Jungfrau Ski region

A snowHead

Not so sure about April snow but March conditions are often very good, As are conditions after the Lauberhorn race, usually the classic problem of not enough snow before the race and loads after it Laughing

A snowHead

Like I have repeated to various friends, I have a picture of myself when I was a wee lass holding an A4 piece of paper with April 16 written and it was absolutely pouring down with snow. So yes snow can be plentiful in April.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

crumbs, that must have been a good year thou

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Fantastic skiing last week. The snow stopped on Sun morning and the sun came out Cool

Sun/Mon were glorious with great powder snow. Tuesday it snowed again snowHead

and then the sun reappeared Cool

By Sat pm the lower slopes were showing a bit (and the walk to Wengen was getting longer), but up top it was still looking good.

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It has snowed again in Wengen overnight - a shame that only a few lifts are now open!

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My fingers are crossed that the next season they have changed the T-bar at birg for a chairlift as the rest of my group wont go on it..

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Chris Brookes, nice idea, but I doubt it'll be done. I'm guessing it'd be too much at risk of high winds stopping it.

After all it is free

The Salzegg T bar is not very popular either. Last season, I saw a lady fall off perhaps 200 metres from the top. She decided to walk up and I had done three trips on the T bar before she made it! Her instructor and friend watched from the top!
The only lift that I know for certain will be replaced by next season is the Innerwengen chair (so no more 5.00pm bottlenecks).

I read a while back that 'the powers that be' are thinking of a new cable way with 8 person cabins from Murren to Birg,with one intermediate station in the Blumental near the Suppenalp restaurant and another station above the lower end of the Engetal. That was a while ago and so many other improvements have happened around Murren slopes so i guess i will just have to keep my fingers crossed Confused

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One place that has been discussed is for a chair lift from the Arven/Honegg bottom station up to the top of Salzegg, mind you though it has been discussed repeatedly since the late 1960's it's never been built Sad

It's very rare for new lifts to be constructed in the swiss alps, usually they simply replace old lifts with newer more efficient lifts, however I did hear from several of my Swiss friends that this new lift may actually occur, though I suspect if it does it will mean the removal of the salzegg lift, no bad thing in my opinion

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David, have you heard anything about them stopping the funnicular from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp due to the environment?? I read this on there site but can't find anything about it and just wondered if you had heard of this.

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Chris Highly unlikely due to the amount of money spent on said funicular only a few years ago, however it might be that they need to do enviromental work arround the track area which might mean a temporary closure, not having the funicular would be a major pain for the locals so it is unlikely to occur

I watched a program on Sky last night about base jumping. Two men were base jumping in the Jungfrau near Wengen. The scenery looked stunning and I hope to go there next year. However, they base jumped off the north face of the Eiger and were free falling for 41 seconds which is just beyond crazy - I'll stick to skiing thanks!

You know it makes sense.

In "There's something about McConkey", Shane McConkey does a cool base jump off the cliffs above Lauterbrunnen. Only problem is, he looks up at the Eiger before he jumps, and says "Gee look at that Matterhorn....." Typical Yank tourist!!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

The jumpers I refered to above were also American but did their research thoroughly and knew where they were! Can you imagine if the bloke you refer to researches 'the' Matterhorn when he's actually jumping off the Eiger or elsewhere - mince meat Skullie

A snowHead

Hayley I went up on a train last summer with a couple of guys who were base jumping off the eiger, they were wearing special "wing" ? suits to allow them to glide as far as possible before pulling the cord, apparently they felt that if they could just get over one small ridge that they would be able to glide all the way down to Grindelwald ! Mad quite mad Shocked

The whole area is well worth a visit if you like great scenery unfortunately a few people moan about the time it takes to go up on the train or that there are not enough black runs in the area

A snowHead

They may well be the same people. The guys on the program the other night developed the wing suit and it was the first ever base jump attempt off the Eiger. The trees were just turning so I presume it was late summer/early autumn. As for the ridge - it looked like they only just cleared it!

I've seen a couple of TV programs on the Jungfrau and I'm sold! I hope to go to Grindelwald next season and prefer red runs anyway. The odd black is ok but not all the time.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

hayley t, go there. You'll have a great time. Just make sure that the "odd black" includes the Schilthorn on a clear day.

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Will do Elizabeth. Thanks. Just one question, I'm used to fairly well groomed blacks and its been a while since I skiied in Switzerland (13 years - eek), are the runs well groomed in the Jungfrau, including blacks?

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Generally yes. There aren't too many blacks - schilthorn isn't usually groomed, Oh God is usually shut, Black Rock is normally okay, and I'm not sure about the one over at first. The one not to bother if you like them groomed is the one down at Murren (name escapes me). It's usually awful.

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Is the non-pisted black called something like "Kanonenrohr"?

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That wasn't the one I was thinking of - but you're right. That's never pisted. The one I meant was the Kandahar (not to be confused with the chair of the same name - but diferent location) that runs down from the top of schiltgrat.

After all it is free

Yes, I know where you mean - but plenty of other ways down from there if the black looks grim!
Just one, thought on Grindelwald - mountain access is in my view nowhere near as good as Wengen, which shares much of the same skiing. From Grindelwald, it is a long journey on the train to Kleine Scheidegg or a long bubble to Mannlichen. From Wengen, it is only 5 minutes on the cable car to Mannlichen and from there a quick ski to Kleine Scheidegg.
Of course, skiing at First is easiest from Grindelwald.

