A few days to visit friends in Switzerland, learn to Ski de Fond, and take in a luxury ski resort – a cork board tick
Monday 23rd January 2017
Our journey to Lausanne is almost uneventful, except for the aborted landing at Geneva! A plane was apparently still on the runway. Just one loop round the lake and we were down. Marcus and Agata met us off the train in Lausanne and then take us, via the trip for provisions, to their great apartment – even if a tad warm!
Tuesday 24th January 2017
Today it’s the luxury ski resort – Gstaad. It’s about an hour and a half from Lausanne, so with 4 packed into the TT we head off. I’ve decided we’d ski the area just east of Gstaad as there are more runs. Lausanne itself is freezing fog bound, but once we get about 1,000 meters up we break out of the fog into glorious sunshine. A temperature change of -15 in the cloud to only -5 in the sun.
Schönried is our destination which links to Saanenmöser, Zweisimmen and St. Stephan. Once the faff of renting skis, finding parking and buying lift passes is done we wave cheerio to Marcus and Agata (who had carried our skis for us – such a kind lady), as they are walking up the mountain to meet us for lunch.
The skiing is great, lots of wonderful lazy blues in perfect condition and all very quiet. A short chocolate chaud stop for fantastic views.
Lunch is at Bergrestaurant Kübelialp successfully meeting up with Marcus and Agata, who had got there just a few minutes before us.
After lunch Hilary does a few more runs back to the car to meet with Marcus and Agata, leaving me to bomb about for an hour and a half. With hardly anyone on the pistes and everything in full sun it was an exhilarating experience.
We then head into Gstaad to check out the window shopping.
Marcus is car mad and is bowled over when we find a showroom with just 2 cars. A Bugatti Chiron (~€2.4m) and Bugatti Veyron Viteese (~€2.4m). Yes just 2 cars and the showroom decoration has not been finished, possibly not even started! But it’s freezing cold, so we’re not long in the town. No Celebrities spotted!
Wednesday 25th January 2017
Two days of Cross country skiing to come. It’s a similar drive as yesterday, even if going east not west, except we don’t really breakout of the cloud.
The first day’s area is called Saint Georges for our lesson with Kathy, Marcus and Agata’s friend, who runs not just cross country skiing lessons but stand up paddle board lessons – one of Hilary’s cork board wishes for the summer.
On with the floppy boots and, I must say, very thin skis. It takes quite a bit of getting used to, there are no metal edges and the lack of a stiff ankle support makes the skis less responsive than downhill skis. However, when one falls, which happens way more than I like, one is not going quite as fast and it’s way easier to get back up.
Kathy is very patient and gets both Hilary and I going – we need different coaching styles, so well done!
Quite amazing chilly weather as very fine icicles form on hair and clothes.
Once we’ve said goodbye to Kathy, we head into Morges for a spot of lunch. Boy its chuffing cold, but there are some fantastic ice patterns being made.
Thursday 26th January 2017
We head to a resort above Vevey today, Les Pleiades pistes de fond des Tenasses, and this time we truly break out of the low cloud into sunshine. No lesson today, as Kathy and a friend are training on a black run so after just 1 day’s coaching we are let loose on the blue (easy) circuit.
It’s amazing how quickly we’ve picked it up and just a few minutes into the circuit one can tell that the technique improves rapidly. Not that I get it right all the time, but it’s fun when one gets the rhythm right and both feet achieve a glide one after another.
But do not get too confident! Going downhill generates a fair bit of speed and those thin skis do not turn or stop very easily !!! The sensation though of gliding through white fields of snow and sun is hard to beat, and this circuit cuts us back through woods on the return – quite magical.
Yesterday was a gentle lesson, but today I found muscles I did not know existed, I think I’ll feel this tomorrow. The area is a local downhill ski resort as well with 2 lifts and just a few runs, however there are plenty of kids out enjoying the sunshine. It’s also a 1 ‘man band’ (one for you Agata!) operation. The guy who takes the entrance money also rents equipment and at 11:30 opens up the cafe and serves drinks and lunches! We avail ourselves of lunch there. Then a short walk on the pistes soaking in more of the sunshine and spectacular views across the valley of freezing cloud.
Friday 27th January 2017
It’s our return home, after a glorious 3 days. We’ll be back for more Cross Country Skiing and if it’s open when we go to Corvara, we’ll do it there. A lovely trip – thank you M & A.
