My dreams of Switzerland after so many years

[Cannatonic]

wow, thanks for posting all the pictures! I'd be living over there by now if I was you, no doubt. it makes you realize how primitive our (northeast) skiing is by comparison. Huge fan of Europe! Switzerland is one of the nicest countries in the world, it's like utopia compared to here IMO.

[TreeFallin]

Great trip report. The Alps are always good to me. (Except for that onetime separated shoulder)

[MSU Alum]

Switzerland is great.
REALLY great!

Eating-mountain biking-eating on a continuous loop.

You won't starve!

And the classic

[Jurassien]

t turned out that coming to Glacier 3000 was the best decision we made the whole trip. We skied trails that were 8km long and dropped 1700meters. We skied the glacier, we skied corn, we skied with les Alpes Valaisannes laid out at our feet. We ate tart at 10,000 feet, we met people, we hooted, we hollered, we ate more tart, had some beers and goddammit we skied our hearts out!

I just stumbled on this while browsing the Trip Reports. It was “Switzerland” in the title that caught my eye (I live there).

The trip described was in 2018 and there have been some changes there since. I have been to the region (Les Diablerets) several times, though not to ski, but this September I went up on the Glacier 3000 Cable Car for the first time. When you get out of the top station and descend a short distance, you come to a pass called the Col du Tsanfleuron which has been a glacier pass for at least 2000 years. Not any more. Since late summer 2022 you can walk on the rocks and earth of the Col du Tsanfleuron. The ice has gone, and now the two glaciers of Tsanfleuron and Scex Rouge have separated, leaving the pass as a narrow strip of rock and earth. In 2012 the ice on this pass had a measured depth of 15 meters! The operators of the lift system have had to resort to “sticking plaster” measures to try to slow down further reduction of the glacier mass, covering parts of the ice with huge tarpaulin sheets to reflect the sunlight and stop the evaporation. This is just one example of the loss of glacier mass throughout the alps, there are many more – not to mention Greenland and the Antarctic:

https://www.lenouvelliste.ch/valais/val ... es-1217250

Not only that, but just one week after my visit a fire broke out in the restaurant of the top station, causing extensive damage to the restaurant itself, although the cable car was (and still is) able to continue in service. The restaurant, designed by star architect Mario Botta, will (obviously) not be in service in the coming winter season, but a provisional solution will be set up until renovation can begin in summer 2023.

https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/vaud/13 ... meure.html

I solemnly swear that I had nothing to do with either the fire nor the melting ice!

Oh…..and if the OP gets nostalgic, there are webcams to have a sneak peek: https://www.glacier3000.ch/en/information/webcams

…..and for those who might like a peek at Swiss ski-regions generally (there are very many of them), here is something to browse (pure ski pornography):

https://www.bergfex.ch/schweiz/webcams/

[Woodserson]

[
The trip described was in 2018 and there have been some changes there since. I have been to the region (Les Diablerets) several times, though not to ski, but this September I went up on the Glacier 3000 Cable Car for the first time. When you get out of the top station and descend a short distance, you come to a pass called the Col du Tsanfleuron which has been a glacier pass for at least 2000 years. Not any more. Since late summer 2022 you can walk on the rocks and earth of the Col du Tsanfleuron. The ice has gone, and now the two glaciers of Tsanfleuron and Scex Rouge have separated, leaving the pass as a narrow strip of rock and earth. In 2012 the ice on this pass had a measured depth of 15 meters! The operators of the lift system have had to resort to “sticking plaster” measures to try to slow down further reduction of the glacier mass, covering parts of the ice with huge tarpaulin sheets to reflect the sunlight and stop the evaporation. This is just one example of the loss of glacier mass throughout the alps, there are many more – not to mention Greenland and the Antarctic:

https://www.lenouvelliste.ch/valais/val ... es-1217250

Not to mention this happened this year. 6meters of lost ICE in one year in the Aletsch at Place de la Concorde. Insane.
That pole is indicating the loss of ICE, not snow, in one year.

