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This was our third trip to the St. Moritz, Pontresina, Engadine Valley area, one of the highest in altitude in Europe. With Global Warming, etc., snow levels are no longer reliable and it is important to pick a high-altitude destination to ensure good quality snow. The snow levels were great in this area and we still had one more day to walk and snowshoe around.
A short 3-4 block walk downhill to the main Pontresina train station to wait for the train heading towards the Bernina Pass. The buses from Pontresina also go to these two lifts. It just depends what form of transportation is more convenient at the time you choose. On the train to the base of the Diavolezza lift. It was another gorgeous sunny day and I don't know whether I love the Swiss Alps more in the Winter or Summer. The big Summer advantage is that prices drop around 50% at most hotels. You can still hike up and over mountains, come down in another town and bus or train back. The same ubiquitous yellow signs are everywhere, pointing you in the right direction at each trail intersection along with average time to your destination. Even I have trouble getting lost...
yellow directional hiking/biking/x-country signs
Continue reading "Pontresina's Diavolezza and Langalb Areas" »
On the little Rhatische Bahn train heading up in altitude to the Morteratsch valley for today's snowshoeing. These trains also continue past the Morteratsch, stopping at the Bernina-Divaolezza lift, and Bernina Lagalb lift. From there it is over the Bernina Pass down into Poschiavo, Italy which would make a great day trip. Poschiavo is the main village in this area situated on Lago di Poschiavo and known for its churches and Palazzi. You could also continue on to Tirano, Italy. The Bernina Pass is the highest altitude open railway crossing of the Alps and the Glacier Express leads from Piz Bernina straight across the Alps to the Matterhorn.
At the opposite end of the Engadine Valley, you can take the Swiss PostAuto coach down to Lake Como and on to Lugano. In Switzerland, it doesn't take very long to get almost anywhere opening up infinite opportunities for touring and sightseeing. But today's destination was most definitely the Morteratsch valley...nirvana for walkers, cross-country skiers and downhill skiers.
Morteratsch map
Continue reading "Train From Pontresina To The Morteratsch Glacier" »
St. Moritz is the home of the rich and famous. The main bus stop was just inches away from Escada, Prada, Bally, Rolex (the real thing - not knock-offs) along with many other name brands. Very expensively dressed women walked by in furs and expensive duds. Some were obviously "trophy wives" (or "trophy friends") on the arms of "older" (equally expensively dressed) men. (If I were ever to remarry, I'm going looking for a man between 90-100, carrying an oxygen cannister with mega-bucks.) There was no one in the vicinity dressed like ex-Marine and myself, in non-matching clothes and probably reeking of sweat.
We had just finished snowshoeing up a slope by the Suvretta House Hotel, one of the Leading Hotels of the World, just oozing class and money. However, despite a few dirty looks, we did walk through the lobby to use the bathroom trying to look as if we belonged. R-I-G-H-T! And then it was snowshoes on, and start up the run (fairly bare in spots - Spring skiing)...
snow-shoeing up
Continue reading "St. Moritz In The Engadin Valley" »
There is a famous Olympic Bob Sled run in St. Moritz/Celerina. The only remaining natural ice bobsleigh track made with only snow and water. There are national and international races every weekend for 2-men and 4-men bobs. If you are a thrill-seeker (I'm not) take a guest ride with an experienced pilot. You get a certificate, photo and pin (about $140 for the thrills and chills). Or for experienced bob sledders, you can get a temporary membership and speed down the Cresta Run yourself on a small racing tobaggan. (Around $360 for 5 runs.) All this may sound expensive but if this is your sport, it's worth every dollar. For people like us, just stand around this course and watch the pros zoom by.
The various Engadin villages maintain and prepare over 100 miles of paths and promenades in the winter. We snowshoed into the Val Roseg along with too many walkers of all ages to count. Everyone out for a stroll in the sun. There were also cross-country skiers, horse drawn sleighs, parents pulling children on sleds, all headed to the Roseg Glacier Restaurant about 9 kms/6 miles each way. A private sleigh there and back runs around $120. (Nothing is cheap in Switzerland. Nothing has ever been cheap in Switzerland but what fun to actually take a horse-drawn sleigh ride.)
