Zermatt: Finding Sanctuary in Skiing

What better way is there to get into the Christmas spirit than waking up to snowy peaks, eating three course meals by roaring fires and having a cheeky drink early afternoon whilst breathing in the mountain air. That is exactly what we did in Zermatt, and what’s more, I was with my best friend, could it get any better?

We had an early 3AM start to catch our 6AM flight from Luton, but hey, it was fun to utilise our skiing head gear as eye masks! It wasn’t even 9AM and we had landed in Geneva. A few games of cards were needed before our train left to take us through the Swiss Alps. As we wound through these impressive natural structures which had waterfalls plunging over the edge, I felt fully immersed in the beauty of where we were. A few hours later and the grey rock had turned into glistening white snow which dusted the mountain peaks. We pulled into Zermatt and with our luggage being taken care of by the hotel, we had a stroll through the gorgeous town and then took a bubble lift up to the mountain where we were to be staying for the next few days. Yes, you did read that right, we were quite literally on a ski slope and it was beyond amazing.

Hotel Silvana had a stunning alpine chalet that we had pinched for our stay. With a spa in the basement which boasted a swimming pool, steam room, two saunas and a relaxation room, we were feeling truly spoilt. We got into our gowns and made the most of the facilities whilst the night drew in. Then it was time for dinner and what a dinner it was; with starters, sorbets and a cheese wheel which they melted in front of our eyes and then piled onto our plates, we were in heaven (well I was anyway, Sam opted for pasta as he doesn’t like cheese and this was not a meal for non-cheese lovers)! He fed back that it was nothing shy of delicious though, so with full bellies we waddled next door for drinks and cards before falling into bed. Not a bad start and we hadn't even skied yet! (Oh, and I forgot to mention the hotel had the cutest dog you've ever met)!

The next couple of days we dragged ourselves from deep slumber and ventured onto the snowy paradise that lay outside our window. We journeyed high up the mountain then whizzed down red slopes and even tackled a couple of blacks before the day was over. Then it was back for a soak in the pool, steam in the sauna and a hearty bit of grub. So far I was losing the cards but nothing could get my spirits down!

The ski days were much the same, hurtling down almost bare slopes whilst taking in the mountainous terrain. On our final day we decided to do shots at an Apres Bar near and getting my dad to neck a jager bomb was priceless.

We then returned our boots and settled in for our last night. Well at least we thought we'd settle in ...

We made friends with some guys at the bar and ended up drinking and storytelling until 2AM. The perfect finish to a pretty perfect holiday. Except it wasn't quite finished. A final breakfast, trip to the spa, walk into Zermatt with a snowball fight to keep us entertained and then a scenic train ride back to the airport was on the menu. Now we were finished and how sad we were to be leaving. But on the bright side, as long as the world gets its act together and stops global warming we'll have plenty more ski trips to come.