[Jurassien]

Not to mention this happened this year. 6meters of lost ICE in one year in the Aletsch at Place de la Concorde. Insane.
That pole is indicating the loss of ICE, not snow, in one year.

[/quote]


Place de la Concorde (Konkordiaplatz) is a particularly notable example. When the first hut was constructed in 1877, it lay just 50 meters above the surface ice of the glacier, from where it could be reached by an easy scramble over rocks. Due to the constant glacier melt, a ladder had to be introduced – which became progressively longer over the years and had to be shifted around due to brittle newly-exposed rock. In 1975 a steel stairway was built and in 1999 this had grown to 370 steps. I remember parking my skis down on the glacier and slogging up the steps in the mid-day heat. In 2007 it was 433 steps and the hut was then 150 meters above the glacier surface. Today the hut is 200 meters above the glacier. The photos below give an impression of this. The first (black & white) is of the original hut in 1877. In photo #3 the zig-zag stairway can be seen.

In spite of all the gloom, the Aletsch region is fantastic for ski-touring, albeit alpine touring – cross-country skis with BC bindings would be well out of place in that environment.

[GrimSurfer]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ski ... index.html

Interesting piece from a few days ago on the CNN web site. Nothing too surprising but a few things worth pondering as different parts of Europe contend with energy shortages.

[jyw5]

great posts!


Woods, I first saw your photos nearly 4 yrs ago and was inspired to go skiing in Switzerland.

We finally booked a trip to Switzerland for end of march for 2 wks. I managed to talk my wife into going to Zurich and St. Moritz. I had to promise her a deluxe experience otherwise she wouldn't go for it considering she isn't that excited about travelling around the world just to see snowy mountains.

[randoskier]

great posts!


Woods, I first saw your photos nearly 4 yrs ago and was inspired to go skiing in Switzerland.

We finally booked a trip to Switzerland for end of march for 2 wks. I managed to talk my wife into going to Zurich and St. Moritz. I had to promise her a deluxe experience otherwise she wouldn't go for it considering she isn't that excited about travelling around the world just to see snowy mountains.

I ski quite a bit in Switzerland, it's not far from here. St. Moritz is nice skiing and fairly sunny for the northern Alps but the town is rather sickening- last time I was there it was largely Russian oligarchs and their entourages of blingy women and security goons. We skied it when we were staying in Livigno on the Italian side- you reach St Moritz by a one-way 3.5 km tunnel, they let cars go one way for a couple of hours and then the other way for a few. Livigno used to have a big telemark fest I think it is dead now, nice mountain though, huge lift system.

Did you mean Zurich or Zermatt? Zurich is for banking, Zermatt is for skiing. Engelberg is fairly close to Zurich and real nice skiing and not well known internationally, but corwded. Zermatt is Zermatt, nothing to say, great skiing, great town, great mountain (duh), worth the high price.

Our favorite area used to be Andermatt, but not long ago an Egyptian billionaire from Sharm al Seikh convinced the town council to redevelop it into a luxury resort to compete in the already well-covered sector of: St Moritz, Gstaad, Zermatt, Grindelwald, and Davos/Klosters. Shame, it was a simple Swiss village, with a Swiss army base (think sleds and assault rifles), and mostly families skiing there (a must to avoid on Italian school holidays!!). It also had a cult like off-piste fraternity. It has an amazing toboggan run. We don't go anymore, they wrecked it and I don't think it will succeed in that crowded sector. BTW the Swiss Army really does have Swiss Army Knives, as my Swiss friend sadly informed me- "But they don't have cork-screws"

Davos/Klosters: The latter is fantastic! Davos is kind of urban. There are great groomed x-country trails all through the valleys

Adelboden- maybe our current favorite ski mountain in Suisse. Great mountain and lift system. Nice village too. It is lift linked to Link.

Grindelwald- we like to ski at neighboring Wengen or just drive further to Adelboden. The Eiger is a really ugly mountain.

