After any significant sports competition, I prepare a “debrief” that captures my impressions and learnings from that event. I decided to do the same for this trip…my first significant international trip in four years.
Photo time on the Maulerhubel (above Winteregg, Switzerland)
Firstly – and I don’t think I can overstate this – I am so lucky to have a connection to Switzerland. And it doesn’t get old. I know I’ve taken hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures in Wengen, Grindelwald, and Mürren over the years, but I never tire of taking even more photos in this truly beautiful setting.
More photos…this time at the top of the Gimmeln lift (above Gimmelwald, Switzerland)
And while the slopes in the Zweisimmen area may lack the sheer size that you see at Wengen, it is still special to be there too. Knowing that my ancestors lived on (and worked) these mountains creates a special bond that I don’t feel anywhere else. It is only enhanced by knowing that I am related, however distantly, to many of the area residents!
The fearsome Birg lift station (top left), high above Mürren, Switzerland
But the mountains are only part of it. Beyond the natural beauty is something that doesn’t depend on where you are. Ironically, because holidays tend to be rushed, that something is…time.
View from our lunch spot at the Schilthornhütte, high above Mürren, Switzerland
In the inevitable extended periods of travel, whether by plane or by train, there is time to just…think. I used to think that “dead” time like that was just a necessary evil. But now I think it’s a blessing in disguise because, in our (hectic) daily lives, how often do we get a chance to just think deeply? This trip was great for that.
The ski posse having lunch at the Schilthornhütte…I took the previous picture from where my orange jacket is visible
The “deep thinking” isn’t just about the spectacular Swiss setting. It can be about almost anything. Part of the “deep think” is appreciating all of the great things about home.
Looking from the Schilthornhütte towards the Schilthorn summit (which we would soon visit)
Another part of the “deep think” is prioritizing the opportunities that lie ahead. Prioritizing is something that’s hard to do when you’re running from one thing to the next. But things can become much clearer when you have no cell phone, no internet connection, and no daily living concerns. This is when you discover your true passions and what is truly important to you.
Every direction you look, there’s a spectacular view (Mürren, Switzerland)
So, while I was naturally sad that my time in the mountains had come to an end, I felt energized by (and truly focused on) what was still to come. And isn’t that a perfect way to end a holiday?
Skiing down from the upper Mürren slopes to the lower Mürren slopes requires going through this narrow chasm. It is notorious for difficult conditions. But it is also a thrill to navigate!.
It’s not an outdated stereotype. Switzerland *is* expensive. But not necessarily in the ways you’d expect, and there are ways to mitigate it somewhat.
The mighty Eiger looms high above the Gummi lift
First of all, lift tickets in Switzerland are still cheaper than lift tickets in the big North American resorts. This is because skiing is not just a sport for the wealthy in Switzerland. It has traditionally been thought of as a middle-class family activity. This “accessibility” has its limits, though…Zermatt, for example, is now creeping up to North American price levels.
A very bright moment between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg
If you can, bring your own ski equipment. Many airlines will take a ski bag at no extra cost. Swiss ski rental costs have skyrocketed in the last few years. I always bring my ski boots from home, but renting skis is no longer the relative bargain it used to be. This partly results from high Swiss wages. There is labour involved in preparing rental skis, and that cost is partly borne by the renter.
Hut at the base of the Tschuggen T-bar
Similarly, restaurant prices can give you a serious case of sticker shock. Even though taxes and tip are included in the price, it still is quite an adjustment (despite the post-COVID price bump we saw in Canada). Unlike much of Canada, Swiss restaurant employees are paid a living wage. This is great but, as with ski rentals, it is reflected in the price to the consumer.
Looking out over the Lauterbrunnen valley, from the Black Rock piste
One option is getting a half-board hotel room. This means that both breakfast and dinner are included in your room rate. You may not have much choice on the menu, but it is usually much more economical than eating a la carte at restaurants outside your hotel. When you have half-board, you only pay extra for the beverages you consume at dinner. At the Hotel Bellevue in Wengen, we had great five-course meals every night at 7:00 p.m. It was no problem to get cleaned up in time for dinner after a long day of skiing. Eating in your hotel also saves you the time involved in deciding on and getting to/from a restaurant.
