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.