In message , Richard and
Barbara writes
We are Americans who have been skiing annually in Zermatt for more than 20
years. We love the Village and the skiing. We have many friends who visit
annually as we do, and many friends who live in the Village. The
improvements to the lift system are absolutely great. BUT, there is a big
problem, and everyone who knows the area is talking about it. Grooming of
the pistes has clearly been reduced. Wide trails have become narrower.
Pistes that should be open, remained closed after a big snowfall. Moguls
were not smoothed over on blue pistes. All of this is hurting Zermatt.
Experts aside, a reputation for poor grooming will keep visitors away.
Everyone assumes that the lack of grooming is a money saving measure taken
after the merger of three competing transport systems. Before the merger,
grooming was extensive so as to keep skiers from moving to a competing area.


Zermatt has a policy of official moguls on blue pistes for the punters
to practice on. They devote part of the width of some very wide pistes
to them. They're very nice regular bumps, obviously looked after by the
ski schools.
These are marked with official picture signs, equally unhelpful to
speakers of every language.

The Zermatt safety service has a problem with crashes involving skiers
doing about Mach 2, and is basically in favour of bumps to slow the
punters down.
(The solid-ice bumps at the bottleneck in the piste nearest the
Matterhorn didn't slow me down, they paralysed me completely. If it
wasn't for peer pressure I'd still be standing there.)

--
Sue ]