This was our table for the week at the Hotel Bellevue in Wengen. What a great view to have every morning!
Also, with buffet breakfasts, you can eat quite well and not need an expensive lunch. Lunch on the slopes can easily be just a bowl of soup (generally served with bread), which is much cheaper and quicker than having a heavy entree. Fortunately, Swiss mountain restaurants are not exorbitantly priced. They are private undertakings that must also be sustainable with a non-skiing clientele during the rest of the year.
Appetizer on Day 7 at the Hotel Bellevue. Pastetli (vol-au-vent) filled with wild mushrooms, on top of a cheese fondue sauce
Consider going vegetarian in Switzerland. Main courses without meat, or with minimal meat, are significantly cheaper than those with meat. And if you must eat meat, avoid things like steak. They are obscenely expensive and, in my non-expert opinion, not all that Swiss. Eat local specialties… largely meat-free local options likeRösti and Älplermagronen are both tastier and easier on your wallet.
View from the Eigergletscher
As for hotels, go with family-run hotels that offer a solid breakfast (and no frills). Don’t be a star snob: even a one- or two-star Swiss hotel is going to be far cleaner and more comfortable than you would expect. The stars mostly refer to the frills, not the basic quality and comfort. And the food in a locally-run hotel is more likely to be affordable too. There’s no need to pay for a major chain’s advertising budget.
One of the restaurants (and a lot of crows) at Kleine Scheidegg. We didn’t eat here.
Finally, travel costs are heavily skewed in favour of locals. They can buy various passes that really drive down costs. Tourists who are only here for a week aren’t so lucky. Do your research…if you can stay for at least two weeks, you might be able to find a pass that cuts your ground transportation costs too. Or try to visit places that are close to an international airport. Geneva or Zurich are within Switzerland itself, but don’t forget about major international cities like Milan (Italy) or Lyon (France). Airfares to those places are often much cheaper than airfares to Swiss destinations. And if your ground transportation is mostly outside Switzerland, that saves money too.
Another view of the Eiger. It’s very easy to take pictures of it from the Männlichen area!
There is still more to come on Switzerland! (All of today’s pictures are ones I didn’t use in my previous post about skiing at Wengen.)
After the poor visibility that plagued our first three days of skiing in the Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen areas around Wengen, we were pleased to see the sun rise for our last day of skiing in Wengen. Maybe we would be able to properly see what we were skiing?
Getting ready for the descent from the top of the Honegg lift, just above Kleine Scheidegg
And just like the old Foreigner song…when we emerged from the cable car at Männlichen, it was like we were seeing and skiing these slopes for the very first time! We could indeed see everything, including the mighty Eiger!
Looking down from the top of the Black Rock piste, with the impending “cliff” straight ahead and the rock itself coming up on the right
The photos tell the story. But I’d like to comment on a couple of special elements of this special day. The first was being able to properly ski my favourite Wengen piste: the Black Rock (now known more generically as Piste #32). Part of this black-rated piste’s appeal is the steep slope that demands precision. But, most of all, it’s the natural beauty of the slope.
This is where the “cliff” (and the fun, and the Black Rock itself) begins!
The first part is not very challenging, although in the distance you can see that the piste appears to fall off a cliff. And then when you get to that cliff, you have to balance skiing smartly with enjoying the spectacular view of the Lauterbrunnen valley on one side and a massive nearly-black rock formation on the other.
Looking back from near the end of the Black Rock piste – it’s hard to describe just how massive that rock really is.
Once you get past the massive rock formation, the piste’s incline eases considerably and it’s a little safer to fully enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. On a sunny day like today, I find myself saying that there is no other place I’d rather be. And that’s about the time that “Right Here, Right Now” (the 1991 song by Jesus Jones) implants itself in my head.
