Safety Issues Glacier Skiing Zermatt/Saas Fee late Sept/early Oct

Could anyone with experience of on piste skiing at Saas Fee and/or Zermatt tell me if there is any issues re possibiltiy of cravesses on the pisted areas on the glaciers? We won't be going off piste, but are cautious about the risks on piste. Any info gratefully received. Also what is the weather likely to be like late Sept early Oct and what should we wear if we try it. We will be around the area for up to 2 weeks so will only ski if its a nice day.

Woops, I've just noticed that Bandit, in my previous thread, said that there won't be a problem with cravesses on marked pistes. Still interested in comments on clothing though and any experiences of issues on marked pistes.

The biggest risk you will face on piste IME of Zermatt is that you will be spooked by a racer finishing their training run, exiting their training lane and heading for the lift :mrgreen:

As for clothing, last month I was hiking 2 valleys over and I wore my thermal HH top and skiing shell one day, but then it was snowing.
You will need to take a thermal top and ski trousers and jacket. Expect to either take something off/put something on each day, so a backpack is useful. The sun can be fierce, but if the wind arrives it can be :shock: and as cold as any winters day.
Tino has been in Zermatt this weekend, he can add his 2p's worth as an almost resident :D

I got 2 risks of August snowboarding in Zermatt. Sunburn and snowblindness :(

seriously I was plastered in SPF 20 every 20-30 minutes or so and I still look like a trucker with a tomato for a head. Secondly I got mild snowblindness I assume. Interesting how that happened considering I was wearing sunglasses all day!! Can only guess that they were not full enough and I was getting glare from below. Started with an irritation in my right eye, then my left. Them I couldn't stop blinking and they were watery. This came close to packing in time so I headed back to the Kleine Matterhorn to begin the long drag back to town. Intermittent pain then accompanied a strange sensation of being able to focus immediately after blinking then losing focus. All a bit strange, still have the pain now like grit in the eyes and occasional sudden dryness.

Apart from that it was great :)

tino_11 wrote:I got 2 risks of August snowboarding in Zermatt. Sunburn and snowblindness :(

seriously I was plastered in SPF 20 every 20-30 minutes or so and I still look like a trucker with a tomato for a head. Secondly I got mild snowblindness I assume. Interesting how that happened considering I was wearing sunglasses all day!! Can only guess that they were not full enough and I was getting glare from below. Started with an irritation in my right eye, then my left. Them I couldn't stop blinking and they were watery. This came close to packing in time so I headed back to the Kleine Matterhorn to begin the long drag back to town. Intermittent pain then accompanied a strange sensation of being able to focus immediately after blinking then losing focus. All a bit strange, still have the pain now like grit in the eyes and occasional sudden dryness.

Apart from that it was great :)

New shades time ) Check out the lens grades as well as the fit before you make a choice.

Factor 20 sun cream is low for summer on glacier IMHO. Go higher.

I hope you are heading to a pharmacy in the morning, eye drops for the irritation. Mind you.........

Tino wrote:
strange sensation of being able to focus immediately after blinking then losing focus.

Could be down to something else, like alcohol consumption for example. :lol:

I'm not sure why you look like a trucker though?

dixie dean, I hope this is helping you to plan your trip.

Dixie dean,
I went glacier ski-ing at Tignes (which I know is not Zermatt but I guess it would be similar) at the end of October last year. It was really sunny and hot, especially sitting out on the restaurant veranda where most people took off their outer ski wear, but on the snow it was quite cold. We used factor 30 suncream and sunglasses and we were fine.

There were some frightening looking small holes in the snow on the drag lift route, but I just skied over them and hoped for the best. I imagine it was safe enough really, but probably not too good if you have a 'thing' about falling into crevasses! The piste seemed to be fine.

The other strange thing about summer ski-ing, which you probably know already, is that the lifts open very early and close very early because the snow becomes slushy in the afternoon. First thing in the morning the snow is quite icy, then it's very good, and towards the end of the day it starts to get a bit soft. In fact, when I was there the snow had gone from part of the piste by late afternoon exposing the glacial ice.

I hope you have a great time - I did :D

Ally

Eyes feel a lot better tonight :)

The gacier at Zermatt is fine, there are a lot of instructors and ski clubs up there in summer. As Allz mentioed you occasionally get a hole or crack in the drag lift route, but these are small and within minutes of appearing marked by the staff.

The suface is typically rock solid at 8am, about perfect between 10am and 11.30am, and after that deteriorate. However they stay good if there is a wind blowing in sunny conditions.

Check out the blog for some pictures of this weekend in Zermatt.

Yo Tino! glad your eyes are settling down :thumbup: I like your Blog entry. In fact I like the Template too, way better than mine!

I will be in Zermatt before Christmas, hotel is booked, though as it's weekdays, I expect you will be at work )

Dixie dean I have skied on the Zermatt glacier during a September. I saw no holes, but instead got fresh pow 8) Photos here...

http://sunshack.blogspot.com/2007/10/target-practice-in-zermatt-sept-oct-07.html