Update 8 February 09:00 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – A 43-year-old man has died and a 44-year-old woman is in critical condition at the Hug university hospitals in Geneva after what appears to have been a carbon monoxide leak at a chalet in Rossinière, near Château-d’Oex. The man was visiting the area during the ski season, say police. A downstairs neighbour woman, age 58, went up to the first floor apartment to say she smelled something suspicious shortly after noon Tuesday 7 February, but when she discovered the two inanimate bodies she phoned police. She was also briefly hospitalized in the area.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Later in the day, at 20:00, firefighters were called to route de la Frasse in Rossinière where a chalet had caught fire. No one was injured by the blaze, in an unoccupied chalet with two apartments, but the building was entirely destroyed.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Weather: glorious. Snow: not bad, inching up to good. Competition: some good shows on for spectators.
Topping the list this weekend, though, is surprisingly good snow reports from the Jura.
It’s also the second and final weekend of the hot air balloon show in Chateau d’Oex (see our report last week) and the weather looks more promising than last weekend, when strong winds kept them on the ground much of the time.
Hot-air balloons over Montbovon 24 January (photo ©2011 Keepps on flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/isg-online)
We have added a photo album of the world of beautiful hot air balloons from the festival in Chateau d’Oex but also balloons drifting above Montbovon, where the weather was more cooperative last week, to set your sites a little higher.
Weather forecast for Lake Geneva region, Alps and Jura
The Swiss national weather service, MeteoSwiss, has dealt us a great hand of weather cards, with sunshine and occasional clouds in the mountains, just below freezing at night and warming up to 5-7C in most of western Switzerland.
Slightly more cloud cover and weak cold bise winds around Lake Geneva, with clouds sitting below 1,000 metres.
Swiss and neighbouring France resorts report
Jura skiing, from Shirley Curran
Jura slopes (photo: Shirley Curran)
Where is everybody? The resort web site is not exaggerating when it announces that conditions on the slopes at Crozet/Lélex are very good. We have been skiing up there every morning this week. The neige de culture combined with bitterly cold weather and first-rate slope grooming means that there is a good cover on the main slopes that are open: the chairs and telecabines and one poma lift as well as all the lifts on the Crozet nursery slopes. Above the clouds the weather is superb and the slopes have been almost empty. Who could wish for more. Well, yes, we would all like more snow, but there is enough!
Check the openings, weather and snow conditions daily at Monts Jura, where the snow was described as “excellent” Friday evening.
Swiss and French Alps, skiing
The snow cover varies hugely, from none to very thin, even at 1,700-1,800 metres in Verbier and Crans-Montana, to good in Gstaad, at 1,100 metres, but the quality of the snow in most resorts is very good, thanks to continuing cold weather. You just have to go a bit higher for the snow.
Chamonix, in neighbouring France, is hosting World Cup ski races this weekend (see Competitions, below), so expect crowds and thrills on the difficult Verte des Houches. This is the likely area for the 2018 Winter Olympics ski races if Annecy wins the bid. The resort, which is actually four, is big enough to fit everyone and every winter sport, so if you’re more interested in sending yourself down slopes than watching the experts, you have plenty of options. A year ago, in January 2010, the four main villages in the valley became a federation of communes. One result is that the ski offer is clearer, from runs and jumps for hotshots to gentler skiing if you’re a family with beginners or wobbly-on-skis guests.
Chateau d'Oex 2011 Hot-ar Balloon Festival (photo, ©2011 Mr Kio on flickr)
Chateau d’Oex should have perfect conditions this weekend for the International Hot Air Balloon festival. If you’re driving from Geneva or Lausanne you can do a nice loop via Aigle in the car, going one way over the Col des Mosses, and the other via Diableret, since both are open.
Crans-Montana is hosting the Juniors World Championshiop in skiing 29 January to 6 February, a great chance to watch the world’s next generation of ski stars. The first race is the giant slalom, Sunday, ending with the super-G next Friday and Saturday. Complete programme
Verbier has a freeride fair 29-30 January, Saturday and Sunday, and one of the features is the chance to try out new equipment.
Competitions: skiing, mountaineering, free ride, figure skating and horses
Alpine ski races: men are at Chamonix and the women are racing at Sestrières, with both on TSR in Switzerland. Didier Cuche led the men during the training runs, which were marred by the second serious accident in a week that involved an Austrian skier.
The world men’s freeride races, six thrilling events during the season, move from Chamonix to Corvatsch in Engadine-St Moritz for this weekend, before leaving Europe. The final event of the season brings them back to Verbier. The French are leading the racers in snowboard and ski after Chamonix. An interesting twist is the first-ever telemark skier joining the races.