Speaking of massive rocks: this is the Eiger. And the steep part straight ahead is an unbelievable 2 km tall (the entire Eiger itself tops out at nearly 4 km in elevation)
For our final run of the day (and week, and year), we decided to go out with a bang. We would ski the famous Lauberhornrennen, the oldest and longest World Cup downhill race in the world. Check out this video from about 10 years ago to see exactly why the Lauberhorn race is so difficult and so special.
The wedding party (bride in white dress in the centre) at the top of the Lauberhorn piste
Before starting the Lauberhorn run, we saw a group of unusually dressed skiers (one in a white dress) near the starting gate. Yes, a skiing couple from Australia was actually getting married on the slopes! Instead of a “destination” wedding on a beach, they invited their skiing friends to celebrate with them in Switzerland.
I took this photo in the starting gate of the Lauberhorn run. What a way to end the week of skiing at Wengen!
The Lauberhorn run was a demanding but great way to end our week of skiing. But if you liked the spectacular photos from the last two posts, fear not! There is lots more to come from this amazing part of the world!
OK, so the tough weather might have been getting to me a little bit. My last two posts were a little despondent. But the weather experts were right: they said Day 4 of our ski week in Wengen would be great for skiing. And it sure was!
This view, on a piste beside the Kandahar lift, is one of my favourites. Yes, we ski through that narrow chasm to get to Mürren! And those mountains in the background just happen to be the famous Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks!
We decided to travel across the Lauterbrunnen valley to the slopes above Mürren. The views from the top of the Schilthorn promised to be stunning. But rather than race to the summit of the Schilthorn, at an elevation of nearly 3000 metres, we decided to enjoy the slopes along the way. And so we took our time exploring the pistes accessible by lifts such as Winteregg, Allmiboden, Schiltgrat, and Gimmeln.
The Schilthornhütte restaurant, with the Schilthorn looming in the back centre-right. We ate at one of these outdoor tables.
The conditions were sublime. Shimmering sunshine, with nary a cloud in the sky. The snow accumulations from the previous 48 hours meant that we weren’t skiing on an icy base. And we could see! With all of those favourable factors, it only made sense to have lunch outside at the rustic Schilthornhütte, within sight of the peak we would finally ascend that afternoon.
My lunch at the Schilthornhütte: KäsesuppeundRauchwurst.
I had Käsesuppe (cheese soup) and Rauchwurst (smoked sausage) with some Swiss mustard (senf). It hit the spot perfectly. But even better was the view. Check out the picture at the very top of this post: this is where we ate! It was so nice on this sunny shelf that it wasn’t easy to move on. But we had a mission: to experience one of the most iconic views in the Alps.
Looking north from the top of the Schilthorn. The city of Thun is visible near the top centre of the photo.
I described my most recent visit to the Schilthorn in this post from 2018. All that still applies, although I’m pleased to report that some of the ickier aspects (most notably the “Bondgirls” sign at the women’s washroom) have been replaced. And as you can see from the photos here, the weather conditions were much better this time around. Waiting until the afternoon didn’t cause any problems at all – in fact, the Schilthorn was almost abandoned by that time of day.
Now, to ski down from the Schilthorn…we have to get from the building at right to the run-out slope you see at the lower centre-left of this photo!
After taking many, many pictures of the surrounding mountains, it was time to ski down from the top. But there’s only one way down. It’s a black-rated piste (the most difficult rating). Normally, this is not a problem. But the steepness of the slope, together with a lot of snowfall and a lot of morning traffic, left us with a particularly difficult descent. Large moguls alternated with pockets of deep snow and “scraped” icy patches. This would be a challenge!
OK, first let’s take a cheesy Swiss tourist photo at the Schilthorn!
But sensible challenges are one of the reasons we ski. And so, four of us decided to tackle the dreaded “Piste 10” leading down from the majestic Schilthorn. It certainly wasn’t my most elegant descent. Nonetheless, we still felt a sense of accomplishment when we made it down intact.
We’re at the very top of Piste 10, the only way down from the Schilthorn. After the first turn, it gets very steep!
