Against an early morning pink sky, the sunlight hits the top third of the jaw-dropping giant Toblerone that appears before me. This is the Matterhorn. And boy does it impose. It definitely has that eighth-wonder-of-the-world majesty and from its hulking size radiates a compelling and magnetic energy. You never forget your first impression. Nor will I forget sipping that first morning tea with this view.
From the comforts of a room named appropriately “The Alpinist” at Zermattap Cervo Mountain Resort, one could not dream up a more serene start to the ski day.
The resorts of Zermatt in Switzerland, Kitzbuhel in Austria and the Dolomiti Superski in Italy are the newest members of the Ikon Pass group. And since I was planning to be in Europe with family over the holidays anyway, I was game to try use my Ikon benefits.
Once we arrived in Switzerland, there were rolling gentle hills juxtaposed with extreme craggy drop offs. We captured each new vista and snowscape as it unfolded from the unexpected warmth of heated chairlift seats. Some lifts you can ride both directions and you soon realize that the Matterhorn is visible from almost everywhere.
With bluebird skies but poor early conditions it became clear this visit would be more about visuals than turns and tracks. In truth we were both completely transfixed by the scenery and settled into a rhythm of stops to drink it all in. We allowed bunches of skiers to pass for less populated photos and, by default, privacy for our turns.
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