Switzerland
The Zermatt Cervinia World Cup Downhill race will start in Switzerland and finish in Italy
Ed Mannix of the Zermatt-based Matterhorn Chalets talks to Iain Martin about the World Cup Downhill races taking place in Zermatt and Cervinia in October and November – the first time in FIS history a cross border competition has taken place
The Swiss resort of Zermatt has temporarily suspended year-round skiing and snowboarding on its glacier due to high temperatures in the Alps during Spring and Summer.
The slopes have been open daily for many years now, except for a break of about three months at the start of the worldwide pandemic in spring 2020.
The Jungfrau Ski Region has announced a decision to extend its ski and snowboard season until Sunday 1 May.
This has been made possible by the new Eiger Express lift which links with the Eigernordwand Chairlift and provides access to the Eigergletscher (Eiger Glacier).
After finishing his World Cup racing season in the French resort of Méribel last Sunday (20 march), British slalom skier Dave Ryding didn’t let the snow melt beneath his feet.
Dave inspects the Kandahar trophies with former club president Cleeves Palmer
He jumped in the car and sped through the Alps to the Bernese Oberland at the invitation of the Swiss resort of Mürren and its British ski racing club, the Kandahar, which counts Dave among its members.
MARK NICHOLLS heads to Gstaad where he meets downhill champion Bruno Kernen to discuss his career, Swiss cuisine, and an unexpected British success
Bruno Kernen in front of a painting bearing his number 29 bib during his world cup race win in 1983
As I walk into the Hotel Kernen, the host is moving effortlessly from table to table, checking that diners are enjoying their food, pausing for a friendly chat, or greeting regular customers.
by Colin Nicholson
Last month (December 2021) marked the first chance for British skiers and snowboarders visiting Switzerland to take the swish new gondola – the culmination of a £400 million project – from Grindelwald to the highest piste on the Eiger, shaving an astonishing 47 minutes off the journey time.
The Swiss resort of Mürren, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first slalom race held there on 21 January 1922.
As part of the celebrations, a host of famous names from the world of skiing will participate in a ceremonial race down the original slalom piste on 17 January 2022.
The 78th International Inferno Races in the Swiss resort of Mürren taking place on 19– 22 January 2022 is completely sold out. This year, well over 2,100 ski racers applied for a limited number of 1,850 entries for the competition which sees amateur and recreational skiers get the chance to line up alongside top racers and well known names.
Zermatt’s lift company (Zermatt Bergbahnen AG (ZBAG) says it is determined the pandemic will not delay its plans for the future which include an investment of around 60 million Swiss francs over the next two years.
The Warren Smith Ski Academy has launched its new GAP ski program for the 2021-22 winter season, based in Verbier, Switzerland, with two start dates in early December and February.
Students will aim to qualify as IASI (Irish Association of Snowsports Instructors) Level 1 & 2 ski instructors, providing them with a qualification that is recognised in a number of countries around the world.
Swiss ski resorts found themselves in the media spotlight recently when photographs appeared on social media platforms showing what appeared to be skiers and snowboarders in lift queues failing to socially distance.
The popular Inferno Downhill and Cross Country ski races in Switzerland, which are open to all comers and attracts entrants from all over the world, have been cancelled this season because of Covid.
The 78th International Inferno Races in Murren were to take place from 20 – 23 January 2021 but the restrictions on major events put in place by the authorities due to the pandemic means the races cannot be held.
Jungfrau Railways, Switzerland’s largest mountain railway company, performed the official opening of the V-Cableway on Friday 4 December which will now provide a quicker and more comfortable journey to the winter sports area around Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg, as well as to the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe.
GONE FISHING: Mark Nicholls waits for a bite… to eat
Mark Nicholls took a break from skiing in the Swiss resort of Melchsee-Frutt to try his hand at ice fishing
As a teenager, Gusti Berchtold was quick – quick enough to make his regional Swiss ski team.
by Ed Mannix
Anyone who’s skied in Switzerland will have noticed a unique item in the Swiss soft drinks market – Rivella. Each to their own taste, but I find this Swiss speciality infinitely preferable to Coke and almost anything else fizzy and non-alcoholic.
by Lulu Sheard
The 2021 International Inferno Race in Mürren look set go ahead despite Covid after a recent announcement by the Swiss Government. On 12 August 2020, the government stated that events with more than 1,000 people would be able to resume from the beginning of October.
by Lulu Sheard
The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and luxury skin brand Valmont have joined forces to offer unparalleled spa experiences in the heart of the Engadine resort in Switzerland.
Their new program includes ‘Escape to the Summit’ a unique treatment that specifically targets guests’ needs during their winter trip in the mountains.
At an extraordinary meeting on 16 March 2020, the Federal Council in Switzerland took the decision to introduce more stringent measures to protect the public. It has declared that an ‘extraordinary situation’ now exists in Switzerland in terms of the Epidemics Act.
Even guests who regularly experience 5-star service cannot fail to be impressed by the attention to detail at The Alpina Gstaad, and LISA YOUNG was surprised and heartened to discover the family that runs the luxury hotel in Switzerland also supports companies, artists and talents engaged in social and sustainable activities in the developing world
Mark Nicholls skis across the Swiss-French border for some ‘rock’ on the pistes
Against a backdrop of stunning mountains, rock is the order of the day.
The Dents du Midi – the seven defining peaks of the region – are jaggedly formidable against the skyline.