We still had some enjoyable pistes that afternoon around the Kandahar and Muttleren lifts. But all too soon, we had to start making our way towards Winteregg so that we could get back to Wengen without a long uphill walk in ski boots. We caught the crucial last lift at Maulerhubel with precisely two minutes to spare!
Looking back at what we just did: that’s the Schilthorn in the background, with the rest of my posse enjoying an easy cruising slope after the challenge of Piste 10.
I often nominate a particular piste as the week’s Traumpiste (“dream run”). But every once in a while, the entire day is wonderful. I’d have to say that was the case today. And we were all able to enjoy it together, after some tough conditions over the previous three days. So, let’s call it a Traumtag!
Looking from Maulerhubel towards Wengen (on the other side of the valley), as the sun begins to disappear behind the high peaks at 4:30 p.m. These were some of the only clouds we saw today.
After such a great day on the Schilthorn, could our last day on the Wengen slopes possibly compare? Stay tuned and see!
The forecast for Day 2 was 25 cm of new snow, and we received at least that much. But I think we received even more on Day 3. So, let’s say “a couple of feet” of new snow in little more than 24 hours. That would normally be awesome. But we also couldn’t see anything!
Being swallowed up by the snow, and also not knowing where it is, near the top of the Männlichen ski area above Grindelwald and Wengen, Switzerland
As you can see from some of the on-slope photos here, the light was so “flat” that we couldn’t see the slope even if we could see other objects (which we frequently couldn’t).
We had lunch here, at the Chalet Restaurant on Day 3 (Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland). You wouldn’t know that the massive Eiger was looming behind it!
I have to admit that 3 days in a row of poor visibility can be quite demoralizing, especially when the day before that was cancelled altogether because of stormy weather. We tried moving around from area to area, but any improvement was strictly temporary.
Lots of room on this usually heavily-used piste down to the Wixi lift (Wengen, Switzerland). This was probably the best visibility we had on Day 3, even though it was still hard to see changes in the slope.
I did my best to dwell on the positives, as outlined in this post and that post about suboptimal skiing conditions. But I also found that I was experiencing cumulative exhaustion. I’d be physically and mentally exhausted at the end of each day, and it was harder to recharge enough to face new (or even familiar) challenges by the next morning.
What once was green, is now white! This is just above Wengen (which is obscured by fog)
The only plus was that the slopes were virtually empty. And while I knew that the conditions would probably be amazing when the storm ended, it was becoming less and less clear when this might actually happen. What if the poor weather never left?
Some appealing chalets that we would ski by on our return to Wengen each day.
As for the pictures, I turned my attention to things I saw every day: chalets on the Talabfahrt (late afternoon valley run) and around our Hotel Bellevue home base (which you can now see with snow at the very top of this post). My ski posse referred often to a “winter wonderland”, so I tried to embrace that aspect of what I was seeing. And it was fascinating to see the transformation from green and brown to deep, deep white. Even the lowest pistes now had snow on the sides as well.
A quaint rustic chalet right beside our hotel in Wengen
Two of us decided to visit a different part of Wengen one day after skiing through the blinding snow. We stopped by the Chalet Alpenblick, which hosted the Auslandschweizer (Swiss Abroad) ski camps I attended for many years. I stayed in this house more than once, so it used to be quite familiar to me.
Nostalgic visit to the Chalet Alpenblick in Wengen
While we were looking at the Alpenblick, we were actually invited in to take a look around! This week’s occupants (a high school group from Biel, Switzerland) found our story fascinating. It was amazing how little had changed in 15-20 years. The same teapots, chairs, tables, Foosball game…it really could have been 2005 all over again.
This beautifully-situated Wengen church overlooks the Lauterbrunnen valley
With that unexpected nostalgia trip behind us, we were reassured by the ski rental shop that Day 4 would really be a great ski day. We really wanted to believe this. Was it true?
After skiing in suboptimal conditions for a day last week, and then having the resort shut down on my first scheduled day of skiing here, you’d think that all the iffy weather stuff would be behind me. But you would be wrong!
