Off Piste Skiing & Photography in Zermatt

3rd April 2021

Last modified on May 12th, 2021

Every now and again on PlanetSKI we post videos from our readers and our friends out in the mountains. This one caught out eye and brought back many memories too – from last year and longer ago.

Paul Hammett is a bit of a Zermatt legend.

He is also very modest and would blush at such an accolade.

We used to call him ‘Inghams Paul’ but that was a while ago.

Back in the day, 20 years or so ago, he and our editor James Cove used to lead each other astray in Zermatt… on and off the slopes.

Now he is more sensible.

Recently he and a couple of friends hiked along a ridge in Zermatt from Hohtalli, then skinned up to the Stockhorn peak before skiing down the Findeln Glacier.

“Some cool opportunities to take photos,” said Paul.

Paul has lived in Zermatt for more years than he cares to remember and is a director of Summit Ski school.

Sit back and enjoy his video….and fabulous photographs.

Zermatt, Switzerland. Image © Paul Hammett

And the PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, was in Zermatt last season in March 2020 just before resorts round the Alps closed as the pandemic spread.

And guess who he bumped into?

His old partner in crime.

Coincidently, the same spot where Paul’s video starts.

Paul and James reunited. Image © PlanetSKI

James had gone over to Zermatt from his winter base in the Aosta Valley in Italy with his son, Alex, and his son’s girlfriend, Marie.

They were actually only supposed to be in Zermatt for 24-hours but it turned into 78- hours as the weather closed in and the lifts shut so they couldn’t get back to Cervinia.

And yes, they had to hike out…. we miss our ski adventures… and Zermatt.