "Sierre" recommends becoming comfortable with the drags; this matters at Lona 2, Becs de Bosson and Combe Durand, and is worth anticipating if you snowboard.

Do not follow existing tracks into the north-west Sorebois wildlife-protection zone toward Grimentz.³¹

A March 2021 skipass.com thread, "Zinal-Grimentz en avril", reports enforcement where the route reaches the path above the far end of the Grimentz car park, and distinguishes terrain above Combe du Chamois as outside the zone; the current official map should decide.

When strong wind is forecast, base yourself at Grimentz and check live lift status before committing to Zinal.²⁰

A snowHeads post in the "Val d'Anniviers / Grimentz / Zinal" thread reports a storm in which every Zinal lift closed while three or four Grimentz lifts still operated, and another party drove to Zinal only to find its access lift shut.

In flat light or a storm, use the forested Bendolla-to-Grimentz terrain instead of the exposed upper Zinal bowl.³²

During a February 2022 storm that closed Zinal, a long-time visitor repeatedly skied the Bendolla-Grimentz forest line because it retained visual definition.

On warm spring days, ski sunny Bendolla early and move after lunch to Combe Durand or the high north-easterly Becs de Bosson pistes.¹⁸

A March 2025 snowHeads trip report found non-northerly Grimentz slopes slushy after the village passed 10 degrees C, while Becs de Bosson stayed decent and Combe Durand had the best snow on the Zinal side.