Hoch-Ybrig

Being close to Zurich is the first thing reviewers mention, along with wide slopes that leave fields of untracked powder between the groomed runs, so parents can ski fresh snow alongside children staying on the blues. The terrain is called varied with a few decent lines, even if nothing is extreme. Snowboarders like the Funpark with its jumps, rails and boxes, and by Swiss standards the pricing is judged gentle, with children up to sixteen riding free.

Weekends are the problem. So many people turn up that a long queue forms at the gondola in the morning and the Hesisbol six-seater backs up as well, and the facilities simply cannot cope with the volume. Absolute beginners struggle because even the blue runs are fairly steep. There are no trees at all, so navigation collapses in fog and visitors are advised to stay away in a whiteout. Races at weekends also close off part of the mountain.