Europe Stop #4 - Lost In Translation

J Dogg — Fri, 9 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Rating

The great thing about gravity is that no matter which way you point your skis; you'll always slide downhill. Without such fundamentals of nature, we'd still be skiing in erratic circles to nowhere, lost in the unrestrained alpine terrain that makes up Davos/Klosters Mountains, Switzerland.

It was the only resort on our European tour that we knew nothing about, and it became glaringly obvious as we slid aimlessly downhill into the foggy oblivion. Without a cult following of ski bums in town we had no friends to show us around, no overheard treasure-hunt stories of powder stashes, and with that, no expectations. We had come on a whim, but had a sneaking suspicion we wouldn't be disappointed.

Day 1 found us unfolding the resort map and playing eenee meenee minee moe to choose 1 of 5 mountains apparently hiding in the clouds above us. Jakobshorn was the closest, so up we went. While a big oaf led a whaling German sing-along for his literally 'captive' gondola audience, we peered out the window to scope invisible lines. Back on the snow, we did what we do best and pointed our skis downhill in hope. After a dizzying day of fog skiing and wondering, we were finally spat out on the valley floor, calling it quits for the day.

Day 2 saw much the same, or should we say didn't see. Eyeing up the map we noticed steep lines in the Parsenn resort area (Davos & Klosters), and the sound of its 'Weissfluhgipfel' peak had us sold. With a name like that we couldn't go wrong, or so we thought. Loading the Parsenbahn mountain railway, our alpine express ride landed us atop the mountain in what seemed like a misplaced metro station, with a matrix of lifts and hallways in every direction. When we surfaced on the snow, things didn't get any clearer.

Gravity once again had us sliding downhill, and we continued exploring the endless resort before being spat out once again in the valley floor, but not the same town. Try after try, we shredded long foggy laps of the resort, only to continue popping up in Wolfgang or Klosters, a full 30 minutes by train from where we'd started. It was like skiing in Whistler, and ending your run in Pemberton, but with an efficient and frequent train to whisk us back to where we started.

Luckily our visit ended nothing like how it started. We woke on Day 3 to bluebird skies and fluffy new snow, and immediately headed back to Weissfluhgipfel for redemption. The lack of local shredders that had plagued our last 2 days was a blessing in disguise, as we now had the off-piste almost exclusively to ourselves. Leapfrogging with one other group of strong skiers and their camera crew, we scored lap after powdery lap on the Weissfluhgipfel, linking it with the natural half pipe features alongside the Haupertali T-bar below.

Taking our sweet time on the empty faces, our only threats were the late spring sun and our train departure time that would surely be on time. Under bluebird skies we finally skied successfully back to Davos, jumped onto the first train we saw, and crossed our fingers that muffled Swiss-German announcement said something about Andermatt; our next stop on the tour...

DETAILS

Davos & Klosters Mountains are located in eastern Switzerland, close to the Austrian border, but like anything in Switzerland they are not far from Zurich. The huge resort area is made up of 5 mountains; Parsenn (Davos and Klosters), Jakpbshorn, Rinerhorn, Pischa, and Madrisa. The one group of locals

we did meet said we weren't even close to the best terrain stashes. Mind you, they were skiing right beside us. For more info visit www.davosklosters.ch

ACCOMMODATIONS

For something quick and easy, the Best Western Banhoff Terminus is right in front of the train station. Good rates, andthey've got a pimpin' sauna room for rainy afternoons.

The Hotel Strela is another good 3 star hotel up the hill, with tasty breakfast buffets, a lounge and free internet.

If you're reading this, odds are you're looking for budget accommodation. There's a variety of hostel options in town, the main choice is the Schweizer Jugendherberge Youthpalace. Search the web for other choices, it's a big town so there should be plenty of options.

Fernie Opening Soon

J Dogg — Mon, 5 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Rating

Big snow reported at Fernie Alpine Resort, with more in the forecast as powder enthusiasts count 'how many more sleeps' until opening day, set for Saturday, December 10th. With over 208cm (83 inches) of snow to date this season, it is expected all of Fernie's famed bowls and major lifts will be open as of opening day. The mountain is reporting excellent conditions on the upper mountain, and the lower mountain is in great shape for the season start.

Snowmaking has been in full swing on the Lizard run, Mighty Moose lift and in the base area. Fernie Alpine Resort will be the place to be for opening weekend, with a number of activities, including special events, sales and apres ski fun taking place all over the resort. Head to the resort plaza on Saturday for the legendary Mogul Smoker. For $10, snow enthusiasts can make a snow wish and sacrifice by purchasing and offering a ski-shaped wooden plank into a community bonfire.

After, enjoy a hot Mogul Smoker cocktail. DJ Ari will be playing during the event which will run from 3pm - 6pm opening day. Part of the proceeds will support Wildsight, a local environmental group, as well as supporting kids' ski development through the Fernie Alpine Ski Team. Mogul Smoker cocktails will be offered at a reduced price of $4.50 for those who bring their own mug.

The Griz Bar will come to life for the best of apres ski with the band 'Life of Rhylee' playing from 3:30pm - 6:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. For those still stocking up on gear, Sports Alpine, the retail shop at Fernie Alpine Resort, is having a huge sale - all of last year's stock will be up to 60% off, including gloves, goggles, skis, snowboards, sunglasses, and much more! Find out more at www.skifernie.com.

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Europe Stop #4 - Lost In Translation

Fernie Opening Soon