Matterhorn Express

Currently on a last minute ski holiday with Tim at Club Med in Cervinia. As a ski destination at the end of March it has several advantages:

1. it is very high – the resort sits at over 2000m and the slopes reach 3000m

2. unlike most of the Alps, it is still snowing here, with over a metre of snow 10 days ago, and a few more centimetres since we arrived

3. the resort links with Zermatt giving two country skiing and a wide range of pistes

Today was day 2 of skiing – and after a a sunless day on the Cervinia side yesterday, with half the afternoon spent in the clouds trying to feel the snow with our feet as we couldn’t see it – today the sun shone spectacularly and we headed up three long lifts to take us over the border to Switzerland. We were rewarded not just with a great day’s skiing, but also a number of ski firsts, for me at least.

• Skiing – or rather walking carrying skis – over a border.

• Coffee at the Iglu bar – sculptured entirely of ice

• Taking the Matterhorn Express, a ski train to the top of the mountain

• A spectacular view of the Matterhorn panorama

• And last but not least, my first ever sighting of a St Bernard complete with brandy barrel around its neck