 Poster: A snowHead
|
Thought it appropriate to start a new thread to save overload on the busy Jungfrau 2 pages.
Lovely trip out to Zwiesimmen today. (My base is Lauterbrunnen) This is an area just above Gstaad, without the scary prices!!
Old ski area with some modern lifts from Zwei', link into St Stephan, Saanersloch and Schönreid!
Conditions on piste quite superb but ones opinion is always coloured when the area is so quiet. The main area is on terrific north facing wooded slopes. Saanersloch is a magnificent sunny bowl.
Zwiesimmen is 10 mins down valley of Lenk, naturally there is a rail service making the link.
Beautiful weather great skiing who could ask for more....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Never been, but it sounds lovely. I think most of the skiers in CH were on Männlichen this morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Lenk Adelboden today. Conditions on piste quite superb.
Potential for fabulous inbounds off- piste, not excessively tracked as we are mid week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Just booked to go here next month for 4 nights / 3 days on piste and rather looking forward to it. Will be staying in AirB&B in St Stephan (nearest train station Stoeckli). Planning on a day one on Lenk-Adelboden side, another on Betelberg side and the third probably in the Gstaad section.
The flight times out and back have allowed me to go a bit further on Swiss Rail than I usually might, so have decided to try and seek out somewhere slightly less well known / visited. And this was one of the random threads I stumbled across that encouraged me to do it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| jebroni3_16 wrote: |
| Will be staying in AirB&B in St Stephan (nearest train station Stoeckli). |
Is that where the skis come from?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
This is ground breaking stuff@jebroni3_16, St Stephan, wow this is off the map!!!
Fear not you will have a great few days and discover some skiing that will impress you!
The train stops at St Stephan and you go south to Lenk and north to Zwiesimmen.
Just think you may become the "second" Snowhead to brag about skiing Zwei'......all jokes aside
there really is some lovely stuff leading across to Saanersloch, Schönreid.
The rest of the Gstaad bit you would then need to jump on the bus down to Eggli and Wispile, possible but probably a waste of your limited time.
I drove through Zwei' today having ski toured above Gsteig. The area isn't high but for authentic alpine scenery it takes some beating!!!
Have a great trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks @Rogerdodger
The ski bus to Gstaad passes right outside the place I'll be staying apparently (and presumably stops, even if it's only if I hail it!) but I might stay in Schönried later in March, so I'm more focused on heading south to Lenk and Betelberg, even if it's a bit more of a faff.
Being a snowboarder, the walk to the train station and transfer to the other ski buses should hopefully be less of an issue.
Worst comes to the worst, it will be an adventure and I'll get to practice using my German for the first time in almost ten years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@jebroni3_16, please report back - this isn’t far from us and it sounds like a proper adventure 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Fear not, no faff heading into Lenk. Must confess I don't know about the ski bus. I was once told that Swiss transport strategy was bus OR train but not both.
I had to check the map regarding Stöckli, I refer to all that area as St Stephan, clearly I was wrong to do so.
I think the end of season 2019 the chairlift from just beyond the station/halt was decommissioned.
Such a shame as this gave access into Zwei'/Saanersloch domain and some magical ski touring terrain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We might well buy a Top4 pass for next season, will have 2 months in the motorhome. We've previously been to Lauterbrunnen, Meiringen, Saanenmoser and, believe it or not @Rogerdodger, Gsteig.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| ster wrote: |
| jebroni3_16 wrote: |
| Will be staying in AirB&B in St Stephan (nearest train station Stoeckli). |
Is that where the skis come from? |
I don't know, but I shall endeavour to find out!
I doubt the factory is there though as the train only stops there on request
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Two months, motorhome, top 4, wow that may well be a trip to remember!!
Note, you have to drive up to Adelboden from Fruitigen there are a few small areas to check out.
Access from Lenk all the way over then the bus isn't too practical. Engstligenalp (underneath Wildstrubel) one of my favourites.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Quick trip up the lifts of Zwiesimmen. Ski from the lifts into the Parwengsattel area to access one of the nicest high alpine areas.
Only problem is too many people learning how beautiful these spots are, getting busier with ski tourers and snow shoers.
However, plenty of wide open slopes to find some lovely untracked powder in super condition (north facing) Always fun to ski into the valley and catch the train back to the starting point!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| jebroni3_16 wrote: |
]
| telford_mike wrote: |
| @jebroni3_16, please report back - this isn’t far from us and it sounds like a proper adventure |
Shall do, but you're more than welcome to join me... on the condition that you don't drive and fully embrace the potential for disaster! |
I haven't forgotten about this thread and fully intend to report back... assuming I make it back. The only reason I say that was I clearly jinxed my trip here with my comment above.
Issues with easyJet / Swissport at BHX meaning I had to pay to check luggage that was on my booking / I had email to confirm entitlement to was bad enough, but it got worse when I got to Geneva Airport train station to discover all trains were cancelled due to an accident on the line between Nyon and Gland.
When people talk about the efficiency of the Swiss rail service, they never mention that every train for GVA runs along the same line through Lausanne, Nyon and Geneva and that when something goes wrong on it, it grinds to a complete halt.
Thanks to some advice from the SBB Customer Service Agent and a bit of good fortune, instead of my trip consisting of 2 changes in Bern & Zweisimmen taking 3 and a half hours, it took over 5 with me hopping trains at Geneva, Nyon, Lausanne, Montreux and Zweisimmen.
Turns out if I hadn't done so, I wouldn't have made my last trundler connection from Zweisimmen though, so all's well that ends well I guess.
Fingers crossed for tomorrow!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| jebroni3_16 wrote: |
| ster wrote: |
| jebroni3_16 wrote: |
| Will be staying in AirB&B in St Stephan (nearest train station Stoeckli). |
Is that where the skis come from? |
I don't know, but I shall endeavour to find out!
I doubt the factory is there though as the train only stops there on request |
Definitely doesn't seem to be anything to do with the ski makers.
Turns out that a "Stöckli" is an outbuilding where the elderly farmers move into when the next generation take over the farm.
But it can also be a family name and that's where the ski manufacturer's name comes from: LINK
@Rogerdodger - and you're definitely not wrong to refer to the whole area as Sankt Stephan though, because Stöckli does refer specifically to the station (from which the hotel across the road seems to take its name)
And whilst the lift from the holiday village did close a few years ago, it's been replaced by the very well organised ski bus service that is set up to coincide well with the trains between Zweisimmen and Lenk too and goes to the bottom of Lengebrand lift. A very convenient entry into the "Gstaad" Ski Area - Prada pylons and all!
Just a shame that two of the ski bus drivers weren't particularly pleasant. Are the residents of this area known for being unfriendly to outsiders by any chance?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Hi @jebroni3_16, so far so good. Please report your findings regarding the ski areas that you visited. I am sure you have a story to tell us all!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Conditions up date. Betelberg (Lenk) Pistes in glorious condition, good refreeze last night.
A slick start then softening nicely from 10:45 onwards.
Busy pistes that catch the sun, messy by 12:30 but all very enjoyable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
