 Poster: A snowHead
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@neilkav, Wengen is ideal for people who have just started skiing. There are 2 ways up in the morning - the Männlichen cable car or the train to Kleine Scheidegg. Lots of easy skiing at both areas. A good way to show her all the easy stuff would be to get her a lesson one morning.
W/c 12.3 isn’t far away, and the snow's fantastic at the moment. I don’t see that changing. It'll be quiet too. The Belvedere is only a few minutes (less than 5) from the Männlichen cable car, maybe another minute to the station for the train.
It was another nice day in the Oberland today. The view down to Arven / Eigernordwand and Honegg lifts below Scheidegg.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 24-02-22 18:52; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks guys! Sounds like she'll be fine!!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks so much, does anyone know if they have ski/boot lockers at the Manlichen lift station?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| neilkav wrote: |
| Thanks so much, does anyone know if they have ski/boot lockers at the Manlichen lift station? |
I don't know about ski/boot lockers actually in the Mannlichen lift station, but there is certainly ski and boot storage at Central Sports which is about 20 metres walk from the entrance to the lift station. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
| neilkav wrote: |
| Thanks so much, does anyone know if they have ski/boot lockers at the Manlichen lift station? |
I don't know about ski/boot lockers actually in the Mannlichen lift station, but there is certainly ski and boot storage at Central Sports which is about 20 metres walk from the entrance to the lift station. |
Cheers
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Big avalanche on the Eiger this morning.
We had a little snow earlier today, and there's more forecast tonight.
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Hi all - finally back from Grindelwald late on Saturday after the most amazingly enjoyable week - thanks to everyone who has contributed with tips on this thread!
I had planned to do a bit of a day by day update, but found myself having too much fun - therefore a bit of a summary of impressions below, for what it's worth - warning, long post coming up!
We flew from Heathrow to Zurich with Swiss, (thankfully the day AFTER Storm Eunice so all was calm and punctual!) and then took the train to Grindelwald. Because of my husband's frustration/ineptitude/tardiness with tickets there were only 1st Class options available when we booked (we got the snow+rail with lift pass included), which turned out to be a blessing as 2nd was pretty full on some legs - practically had carriages to ourselves for most of the journey out and back. Changed in Bern and Interlaken Ost, all well indicated and fairly straightforward.
On arrival in Grindelwald we took the bus from the station to our hotel. We stayed at the "Residence", largely because it seemed to be one of few options left when we booked relatively late in the day. It ended up being an excellent (mid -) budget option - not the most modern or luxurious, but spotlessly clean, comfortable and a good breakfast buffet to start the day. We had a 1-bed apartment, with kitchen area, separate full-size fold-down bed in the living area, large double bedroom. It's also situated on 3 bus routes, which made getting about relatively straightforward - one stop from FirstBahn, direct bus routes to station for Kleine Scheidegg and Terminal for Eiger Express and Mānnlichen.
Ski Hire: We used Buri Sport, just down from First, based on a friend's recommendation, which I would second. Skis for my husband and myself, boots and skis for teens - all v happy. No quibbles or extra cost when 16yo snapped her ski in half(!!) on a speed check section - just offered a straight swap.
Sunday was our first day on the slopes, and we went up to First - great starting point to get the ski legs back; wide, cruisy blues with NOBODY around. Already very slushy early afternoon on the way down to resort on the 22, which was hard work.
Woke up to heavy snowstorm Monday - took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg, then pretty much turned straight around and came back down. Ended up back at First in the afternoon - not necessarily better weather, but we figured we knew it a bit already. "Accidentally" ended up on Black 5 in a whiteout... thankfully more enjoyable than it sounds, mostly also due to the fact nobody else was stupid enough to follow us down and we didn't have to worry about anyone else. Excellent pizza at Onkel Tom's Hutte to end the day.
Tuesday - another sunny day; Kleine Scheidegg take 2. The kids were keen to do the Lauberhorn, which I was extremely nervous about, but actually enjoyed very much (other than the Hundschopf!) - don't think I'll be taking part in any races any time soon though... Ended up in Wengen, which was lovely, but again VERY slushy already - then train back up after quick lunch from a bakery.
