Skiing for a beginner/intermediate in Zermatt

I am planning a trip with my family to Zermatt in December. My son is a good skiier on the East Coast, US, but he has not skiied in western US or in Europe, so I am thinking that he would be considered a "beginner" in Switzerland. I plan to hire an instructor for several days to take him skiing in Zermatt. He is 19 years old. Will it be safe for him to ski near the Matterhorn (he considers himself a good skiier; he has been skiing regularly for 12 years, "black diamond" on the East Coast.) I worry, as a mother! I have ready several blogs which state that skiing near the Matterhorn is not for beginners, and I do not want to put my son in a dangerous situation (I am not a skiier). Any advice that you can offer would be much appreciated!

If he's skiing black diamond then he's not going to have any problem, that's a high standard of performance. An instructor or guide will certainly help him get the best from the area though and it's probably more important to think about the risks of skiing alone than anything else.

There's some amazing skiing in the area and as your son sounds like a strong skier I'd suggest looking at what the guides can offer. The guides office can show him some real adventures guided by local professionals :

http://www.alpincenter-zermatt.ch/cms/output.php?id=50&cat_id=4&cat_id2=21&detail_id=59¤cy=chf

Some of the routes they can offer will be once in a lifetime experiences.

Thank you very much for your advice. I will ensure that my son takes a guide with him. I will want a certified ski instructor who emphasizes safety, and I will research the options, including the link that you provided. Thanks very much for the quick response.

We are planning to visit Zermat in mid October next year, we are beginners but would there be sufficient snow for skiing?

Hi Bill! October isn't winter season yet, so there won't be lots of ski lifts and (beginners') classes yet. There are options near Klein Matterhorn though. I think this website will be of help.

Many thanks Annika.