jamesdeluxe
Administrator
Continuing with my survey of local's ski areas in the Rhône Valley was north-facing Bürchen. Driving up on a typical switchbacked road from the valley, it was a bit overcast; however, once at the ski area, the sun was blazing and it stayed that way the rest of the day.
There are two separate ski areas here: Bürchen is on the right side and Törbel is on the left. To cross over, you have to sidestep up an embankment. The big disappointment was that the t-bar on the far left side -- all 2,200 verts of it! -- was not operating. It appears that pandemic staffing issues aren't limited to the U.S.
Conditions on-piste were nice but off-piste was tough going (we need the refresher snow that's coming over the next three days). Instead of pulling out the camera a lot, I was getting back into the Euro-skier zone -- do three runs, then take a coffee break in the sun; take three runs, then eat lunch in the sun; take three runs, then stop for a beer in the sun.
Here's a sequence skiing toward an impressive cloud bank down below in the valley:
This hotel/restaurant had impressive wood carvings outside its entrance and terrace.
While sitting in the requisite lounge chairs, I ran into the hotel cat, who has an enviable gig. He looked pretty similar to the one I saw at a restaurant in Hochkönig, Austria three years earlier.
I'm staying in the old part of Brig with its narrow cobblestone streets. Here's my lodging on the left, part of a former cloister:
Reverse shot:
The view from my balcony overlooking the Stockalper Castle, which took 20 years to complete, in 1678:
There are two separate ski areas here: Bürchen is on the right side and Törbel is on the left. To cross over, you have to sidestep up an embankment. The big disappointment was that the t-bar on the far left side -- all 2,200 verts of it! -- was not operating. It appears that pandemic staffing issues aren't limited to the U.S.
Conditions on-piste were nice but off-piste was tough going (we need the refresher snow that's coming over the next three days). Instead of pulling out the camera a lot, I was getting back into the Euro-skier zone -- do three runs, then take a coffee break in the sun; take three runs, then eat lunch in the sun; take three runs, then stop for a beer in the sun.
Here's a sequence skiing toward an impressive cloud bank down below in the valley:
This hotel/restaurant had impressive wood carvings outside its entrance and terrace.
While sitting in the requisite lounge chairs, I ran into the hotel cat, who has an enviable gig. He looked pretty similar to the one I saw at a restaurant in Hochkönig, Austria three years earlier.
I'm staying in the old part of Brig with its narrow cobblestone streets. Here's my lodging on the left, part of a former cloister:
Reverse shot:
The view from my balcony overlooking the Stockalper Castle, which took 20 years to complete, in 1678:
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