Restaurant Brandegg, near Grindelwald – we lunched here on day one and had the famous apple doughnuts for dessert
My first two “real” days of skiing here were plagued by poor visibility (fog), marginal snow conditions, and eventually precipitation that ranged from rain to sleet to heavy snow. We had to make do with minor victories, and keep looking ahead to the promised sunny skies on days four and five. Fortunately, the food at the Hotel Bellevue in Wengen (see photo at the top of this post) continued to impress. And there were no lift lines at all!
Great visibility, but poor snow conditions on day one at the (relatively) low altitude slopes leading to Wengen.
The poor visibility is particularly frustrating. It certainly interferes with skiing (making even seasoned skiers look like absolute beginners), but it is especially unfortunate in this part of Switzerland. One member of our ski group had never been to Wengen before and we had to assure her that the legendary and massive Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains were really looming far overhead.
The Eiger appears at the end of day one! With a weird horizontal cloud formation below the peak!
At 4:30 p.m. on the first day, Mother Nature teased us a little. All of a sudden, the clouds parted, the sun emerged, and the cloud level was actually below us. We had a brief but dramatic view of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau…with a strange horizontal cloud formation just below (see above photo). It was amazing! I think my camera was overwhelmed by the sunlight, though, as all of my frantically snapped photos came out rather blurry.
The iffy visibility here (at Grindelwald First) was standard over the first couple of days, although it was frequently much worse.
Alas, day two was just more of the same fog, with rain at the lower altitudes and increasing snow at the higher altitudes. Our lunches took on increased importance, as they offered a respite from the poor weather. But some restaurants were closed (including one in Grindelwald that was a real hit in 2018) because of the low numbers on the slopes…or because the pistes leading to them were not open.
This rustic house at the end of the Talabfahrt was quite visible near low-altitude Grindelwald on day two. However, it was also quite wet!
Looking on the bright side, suboptimal skiing weather does have some benefits. It makes skiing incredibly easy once the weather improves. It is a great workout, because “skiing blind” places heavy physical demands on you. And it develops concentration skills, as assessing the snow and piste conditions by feel demands nothing less than 100% focus. Your senses are certainly heightened: on the second day, we spotted a huge herd of roughly 50 chamois as we rode the Oberjoch chairlift high above Grindelwald.
Stay tuned for my report on the third day of skiing in the Wengen-Grindelwald area!
After a stellar “biathlon” the previous day (see above for a photo from the previous day!), it wasn’t fair to expect another wholly amazing day in Zweisimmen. And while it had some fun parts, it’s not going on my all-time Traumtag list.
Complete strangers overlooking Hornfluh (the day before)
In the valley, it rained all day. It changed to snow once I got above 1300 m elevation, but most of it was very wet and heavy snow. And visibility was quite poor for most of the day. With wet goggles, seeing properly was even harder.
More strangers at the Gstaad ski area (the day before, mind you)
With that dim introduction, you might think it was a terrible day. But there were still some highlights. People weren’t skiing on the Rinderberg in the morning for some reason, so I was basically able to make first tracks in the fresh foot of snow that had fallen since the day before. And I kept doing that for at least 5 more “laps” of the upper Rinderberg pistes. The visibility wasn’t great, but it was good enough that I could focus on skiing through the fresh stuff.
Looking out from Parwengesattel towards St. Stephan (the previous day)
Eventually, however, the ski schools arrived en masse and I no longer had the mountain to myself. I figured I would return to the St. Stephan slopes where I had so much fun the day before. Alas, the conditions were terrible. The top half was OK, but there is only one lift…so you must ski the bottom half too. The bottom half featured muddy snow that felt like sand…and stopped your skis dead in their tracks. It was grim. I only did the one run there – life is too short for skiing in mud. I couldn’t return to the Rinderberg without doing multiple lifts and low-elevation pistes, so I moved on to the Saanenmöser slopes.
Parking lot for skis at the mountaintop Hotel Restaurant Hornfluh
Saanenmöser was better than St. Stephan, but even there I had to adapt. While there wasn’t any muddy snow, the warm temperatures meant that skiing anywhere “fresh and untouched” in the middle and lower sections would also bring your skis to a sudden stop. So I could only ski where other people had skied before. This goes against my skiing instincts, but the alternative was worse. And even then there were some invisible slow spots.
My lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Hornfluh: Älplermagronen with a Suure Moscht
Lunch was a much-needed escape from all the rain and snow. I ate at the Hotel Restaurant Hornfluh. I ordered Älplermagronen und Suure Moscht: this is Swiss-German for macaroni and cheese (deluxe, with ham, two cheeses, and fried onions) and an apple cider. Once again, lots of carbs to get me through the demanding ski conditions!
More of the ski rack at Hornfluh, along with an alarming cow
By the end of the day, I was exhausted and soaked. Plus, my water bottle leaked in my backpack. As a result, my dry extra clothes were even wetter than the damp ones I was wearing. It wasn’t a very glamorous way to end the day. Nonetheless, I decided to focus on a sense of accomplishment for adapting to the many challenges I faced throughout the day. And nothing can take away those dreamy first runs in the morning when I had the slopes to myself!
It doesn’t get much better than this. The sun was shining, the slopes in the Gstaad ski region weren’t busy…what better way to start the morning than by heading to the Zweisimmen ski gondola station? No line-up: I walked right into a waiting gondola and began my ascent up the Rinderberg.
View from my Zweisimmen hotel
The top of the Rinderberg is around 2011 metres (about 6600 feet) high, so it’s not an especially high mountain. But it is still high enough to have a lot of snow cover even though the snow is gone in the valley. I started with some very enjoyable pistes on the back side at Parwengesattel, high above the village of St. Stephan. There was a lot of room on the slopes, so I could focus on my technique a little bit too.
View from Saanerslochgrat
And the good conditions continued, at least on the higher parts of the various linked resorts. Things got a bit wet and slushy on the lower elevations, but my ski posse knows that I usually thrive in those conditions.
View from Parwengesattel, high above St. Stephan
For lunch, I stumbled on a rare opportunity: I could eat al fresco (in the sun) at a restaurant right beside the lower part of the slope leading to Oeschseite. So I grabbed a table, ordered a panaché and some pasta, and enjoyed my slopeside meal without my jacket on. Now this is what being on holiday is all about!
I ate my lunch outside here at Restaurant Träumli, near Oeschseite. My table near the front is still empty.
I spent most of the afternoon on the slopes above Saanenmöser, before heading back to the Rinderberg for my last pistes at the end of the day. Considering this was my first day of skiing in two years, I was really happy with how it all turned out. My boots still felt good despite the passage of two years, and the Swiss skis I rented (it was too much hassle to bring mine from Canada) were just right too.
This is the piste leading to the Restaurant Träumli at Oeschseite. The restaurant is on the right side of the trail, just before it veers left. The snow was actually not too bad, despite the very warm temperatures
So what could possibly make the day even better? How about adding another sport in the evening and turning it into an extended 12-hour biathlon? Well, believe it or not, I was able to go lawn bowling in the evening in Gstaad! I know – it’s winter. But there is an indoor tennis club in Gstaad where they can roll out some special carpets to permit indoor lawn bowling.
Looking in the other direction at Parwengesattel
On top of that, I was able to play in a pairs match with the current Swiss Indoor Singles champion against the current Swiss pairs champions. They were wearing a lot of Swiss national team gear. I hadn’t played in 5 months, but they found a set of bowls in my size and I was able to find my groove very quickly. We bowled for nearly three hours.
An easy slope in the Gstaad ski region
It is remarkable how universal sports can be. We had really competitive games but we also had a lot of fun. And in addition to the guys who played, I met several other members of the club who came to watch or met us afterwards.
Like every Swiss railway station, the Zweisimmen train station has a Mondaine clock like this. I have the same clock (and watch) too!
To cap off an amazing day, we adjourned to the curling club’s pub and enjoyed some pizza and beverages! It was great to talk about our common sports passions. They were fascinated by a Canadian lawn bowler who originates from the very same mountain valley that they are from. And I never thought I would meet fellow Swiss who played the sport too. All in all, a remarkable day!
