Like Sestriere, but in Switzerland: lower villages, the same snow sure call

Our matching puts Arosa closer to Sestriere than any other of the 55 resorts we cover, on the gentle share, the itinerary and the size of the area. It is a gentle, sunny bowl joined to Lenzerheide by a single cable car, with families, sunshine and snow sure on its list.

The size carries over. Arosa Lenzerheide is one area of 225 kilometres, a figure three sources agree on exactly, though smaller on paper than the Via Lattea. Around Arosa we measure 183 kilometres, the most of the 15 Swiss resorts we cover and 23 more than around Sestriere, with 97 kilometres of blue and easier, also the most of the 15 Swiss resorts we cover, against your 50. The gentle share is level, 35 percent at both, and the longest piste we measure there is a 4.3 kilometre red with 808 metres of vertical, where Sestriere's longest is a 3 kilometre red with 472.

It is higher at the top than you might guess. The village is at 1,800 metres, the second highest of the 15 Swiss resorts we cover and 235 below yours, but the skiing reaches 2,848, measured, 60 above your top. Where it gives height away is the middle: 65 percent of the piste is at or above 1,800 metres, against 91. It passes our snow sure test, with less to spare.

The trade is the steep end and the mood. Twenty four percent of the piste is steeper than one in four, against 30, there are 8.5 kilometres of itinerary against 10.8, and 14.5 of black against 17.9, though those blacks average 32.4 percent, the steepest of the 15 Swiss resorts we cover. The blues average 15.4 percent, so they are more numerous and less soft. And we class Arosa as family rather than modern.

If the part of Sestriere you love is its character, Davos matches it best on paper. It keeps Sestriere's one trait, modern, and our read on it is busy and practical: a high mountain town with a huge amount of skiing, with a big area, snow sure and town amenities on its list. Its skiing tops out at 2,808 metres, measured, 20 above yours, and 78 percent of the piste is at or above 1,800 metres.

The strong skier gains kilometres. There are 20.7 kilometres of black, the most of the 15 Swiss resorts we cover, against 17.9, and 13.3 of marked itinerary, the eleventh most of the 55 resorts we cover, against 10.8. There is more easy ground too, 62.5 kilometres of blue and easier against 50.

The trade is the village height and the joins. The town is at 1,560 metres, 475 below yours, the biggest gap of the three. And the area is six separate mountains: only Parsenn is shared with Klosters, and the rest need a train, bus or car, where the Via Lattea joins up. We measure 145 kilometres around Davos, 15 fewer than around Sestriere. Its blues average 16.2 percent, and 23 percent of the piste is steeper than one in four, against 30.

If what keeps you going back is the snow, St Moritz has more of its piste high up than Sestriere does. Its village is the highest of the 15 Swiss resorts we cover, at 1,822 metres, the skiing reaches 3,266, measured, 478 above your top, and 97 percent of the piste is at or above 1,800 metres, the joint fifth biggest share of the 55 resorts we cover, against your 91.

Almost everything else changes. Our matching carries nothing over: St Moritz is glamour, sunshine and a lake full of events, glamorous and sunny by our read, and upmarket, where Sestriere lists value. Its own domain measures about 106 kilometres, 54 fewer than around Sestriere, and the Engadin's bigger figure is a pass across separate mountains. There is no marked itinerary, against your 10.8, and 30 kilometres of blue and easier against 50. Twenty four percent of the piste is steeper than one in four, against 30, and the blacks average 25.5 percent against your 30.1.