European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                §k1 a Amiaga Vize Matt and Cervini a skier s nirvana by. Kin Cruger staff writer this is the tale of two towns. Zermatt Switzerland is ritzy but not glitzy. Cervin a Italy is a Little glitzy but decidedly not ritzy. Separately and together the Cross order neighbors serve up some of the most awesome skiing in Europe. Zermatt and Cervin a share a Mountain. Not just any Mountain mind you but the great Rock Pinnacle of the most recognizable Mountain in Europe. The Swiss Call it the matterhorn. To the italians it is Monte Cervino. From Zermatt the matterhorn sits isolated and imposing in its Stark splendor. It presents a backdrop so dramatic that no other ski resort anywhere can match it. The matterhorn turns its face away from Cervin a. Viewed from Cervin a it looks Little different than any of the area s other massive mountains. The matterhorn made Zermatt. Upstart Cervin a is making it on its own. However the resorts scarcely use the Mountain for skiing. Skiing is on neighbouring mountains. The Finger shaped matterhorn is for climbing and climbers set off from both resorts to ascend the 14,691-foot Peak. Zermatt started out As a mountaineering Center. Englishman Edward whimper put the then isolated Village on the map with the first ascent of the matterhorn in 1865. Tragically four in whimper s six Man climbing party were killed on the Way Down. Zermatt slumbered until the turn of the Century when it began to turn from a summer resort into a ski Center. Located at the far end of the visa Valley in the German speaking part of the Canton of Valais romantic and Lively Zermatt is Cut off from the rest of Switzerland by the mountains that surround it. This remoteness has helped the town preserve its Charm through the years. No cars Are allowed in compact pollution free Zermatt so visitors can Amble peacefully along its streets Only occasionally giving Way to a horse drawn Sleigh or to a humming electric taxi. The town is a favorite of Jet setters and its magic starts to work immediately upon arrival. Narrow streets skirt delightful wooden chalets the Bells of the old Church peal and Sleigh horses Trot by with tinkling harnesses. Zermatt s three Large skiing areas have 100 Miles of runs served by railway underground funicular and Cable cars. Lift lines Seldom exist. Belter skiers get the most out of Zermatt with its Long and at times hairy descents on 40 different runs a dozen of them Black from the main areas. The easier slopes Are High up while the most difficult Start Low Down and swing through the Trees. Zermatt is in the Shadow of the matterhorn. No skier Novice through expert need Ever go hungry or thirsty on Zermatt s mountains. Forty restaurants and huts Are liberally sprinkled about and the slopes old wooden chalets burst with Charm and character. The presence of so Many wonderful eateries together with electronic indicator boards at the Bottom of lifts showing which restaurants Are open makes it easy for skiers of differing standards to agree on where to meet to eat. The strength of the Swiss franc to the . Dollar makes Switzerland expensive for americans and world class Zermatt is particularly pricey. Fortunately Switzerland s near Zero inflation rate Means prices stay just about the same year after year. Zermatt s atmosphere and the sheer Quality of its ski experience make the prices easier to Swallow. Skiing links Zermatt with Cervin a but it does so slowly and expensively because visitors must take a number of Long lifts including Europe s highest Cable car to get Back and Forth and must buy add on passes for use in the neighbouring resort. Both Zermatt and Cervin a share the same massifs and offer year round Glacier skiing but after that they have Little in common. Cervin a is cheaper friendlier More relaxed and less Alpine Correct in its architecture. And when Many Alpine resorts Are Snow starved most often during the Peak Christmas season the italian resort generally comes through with heaps of the White stuff. Quot the insiders seem to know that Cervin a can be counted on for Snow. Cervin a does t have an International name but it is a real contender Quot said Bob Hinman an experienced skier and a . Navy Captain based in Naples Italy. Hinman likes Cervin a so much that he has spent two weeks skiing there on his current tour once at Christmas and once in the Spring. Hinman made both trips with Sci Marco the International ski club serving the Naples military Community. Sci Marco skiers go to Cervin a annually for the dec. 19-26 ski week. The self drive trip this year costs 675,000 lira about $540 and the package includes luxury lodging breakfasts and dinners and a six Day ski pass. Quot Cervin a does t offer any fantastic bargains but it delivers exceptional value Quot Hinman said. He likes the fact that unlike in Zermatt it is possible to drive right up to the resort s hotels. He also likes the resort s somewhat limited but Lively nightlife. Quot the town is a bit More Laid Back than Zermatt Quot Hinman said. Cervin a with its nearly 70 Miles of trails served by 46 lifts offers two of the longest ski runs in Europe. Quot Cervin a has Good intermediate slopes. Some of the runs from top to Bottom Are just wonderful. Because Cervin a is a Snow bowl you can often ski right Back into the town Quot Hinman said. Quot it s often difficult to do that in  Cervin a s skiers get a Bonus. The resort s ski pass is Good in not too Distant Cou Mayeur another one of Europe s top resorts and French Chamonix s italian neighbor on Mont  skier s lexicon acres ski social activities at the end of the skiing Day typically involving alcohol and music. Black Rad Blua and Graan runs ski trails graded by difficulty level from very gentle Green used in Many French resorts rarely elsewhere to difficult Black. Warning the difficulty varies from place to place so the colors Are a relative guide. Bindings costly contraptions that hold your boots to your skis and which Are supposed to release during a fall. Brake Gizmo that stops a ski that has become separated from its operator thus preventing it from shooting downhill. Bumps see moguls. Downhill the direction your skis want to go. Also the dramatic form of racing that involves few turns and High speeds. Drag lift a Type of lift a Anchor Button to bar a that pulls you up a slope and which can be hard on the legs. Much More prevalent in Europe than in the states. Dry slope Hillside equipped with plastic bristle surface that acts As a substitute for Snow. It permits skiing in Britain or Florida for that matter. Glacier ice Fields above 9,000 feet that make year round skiing possible. Intermediate skier who is neither Good nor awful. Of Gertee alcohol laced Tea another Way of warming up without exercising. Langlauf German for Cross country. Moguls pattern of Mounds caused by skiers following in one another a tracks. Occur Only on steeper Hills. Of piste technically skiing outside the official marked runs. In general usage skiing in unt racked Snow. Piste a ski run that has been marked out graded patrolled and often groomed by a Large tractor. Piste map map showing layout of pistes and lifts notoriously unhelpful. In the states they Are called lift maps or Trail maps. Poms a common Brand of Button lift. Ski vol Tif learning to ski by starting on extremely Short skis and progressing to longer ones. In the states its called the graduated length method. Snow guarantee tour operator s Promise to provide skiing or Cash compensation if skiing in your chosen resort proves impossible because of Lack of Snow. Becoming As rare As a spotted owl. Telemark difficult though fashionable method of turning Cross country skis on Steep Hills. For experts Only. Trail american term for piste. White out disorienting snowstorm in which ground and sky become indistinguishable. A signal to Pray for divine Protection. White weeks Low season promotional packages offered by ski resorts including accommodation lift pass and tuition in a single Deal