As spontaneous as travel can be, it’s a lot easier to be spontaneous when you’ve done the proper planning. Once I’ve selected a destination, I usually have three stages of preparation. The first stage is booking flights and other long-haul travel. I did that several months ago for this trip, and you can read about it here.
Skiing the Matterhorn is pretty special! Zermatt, Switzerland (see also photo at top!)
The second stage is planning accommodation. It’s hard to do this too early. Rates generally don’t fall as the dates approach (and hopefully my own plans don’t change) but, just in case, I try to book only fully refundable accommodation. This takes some work. Sometimes the same hotel has very different rates (and availability) depending on whether you book directly, go through the local tourist office, or use booking sites like booking.com or hotels.com. Of course, booking early makes even more sense if you *must* stay in a particular place…as is usually the case on a skiing trip.
Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
The third stage, and the focus of this post, is my customized packing list. This is very important. And believe it or not, I take my packing list with me. It came in very handy on my 2014 trip to Champagne where some of my luggage was lost by the airline. It was very easy to prepare an itemized list of what was lost, since I already had it in my pocket!
Sestriere, Italy
I have separate packing lists for ski trips and non-skiing trips. My ski list has been evolving since the 1990s, as I figured out what worked and what didn’t. I keep each list and dig it out the next year as a starting point for the new list. A reliable list is essential because taking excess stuff is both expensive (through baggage fees) and exhausting (because you have to carry it everywhere). I generally bring my ski boots to Europe: it avoids dodgy/ill-fitting rental equipment, blisters, and a poor skiing experience. However, they are also bulky. This means I’m already at a packing disadvantage.
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
When I’m making my list for a particular trip, I need to know two things: (1) what activities am I doing each day, and (2) will I have access to laundry? With that information, I can ensure that I will (1) have the right clothes for each day, and (2) run out of wearable clothes on the last day of the trip. OK, maybe one extra pair of socks and underwear, but that’s it. If I’m in a country with stores, I can always buy more clothes in an emergency.
Zurs, Austria
Outer layers (pants, sweaters) must be worn multiple times…if not, I can’t justify bringing them. Distinctive colours? No…if I need colour, I have blue jeans. Otherwise, I mostly stick to greys and blacks because they don’t clash with anything and it’s hard to damage them if I’m doing laundry. Also – they are less susceptible to stains. And I don’t take any expensive clothes – it’s not worth the risk of loss or damage.
Skiers on the Forcella Staunies piste, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
I must also know the electrical system of the place I’m visiting. The U.K. and Europe have different voltages than Canada…and from each other! But on top of that, Switzerland often has a extra prong that can thwart generic European adaptors. I have quite a collection of adaptors in my travel closet.
Scuol, Switzerland
The packing list ensures that I don’t forget anything if I run out of time before departure. I put even the most mundane things on the list (passports, the shoes I’ll wear when I leave) because you just never know if you will get distracted at the wrong time.
Between Champery, Switzerland, and Avoriaz, France
And I don’t leave the packing list itself to the last minute. I try to make it about two weeks before I leave. I’ll be thinking clearly, because I won’t be stressed out yet by all the other things I need to do. A well-written list means that packing itself can be done in less than an hour on the day before I leave.
Bracing myself against the fierce winds at the top of the Oukaimeden ski resort in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains
Today’s photos are just random ski photos from places I *won’t* be skiing at this year!
My last overseas trip seems like it was ages ago. In reality, it was less than four years ago (March 2020) that I went skiing in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, and Morzine, France. But so much has happened since then.
The fearsome Swiss Wall, on the Switzerland/France border in the massive Portes du Soleil ski region (March 2020).
A global pandemic would be the most obvious intervening factor. But there have also been changes in travel philosophies and a personal reconfiguring of priorities. I did manage to ski in Banff in 2022, but otherwise I haven’t been on the slopes. And other than a brief trip into northern New York, I haven’t been outside of Canada since March 2020 either.