Gstaad - Nice skiing and to avoid at Christmas when Madonna and that lot are in town. Not for early season as the snow is in later.

Verbier- awesome skiing, getting real crowded these days.

All in all for lift-serviced skiing we would rather ski in France, Austria, or here in the Dolomites. France has the best European Nordic backcountry skiing south of Scandanavia (not lift serviced)- the Jura, Auvergne (when the snow is there), Queryas, Vercors, etc. Austria, Switzerland, Italy are more up and down touring for heavier telemark or AT gear.

Below the Swiss toilet in the apartment we used to rent in Andermatt

[jyw5]

great posts!


Woods, I first saw your photos nearly 4 yrs ago and was inspired to go skiing in Switzerland.

We finally booked a trip to Switzerland for end of march for 2 wks. I managed to talk my wife into going to Zurich and St. Moritz. I had to promise her a deluxe experience otherwise she wouldn't go for it considering she isn't that excited about travelling around the world just to see snowy mountains.

I ski quite a bit in Switzerland, it's not far from here. St. Moritz is nice skiing and fairly sunny for the northern Alps but the town is rather sickening- last time I was there it was largely Russian oligarchs and their entourages of blingy women and security goons. We skied it when we were staying in Livigno on the Italian side- you reach St Moritz by a one-way 3.5 km tunnel, they let cars go one way for a couple of hours and then the other way for a few. Livigno used to have a big telemark fest I think it is dead now, nice mountain though, huge lift system.

Did you mean Zurich or Zermatt? Zurich is for banking, Zermatt is for skiing. Engelberg is fairly close to Zurich and real nice skiing and not well known internationally, but corwded. Zermatt is Zermatt, nothing to say, great skiing, great town, great mountain (duh), worth the high price.

Our favorite area used to be Andermatt, but not long ago an Egyptian billionaire from Sharm al Seikh convinced the town council to redevelop it into a luxury resort to compete in the already well-covered sector of: St Moritz, Gstaad, Zermatt, Grindelwald, and Davos/Klosters. Shame, it was a simple Swiss village, with a Swiss army base (think sleds and assault rifles), and mostly families skiing there (a must to avoid on Italian school holidays!!). It also had a cult like off-piste fraternity. It has an amazing toboggan run. We don't go anymore, they wrecked it and I don't think it will succeed in that crowded sector. BTW the Swiss Army really does have Swiss Army Knives, as my Swiss friend sadly informed me- "But they don't have cork-screws"

Davos/Klosters: The latter is fantastic! Davos is kind of urban. There are great groomed x-country trails all through the valleys

Adelboden- maybe our current favorite ski mountain in Suisse. Great mountain and lift system. Nice village too. It is lift linked to Link.

Grindelwald- we like to ski at neighboring Wengen or just drive further to Adelboden. The Eiger is a really ugly mountain.

Gstaad - Nice skiing and to avoid at Christmas when Madonna and that lot are in town. Not for early season as the snow is in later.

Verbier- awesome skiing, getting real crowded these days.

All in all for lift-serviced skiing we would rather ski in France, Austria, or here in the Dolomites. France has the best European Nordic backcountry skiing south of Scandanavia (not lift serviced)- the Jura, Auvergne (when the snow is there), Queryas, Vercors, etc. Austria, Switzerland, Italy are more up and down touring for heavier telemark or AT gear.

Below the Swiss toilet in the apartment we used to rent in Andermatt

thanks for all the wonderful info!

We are flying into Zurich and taking the train to St. Moritz and staying at the Suvretta House. Planning to ski the resort for 3 days and xc 1 day. No backcountry skiing on this trip as 99% of all of our skiing is bc...wife wants lifts, spas, and shopping.

You are incredibly lucky to have skiied in Europe. I have mostly roughed it in Alaska and have skiied some resorts throughout North America.

Someday, I hope to backcountry ski in europe. I am planning on going to Greenland next yr. I am making arrangements for the trip this month.