Pizol

Pizol means “high peak” in Romansh and the resort has a huge vertical drop when the snow lies in the Rhine valley and has some fabulous off-piste and ski touring above the tree line. Day trippers can make Bad Ragaz, below the ski area, by train in 75 minutes from Zurich but the town is a well-established holiday destination with a wealth of diversions for longer stays.

Ski Area Pizol
Resorts Pizol, Bad Ragaz, Wangs
Ski Region Eastern Switzerland
Piste (km) 40
Top run (m) 2227
Bottom (m) 500
Max Drop 1727
Snow’n’Rail Y
Black (km) 2
Red (km) 17
Blue (km) 21
Lifts (#/hr) 12000
My Rating 4
Alpine 3
SnowPark 3
Nordic 1
Hiking 1
Family 5
Apres Ski 1
Free Ride Y
Snow making Y
Fun park Y
Snow park Y
Half pipes
Spa Y

In Brief

A complimentary bus service operates from Bad Ragaz station to the Pizolbahn gondola, and there is also a public bus from the station at Sargans to a gondola at Wangs. The two parts of the resort served by each of the gondolas are distinct, joined together by a pair of surface lifts from Pizolhütte and Laufböden (2227m). Personally I prefer the Bad Ragaz side, with the sumptious runs down from the Laufböden to Pardiel (and the open off-piste areas between). There are also two scenic black runs through the trees with good off-piste opportunities between them.  The area above Wangs is good value though – from the Pizolhütte (snow permitting) you can ski all the way down to Wangs at 509m, over an impressive mile of vertical descent with a background of the Rhine valley and Liechenstein below!

With only one chairlift up from Pardiel and two consecutive chairlifts from Furg, the queues can build up at a weekend, particularly if there are lots of lift stoppages. However there are a good range of  amenities – a funpark, childcare, a toboggan run, ski schools, a choice of places to eat and drink and a range of ski -in, ski-out accommodation options (as well as nearby Bad Ragaz with its spa).

Car parking at the bottom is not free.

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