Moving to Zurich as an Avid Skier + Student
I'm moving from Canada to Zurich for a few years to study, and am really looking forward to frequent skiing in the winter season. I have a few questions about what to bring and to purchase to pursue this (expensive) hobby without breaking the bank (I plan to live frugally otherwise and have worked for a couple years)
Should I bring my own skis and boots? I don't use high-end racing gear, but I quite like my equipment (total approx 600 CHF although I don't have receipts as I've had them for a few years now). I would need to figure out how best to transport them to CH with me without paying exorbitant import fees as I understand there are usually duties I have to pay. Otherwise, I will buy them off Tutti or something! I'm also planning on taking the train with my gear to ski; I've heard that this is common here (impossible to do in Canada).
I will be studying at ETHZ and likely taking the train everyday, hence I will likely get some sort of Zone 110 travel pass. That probably doesn't cover taking the train to skiing destinations. As I am under 25, I am also considering the half fare travel card. Given that I will likely do day trips from Zurich, are there passes I should consider for my travels?
I've also looked into multi-resort ski passes and season passes, but was wondering if anyone has recommendations of what to purchase. I would like to ski once a week during my studies, and frequently during holidays; I am not an adrenaline junkie and like winding paths, so no need for difficulty level 9000 trails; I would like to explore multiple hills, but if there is a resort that is huge and can be continuously explored, I am also happy sticking to one for this season. I've seen mentions of Magic Pass, but I'm not sure if that's the best deal for me as some of those destinations are beyond a day trip (I think four hours both-way commute is a good limit for how long I'm willing to travel)
Many thanks for your advice!