Val Roseg sleigh ride
Continue reading "Engadin Valley Sports and Entertainment" »
When you travel, "it's always something"...and this trip to Switzerland was no exception. On the United flight from Washington, DC to Zurich, I was the unfortunate person who had the only defective entertainment unit in coach. The overhead light went on and off at will, the monitor screen brightness level would suddenly appear on the screen in the middle of the movie and brighten up the entire film to oblivion, the sound levels went up and down shattering eardrums, and the monitor would fall every now and then from its upright position into my shin.
The Zurich airport compensated with its very easy navigation. You get from Terminal C to A where baggage and immigration is located by a spanking new people-mover. The doors shut and background mood music begins, "Swiss style." The clanking of cow bells, some yodeling and even a cow mooing. Fun. A fast showing of the passport at Customs and wait for your bags at a carousel with two illuminated signs. One showing exactly how minutes it will be before your baggage appears (it keeps counting down) and another giving information about every train whisking through the Zurich Airport along with its destination during the next hour.
Continue reading "Arriving At The Zurich Airport" »
It's no secret how much ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I enjoy Switzerland. Whether it's summer hiking, visiting the many picturesque towns or snowshoeing in the winter on crispy snow, there is no easier place to visit and travel around. Their train system has to be the world's best. (For detailed information on training around Europe, Sheila's Guide to European Train Travel is filled with money-saving tips.)
Last winter's destination was Pontresina. Originally, we'd planned on snowshoeing in St. Moritz but couldn't find a hotel whose prices suited us. Our solution - stay in Pontresina, only a few miles down the road from St. Moritz and connected by both trains and constantly running buses. It pays to be flexible. The Pontresina Tourist Bureau will send oodles of information including hotels, maps, etc. or just get whatever information you need off their website.
Pontresina area in Switzerland
Continue reading "Pontresina, Switzerland In The Winter" »
Ex-marine and I just returned from snow-shoing in Zermatt, Switzerland, and thought other "directionally/ language challenged " people (like us) would like to know how very easy it is to travel in Europe...especially in Switzerland.
- Train stops are usually repeated in three languages: German, French and English.
- They give you a timetable telling what platform your train leaves from and what platform your next train leaves if you are making connections.
- The conductors all speak English.
- There are tourist information offices in the stations with English-speaking personnel, maps, bus information.
- Credit cards are accepted everywhere for everything.
- Big train stations have ATM's, McDonald's, Burger King, small food stalls.
Always carry or buy water though...the water on the trains is considered "Non-Potable" or, "don't even think about drinking it"! The Europeans usually carry sandwiches, munchies, wine, etc. on trains to nosh while travelling. There are also rolling carts that come through on board selling food items, but they are more expensive. If you have a long journey, buy what you need beforehand. Take some Baggies with you.
It is impossible for any country to make it any easier to travel.
Continue reading "Using the Swiss Train System" »
We were skiing in Crested Butte, Co in 1995. Standing at the mountain base , I saw a young girl running down the mountain on snowshoes. All she was wearing was a sweatshirt, sweatpants and running shoes attached to her snowshoes. My eyes lit up and, under his breath, the ex-Marine muttered "I think she's found another sport for us to do". How right he was! It turned out she was a member of the ski team and every morning they ran up the mountain and down the mountain for endurance.
All you need is equipment (we use Atlas Snowshoes), hiking poles (our choice is "Leki") and you are ready!
We took a lesson at Crested Butte and decided that just walking along in the snow was too easy and a little boring. It would be a lot more fun, not to mention a challenge, to hike UP, the mountain with snowshoes on (of course that was my idea) - and that was the beginning of our new sport.
Continue reading "Snowshoeing in Europe" »
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