Me and my friend, the skiing “Milka chocolate” cow – near Les Gets, France (March 2020)
This has been quite a change for me. I used to ski in Europe every winter and spend every other summer vacation in Europe too. And of course there was my travel sabbatical in 2014, which prompted the creation of this blog. That year, I tackled my travel bucket list and went to Europe no less than six times.
Our ski group passing through the rocks at Pomedes (Cortina d’Ampezzo – March 2014)
So when I made the decision to ski in Europe this winter, I had to ask myself a lot of questions. Which country (or countries) should I visit? Do I try to go somewhere new? Do I return to some old haunts? Am I travelling on a budget? Will I do anything besides skiing?
Skiing by torch light down to Grindelwald (March 13, 2000)
It didn’t take long for me to realize that much has changed since early 2020. Most notably: the dramatic price increases for flights and hotels. It dawned on me that I probably wouldn’t be resuming annual ski trips to Europe. And my choice of destination was likely going to be influenced by where airfares and accommodation prices were most competitive.
Me skiing on the lower slopes of the legendary Eiger (March 2002)
I made the decision to stick with places that had special meaning for me. And so, when I found a good hotel deal in Wengen, Switzerland, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve skied in Wengen and the linked resort of Grindelwald many times before. Not only is the skiing excellent, but I think the surrounding scenery might be the very best in any ski area anywhere. If you’ve never seen the Eiger up close (or been skiing on it!)…it is beyond spectacular. And then there’s the Jungfrau, the Schilthorn (known for James Bond and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”)…
Looking down on Wengen from the cable car – March 2005 (skating rink and curling hall at top left)
All of that is amazing. And then Wengen itself is a car-free village perched on a cliff overlooking the famous Lauterbrunnen valley…reachable only by a special cog-wheel train. For an overall skiing experience, I don’t think it can be beat. Zermatt is bigger, and it has the Matterhorn, but I feel most at home in Wengen.
Stretching above the clouds, high above Wengen and Grindelwald, in March 2005
Trying to book my flights was a very long bout of sticker shock. I had to summon all of my tricks to find a reasonably priced itinerary that also had direct flights from Canada. On a relatively short trip, I couldn’t afford to miss flight connections (or luggage).
Ho-hum, just a midway station on the way up to the Schilthorn…
Finally, after hours and hours of trial and error, I found something that worked at an acceptable price: I would fly outbound from Montreal direct to Lyon, France, and then return home by a direct flight from Zurich to Toronto. Unusual? Yes. But it’s out of necessity: my flight costs are always increased by the need for additional leg room…and the airlines are experts in extracting every conceivable additional charge.
This way to everything! On the France-Switzerland border, March 2020.
I am excited about starting my trip in Lyon. It’s the “second city” of France, and yet people rarely talk about it as a destination. It has a beautiful old town, a reputation for great food, and is less than an hour from the Alps. And I’ve never been there. What a great way to begin!
View from my hotel room in Geneva, Switzerland (March 2020) – I’ll pass through here again this winter after visiting Lyon
I had a few days to allocate between my stays in Lyon and Wengen. In the end, I went with another sentimental choice. The Swiss side of my family is from the Simmental (Simme Valley), so I happily booked a few nights in the town of Zweisimmen (literally, where two branches of the Simme River meet). This also allows me to ski for a couple of days in the Gstaad ski region, where I have been skiing a few times with friends and family.
Skiing above Zweisimmen at Parwengesattel (March 2018)
The skiing around Zweisimmen is not quite as dramatic as Wengen, but the region has the added bonus of being my ancestral home. And you can’t put a price on that. What better way to visit my roots than by doing something I love? And I have to say that skiing is my favourite way of experiencing the mountains…no matter which mountains I’m visiting! That’s why most of this trip will be spent skiing rather than “touristing”.
My grandfather’s chalet (straight ahead) in Weissenbach, Switzerland (August 2006), just a couple of kilometers from Zweisimmen
So, that’s the trip. It has some very meaningful skiing, and also some interesting new destinations before and after the skiing. I’ll keep the last stop a mystery for now. Besides – all my hotel bookings have free cancellations, so I still have time to change my mind!