European figure skaters finish a week of competition in Bern
Tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday’s exhibition show in Bern, for the European figure skating championships that have been running all week, 23-30 January. Ladies’ and Men’s freestyle events are on Saturday. A British professional photographer based in Helsinki, who works with the Finnish team, has been posting a series of beautiful images on flick: Tyke Tiler.
Zurich hosts major horse show
The Rolex FEI World Cup horse jumping is on this weekend in Zurich, with the series picking up after a four-week pause. World No. 1, Kevin Staut is one of the features. Tickets are available (suggestion: combine it with a visit to the amazing Picasso exhibit, which ends Sunday) or you can watch live on FEI television.
Information posted on earlier weekend snow and winter sports: check past posts for useful general information.
Click on images to view larger
Jura slopes (photo: Shirley Curran)
Chateau d'Oex 2011 Hot-ar Balloon Festival, deflated by winds (photo, ©2011 Mr Kio on flickr)
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – High winds that whipped around the Lake Geneva region over the weekend also touched, although less wildly, Chateaux d’Oex.
The village in the Vaudois Alps is home to one of Switzerland’s most colourful events, the International Hot-air Balloon Festival, but for its opening weekend, the festival and its hot-air balloons literally had trouble getting off the ground.
The festival runs through the next weekend, ending 30 January.
Photos, Mr Kio on flickr
Up, up, and not quite away, with too much wind for hot-air balloons in Chateau d'Oex 23 January (photo, ©2011 Mr Kio on flickr)
Reminder to fans of our winter sports reports, that you can find the collection here or by searching, top right for ” weekend winter”
Weather and resort openings, snow sports competiton, Chateaux d’Oex Balloon Festival, cross country skiing
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The weekend is off to a gloriously sunny start, with colder temperatures that will keep the snow in good shape, but winds in some areas that are delaying the opening of ski lifts.
Weather forecast
Chateau d'Oex Hot Air Balloon Festival 2010, photo ©2010 Josh Fassbind
Highs will hover around 0C in western Switzerland with lows of -2, so there will be only small shifts in the temperature.
Occasional snowflakes, but not more, in sight until the middle of next week. The cold bise wind will continue blowing on the plains, including the Lake Geneva area, until Tuesday or Wednesday, so be sure to wrap up with scarves, caps and gloves when you head outdoors.
Canton Valais can expect steady sunshine for the next five days while Jura skies will be partly cloudy, alternating with sunshine and blue skies until early next week. Source: MeteoSwiss, national weather service
Ski resorts
Jura report from Shirley Curran
The news Friday morning is that the ski areas are not opening because of high winds. Keep checking Monts-Jura.com!
From Crozet/Lélex, late Thursday 20 January: Snow has been falling today and, even better, the lower temperatures have allowed our resorts to run the snow-making machinery so that there is a light cover of new snow on the runs that are open. Of course, after all that hot January weather, the number of runs is restricted but there is something open for every level of skier. The slopes were empty today even though we could ski on well-covered runs right down to 900m at Lélex.
Swiss Alps
Les Mosses, end of the afternoon 15 January: snow is packed, but the trails are covered
Snow is surprisingly good after the near-thaw of January as long as you go above 1,800 metres, but even cross country trails at 1,400, such as those at Les Mosses, have decent conditions.
Verbier – Reminder if you’re heading for Verbier to look for the latest news and entertainment ideas from the new radio station, Mountain Radio Verbier at 96.9 FM and online. The station was started in December by former WRS broadcaster Conor Lennon.
Chateaux d’Oex - the big Alpine event this weekend is the International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Chateaux d’Oex, near Gstaad. It’s one of Switzerland’s most colourful winter events and for those who fear their toes will freeze while they stand around watching balloons, there is plenty of hot mulled wine and entertainment, some of which is indoors.
The snow on nearby peaks is thin, but skiing and watching the balloons is possible.
by Peter Brodbeck and Ellen Wallace
Chateau d'Oex 2010 (photo: ©2010 Peter Brodbeck)
Richard Ashford, Emma Hurst, Chateau d'Oex 2010 (photo: ©2010 Peter Brodbeck)
Collection of photos from the Chateau d’Oex balloon festival, GenevaLunch album by Peter Brodbeck and Josh Fassbind
Chateau d’Oex, Vaud, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A sky filled with colourful giant hot-air balloons against a backdrop of wintry Swiss Alpine peaks is “simply magical”, says balloonist Richard Ashford. It can be improved on only by being in one of the balloons, at the height, so to speak, of the party.