Which resort is more lively in terms of apres ski, atmosphere etc? Also, I would prefer to stay near the largest ski area which looks like Grindelwald from the map, is that correct?

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I have always been based in Wengen, so I am not sure what Grindelwald is like when the lifts shut. Grindelwald is the biggest of the Jungfrau resorts, so I would guess that it has the most apres ski. Others may be able to help more.
Wengen apres ski is low key. There are a couple of ice bars, half a dozen bars (including my favourite in any ski resort - the Tanne bar). There is a first rate ice rink, tobogganing, a cinema and various other activities. There are a couple of clubs, but anyone wanting nightlife comparable with somewhere like Val d'Isere would be very disappointed.
Grindelwald has the biggest "local" ski area, in that it shares the Wengen area and has First as well. However, Wengen is better placed for the Jungfrau as a whole - a day trip from Grindelwald to Murren would involve quite a lot of non-skiing time.

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Thanks Clive. It will just be myself and husband so we're not after raging apres ski as such, just a few lively bars with music etc.

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I'd recommend Wengen - unless you check carefully where the accommodation is in Grindlewald. It's quite a spread out resort, whereas Wengen is more centrally based.

hayley t, Wengen should be fine for what you want - the Tanne has good beer and cocktails and a vast cd collection, Rocks and Sina's sometimes have live music, Chilis has music and some nights a dj, the Figeller ice bar is fairly lively from 3.00pm until it gets dark.
Wengen has other advantages - very few cars (just vehicles for the hotels, public services, shops and taxis). The village is 500m higher than Grindelwald, so the skiing back to the village is more reliable.
Elizabeth B is right to say Grindelwald is more spread out; also early in the season it can be a bit bleak, as the village does not get much sun at that time of year.
I am a bit biased to Wengen(!), but I think the above is a fair summary.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks EB and Clive for the advice. We'll go for Wengen then as we are more likely to go early or late season.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

hayley Sinas is less smokey the tanne bar can have second hand smoke so thick that you cant see the bar, none of the resorts have a big nightlife thogh as it tends to be a family skiing area so not so much call for big apres ski locations, Grindelwalds only strong point is that you can drive to the resort and usually park at your accomodation, on the other hand if not driving I'd definately pick Wengen for atmospher but maybe murren for slightly more reliable snow, that extra 1000 ft of altitude helps, if going in Feb or there abouts it does not matter as all resorts usually have good conditions then. Best time to go is after the Lauberhorn race in January and before the school half terms in Feb, if you want advice with regards to places to stay in Wengen just ask Cool

A snowHead

DG: Which week in Jan is the race? I tend to prefer to ski later in the season but next year that won't be until the end of March. Will it be too late then? Is it better to go in Jan? I don't like it too cold though! Questions, questions....!

A snowHead

The Lauberhorn race is 13-15th Jan 2005. I usually go that week - have never had it too cold. I went Easter this year, and the snow was fantastic. You can never tell though.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

And if you need advice on Murren (the higher reosort by far...lol) just ask me !!

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hayley I usually go at the very end of January for up to a month, but the best time is usually the first 2 weeks of Feb, these have low numbers in the resorts as there are no holidays, sslightly longer days and usually reliable snow, of course there is never any certainty with snow conditions but in the last 10 years or so I have almost always been able to ski right back to Wengen, Grindelwald tends to be a little bit more protected at resort level than Wengen even though they are almost the same altitude and gets less snow at resort level, Murren is North facing sso not as warm but it does keep its snow better, unfortunately there are less pistes over there, most versatile resort is Wengen, you have easy access to the Mannlichen which has wide red pistes and 2 4 man chairlifts plus the Gondola that comes up from Grindelwald, you can get from Mannlichen to Kline Schidegg by a series of interconecting chairlifts or ski down to Grindelwald and get the train up, then you can also get the train from Wengen to Kline Schidegg, from Kline Schidegg you can ski down to Grindelwald, back across to the Mannlichen (by a different set of lifts) or back down to Wengen, if you go to www.wengen.com my friend Beat has a nice large piste map of the area, Wengen is also well suited to getting to the First area (other side of Grindelwald) or the Schilthorn area (above Murren) though to be honest Lauterbrunnen down in the valley offers the best connections or even Wilderswil further down the valley, however it would be rare for you to be able top ski to your accomodation in Lauterbrunnen (only accesible from the Murren side) and impossible at wilderswil as there are no ski runs there from the peaks

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Have you seen the weather in the region ????

30cms of new snow on the 6th May....would you ever thing we are in May !!

Have a look at the above www.wengen.com link snowHead

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Chris I once had 20 cm of new snow at Kline Schidegg in very late June or very early July and the snow line started at Allmend station, the day before it had been 26C in the shade the day after all the snow had gone again

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Just booked the flights to go back in the summer in August. Its such a beautiful place in the summer..

After all it is free

Mind you the best time in summer is for August the 1st (Swiss National Day) last year in Wengen we got free drinks just before lunch time in the village then free music etc in the early evening followed by a terrific 15 min firework display all set to music, incredible to see the mountains lit up by fireworks, all of this was paid for by the tourist board, in addition in the summer they do far more things to entertain the visitors during the day, e.g folklore shows on the mountain or jazz festivals in the village square, most of these are either free to watch or have a very low entry fee.

Sadly its the end of August as yet again that thing called work has stopped me going earlier that month !!

Are you heading back this summer David ??

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Sadly that would seem unlikely for this year but you never know

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Jungfrau Ski region

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