Wednesday and Thursday appeared to be when the hordes arrived - first day we had to queue for any lifts and saw more than a handful of other people on the slopes. Took the Eiger Express and played about at the top. The kids wanted to do the Lauberhorn again on Thursday - slightly less pleasant due to more people and crunchier snow. Lunch at the EigerNordwand - a bit canteen-like, but food pretty good (and enormous portions).
Thursday was when above mentioned ski snapping incident happened, so back down on the train. Decided at the ski shop that we'd swap for sledges on our last day, which was enormous fun, if resulting in interesting bruises! Not laughed so much in a long time and finally sampled the famous Brandegg apple fritters, which were delicious.
Summary:
We all loved Grindelwald - would definitely go back. Extremely impressed by the quality of the slopes specifically, which makes up for some of the other disadvantages (mainly the fact there is a lot of travelling around involved - I was glad we did not have younger kids - it's definitely not a ski-in, ski-out resort).
Also would probably stay on Grindelwald side again - whilst Wengen looked lovely it did seem like there weren't quite as many options for getting up the mountain. Also glad we didn't bother with Mürren pass as don't think we'd have made it over (and enough to do with Grindelwald/Wengen).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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That is a lovely trip report @wobblyice, pleased you all had such a great time.
Your closing remarks about NOT ski -in ski-out are both accurate and honest. These are old Swiss farming villages who realised there was an income to be made during the winter.
The scenery compensates for many things and as you observed no crowds for the first half of your week.
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@Rogerdodger, - thanks for reading my rambling. Definitely liked the feel of it being a "proper" place you could easily live year-round... Now off to buy a lottery ticket and dream of early retirement!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Has anyone used the SBB 'Snow'n'Rail Jungfrau ticket offer for off season bookings?
In the absence of any advanced booking discount this year from Jungfrau railways, the offer of a 20% discount on a 6 day Jungfrau pass looks tempting. We are driving to Switzerland in March, so I don't need a 'real' train ticket. I can get a return train ticket from a local station (Ringgenberg) to the Ost for only CHF5.40, and still get the discount saving CHF71.6 - which is a few beers and Apple Fritters at Brandegg 
I can't find any info about getting hold of the Jungfrau ski pass - is it just a case of rocking up at the Ost to convert an email/piece of paper into a pass?
It looks like the offer is aimed at locals as they mention getting the Jungfrau pass added to a Swiss pass, but don't mention anything about a separate ski pass.
Looking forward to our first ski trip to the Jungfrau region since late Jan 2020...how we did think it funny that all the asian tourists were wearing masks!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Not sure if this helps/is relevant @sherlockis,, but we booked the snow +rail and basically got a printout of the train tickets, then separate vouchers for the ski passes that we took to the lift pass office where they exchanged for a proper lift pass.
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| wobblyice wrote: |
| @Rogerdodger, - thanks for reading my rambling. Definitely liked the feel of it being a "proper" place you could easily live year-round... Now off to buy a lottery ticket and dream of early retirement! |
Nice report. The Jungfrau Region is definitely a great place to live year-round. 
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You know it makes sense.
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| wobblyice wrote: |
| Not sure if this helps/is relevant @sherlockis,, but we booked the snow +rail and basically got a printout of the train tickets, then separate vouchers for the ski passes that we took to the lift pass office where they exchanged for a proper lift pass. |
Thanks wobblyice - that's just what I needed before I commit to pay. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to Grindelwald, we've been visiting for 20 years and can still find new places to explore! 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Still pretty busy this week.
Everything is open, and pistes are fine. Very mild (+10C) in the village this afternoon.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another nice day in the Oberland. Hopefully the last really busy day for this season.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ryan Regez, Olympic ski cross gold medalist, returned to the village today. There was a huge turnout to welcome him home.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Winter season extended:
Grindelwald First & Snowpark: 18. April 2022
Kleine Scheidegg: until the 24th April, Chairlift Eigernordwand until the 1st May 2022.