Ashford, when asked about his favourite ballooning moments, says, “If I had to narrow the choice, I’d say flying over mountain tops on a sunny day with a 360-degree view is hard to beat. The silence is amazing, aside from the occasional burn to keep the balloon at a certain height, and everything below looks like a toy town.”
The Chateau d’Oex Balloon Festival
Richard Ashford and Emma Hurst are British, the pilot/owner and co-pilot of one of the balloons that participated in the 2010 Chateau d’Oex balloon event, which ended Sunday 31 January. They say there is nothing quite like it. “Chateau-d’Oex is a special event. The whole town is behind ballooning. It has the balloon museum with the Breitling Orbiter, shops hang model balloons in their stores and everyone and everything is about ballooning.” And, for the scores of balloonists, enthusiasts and the public, “there is also a whole night scene happening with parties and events and street music. It is very well organized and attracts the best from around the world.”
Chateau d'Oex 2010 (photo: ©2010 Josh Fassbind)
Balloonists who travel the world attending events like this tend to find old friends. “Yes, ballooning is relatively small, but it is part of the fun of the sport. We generally know each other and it is through this network that we often get invited to different events.” It is a very social sport, he adds. “We are a close-knit circle of enthusiasts worldwide, which creates a level of camaraderie. We’re like a big family, and this in itself makes it all worthwhile.”
Ashford says he has been ballooning for about 20 years. “It all started by chance when I unexpectedly came across a balloon landing in a field. I went to the balloon, helped the owner, and was immediately hooked.
Switzerland winter holidays traffic jam areas, times
Jura in its winter glory
Jura snow! see additional photos with Jura report, below
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The main news this weekend: expect snow! That sounds good, but it promises to come with something less welcome, the potential for major traffic problems. The Swiss federal government has issued its annual end-January winter holidays traffic predictions, so be prepared. Peak times are Saturdays 08:00-15:00 heading south and Saturdays 10:00-16:00 plus Sundays 15:00-20:00 heading north.
Expect heavy traffic and slowdowns in these areas
Heading south
- A1 Sankt Margrethen – Genève: between Zurich and Berne
- A2 Basel – Chiasso: customs, Bâle/Weil am Rhein, between the Belchen tunnel and the interchange at Haerkingen, north entrance to the St Gothard tunnel
- A3 Basel – Zurich: customs, Basel/Saint-Louis interchange, la Wiese
- A6/A8 Berne – Interlaken: Thoune-Interlaken
- A9 Lausanne – Sion: Lausanne-Vevey
- A13 Sargans – Bellinzone: Sarganserland-Landquart, between Chur/Coire-Sud and Reichenau, north entrance to San Bernardino tunnel
- contournements/ bypasses around Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A1/A3)
Heading north
- A1 Genève – Sankt Margrethen: Berne-Zurich
- A2 Chiasso – Basel: south entrance to Saint-Gotthard tunnel between Reiden and Wiggertal ramp, customs at Basel/Weil am Rhein
- A3 Sargans – Basel: à la douane de Bâle/Saint-Louis
- A8/A6 Interlaken – Thoune: Interlaken-Spiez
- A8 Sarnen – Hergiswil: Alpnachstad-Lopper ramp
- A9 Martigny – Lausanne: between Bex and Glion tunnel
- A13 Bellinzone – Sargans: south entrance to San Bernardino tunnel, between Rothenbrunnen and Reichenau, between Zizers and Sarganserland ramp
- contournements/bypasses for Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A3/A1).
Jura report, from Shirley Curran
All week, as usual, we have skied above the clouds that enshroud the Geneva basin. Conditions in the Jura are spectacular. The hard packed base has had sprinklings of new snow and the weather has been glacial with wonderful views of trees all clothed in white. Colder, snowy weather is now predicted for a few days – that is good news for us!
Ed. note: GenevaLunch will be adding a report from the Alps during the weekend, including coverage from the Chateau d’Oex Balloon Festival.
Title: Chateau d’Oex hot air balloon festival
Location: Chateau d’Oex, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: One of the most colourful and popular annual outdoor events, runs a week, many events for all ages: 80 balloons from 15 countries, spectacular against snowy Alps
Start Date: 2010-01-23
End Date: 2010-01-31
Calm before the storm: hard to believe 23 January, but Thursday 22 January the sky was blue in Geneva, and Mont Blanc and other peaks felt as if they were on the city's doorstep. Foreground: jet d'eau.
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Weather is on the mind this weekend, with heavy rain falling on the plain, snow in the mountains and a very large question mark about where the snow line will fall. Shirley Curran captured on camera the beauty of the Jura, just minutes from Geneva: see her photo collection from the past few days at the end of this report (click on images to view larger).