No new snow for a while now, but still good conditions.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@telford_mike - Chemmy Alcott is also in the background of your photo of Ryan in the orange jacket. Her other half is totally obscured though..... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Jaolchhu4, good spot! She's still here - spotted her in the village this afternoon.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Conditions update...... the crazy daytime temperatures continue, it's likely to cool a little this weekend. The good news is the pistes are holding up extremely well.
The crowds have now gone completely so the reduced traffic helps reduce the speed at which it gets mushy beneath ski!!
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Conditions update.......the crazy daytime temperatures continue. I think I've written that previously.....This morning at Grindelwald : First exceptional piste conditions.
Slick from 9am until 10:30 then beautiful softening piste until 12:00 perhaps 12:30 depending on orientation.
After 12:30 it's time for a leisurely beer and lunch in a sunny spot...... it's always sunny at the moment.
Make no mistake it's a lot of fun!
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Superb spring skiing in the morning whilst the good weather lasts with no crowds
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Arriving in Grindelwald the weekend for a week of 'spring' conditions with the kiddies... forecast has something more like January in mind. Personally delighted but left with the issue of keeping little hands warm on the mountain. I see there's an indoor picnic room at Männlichen that we could possibly hang out at and dip in and out of the cold. Does anyone know if there's similar at Kleine Schiedegg and First?
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Hi, I saw a picnic room at the top gondola station on First. It was typically full of ski school peeps, so don’t know if you can or can’t use it. It would be a pretty mean person to turn away cold kiddies so give it a go. Else walk further into the restaurant and buy a cuppa maybe or “browse” the gift shop repeatedly
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There's certainly a picnic area room in the base of the Berg Station of the Grund to Mannlichen bahn. Not aware of one at Kleine Scheidegg although the self service restaurant Eiger Nordwand. is a good bet for warming up
Top of EigerGletsher Bahn there is a large public area where its possible to picnic and warm up
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 28-03-22 17:20; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks both!
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There is a picnic room at Eigerletscher, on the first floor above the restaurant on the left after you exit the Eigernordwand chair. You have to go through the restaurant to access it, but it is not a problem.
However, it is a high point on the mountain with two blacks and a red as the main ways down. There is also what is described, laughably, as a blue, but give me the black runs any day of the week. Depending on age/experience of children, it might be a challenge.
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You know it makes sense.
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I would take the red down from there, we tried the blue and it was icey chopped up and narrow. Oh and throw in some howling wind. The red was kinder and slightly more sheltered.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Idle Skier, welcome to Snowheads!
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Poster: A snowHead
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A pretty good snowfall last night.
Still snowing now, temperature in the village +2C.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@telford_mike, good afternoon, nice to see one of your lovely pictures!
How the weather has changed, just been up at Stechelberg for coffee and very naughty cake.
Stechelberg is extremely bleak this afternoon.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The snow continues.
Another 30cm, on top of yesterday's 15cm (figures from Jungfraubahn). Cold too. Trains to Scheidegg cancelled this morning. Expecting to see @Rogerdodger skinning up the old railway track soon!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yep, just arrived this afternoon in Wengen. It was snowing at Basel airport and was snowing the entire train journey from there. Here's a view from my hotel balcony.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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More than a metre of fresh snow above 1600 metres
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The sun's out!
Loads of fresh snow everywhere. Still pretty cold.
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Great pic as always@telford_mike, my 90 days ran out!
Drove up to North Wales from Harwich this morning, phone was non stop with Whatsap pics from my mate who lives in Grindelwald!!
As @Jill t, has commented he was between knee and waist deep at times....more than a metre of snow. It is simply a bizarre season, I last skied powder on 22nd Feb then, as we all know, blue sky & sunshine.
Hope to see you all in 9 months time......have a great summer!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| telford_mike wrote: |
The sun's out!
Loads of fresh snow everywhere. Still pretty cold. |
Absolutely stunning picture - if this doesn't make you want to book next season's ski / board holiday to the Jungfrau region then I don't know what will ...
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Stormy today, all lifts closed except Arven chair at Scheidegg. Snow forecast for tomorrow.
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FAQ
