Solar-powered plane makes first intercontinental flight, must pass over Pyrenees
Solar Impulse made its first international flight in November 2011, to Paris
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Solar Impulse, the elegant airplane powered only by solar cells, left Payerne shortly before 08:30 Thursday 24 May, and headed towards the Jura and into France.
Pilot André Borschberg expects to land this evening, after midnight, at Madrid Barajas Airport where the plane will have a three-day technical check before flying on to Rabat in Morocco, 28 May at the earliest, for its first intercontinental flight.
By 10:00 the plane was flying at 3,880 metres, at close to 100kph.
The flight can be followed live.
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – A 50-year-old Swiss man from the Jura was arrested in March, canton Vaud police announced 4 April, during a break-in in Delemont, while the family was off at a funeral. Police had been tracking him since January after a number of thefts, mainly of money and jewelry, that followed announcements in newspapers of a death.
An investigation has been opened into what appears to be 20 break-ins during the time people have left their homes while at funerals. The robberies occurred mainly in canton Vaud, but some were committed in Neuchatel, Fribourg, Jura, and Bern.
Spring at the beach in Perroy Thursday: time out to admire the Alps
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – This is our last official report for the season, with flowers coming out and trees budding on the Swiss plains.
It doesn’t mean, of course, that you have to stop skiing, and if we spot anything of special interest, we’ll post it on GenevaLunch. See details below for the big x-treme event in Verbier this week and a thrillling video, plus a sobering tally of mountain accidents from the Swiss Alpine Club (CAS).
It’s been a great year, with wonderful snow everywhere, so we’re putting in a bid now for the same next season!
Meanwhile, start polishing those hiking boots, for we’ll soon be moving into that kind of weather, after a spring pause to let the slopes recover.
And take a little time to step back and admire the Alps from the shores of Lake Geneva before you head up to the mountains.
Weather forecast
The temperature spread in the Lake Geneva region area as well as the northern Alps (Vaud, Valais) is 2-19C for the next four days, highs of 12-13C in resorts at 1,700 metres. Time for sun cream if you’re going to the mountains. And what a weekend in the mountains, with sunshine everywhere, occasional cloud cover, no wind and spring in the air. National weather service MeteoSwiss
Avalanche, snow reports
Steep slopes in central Switzerland, around Andermatt, have an avalanche risk of 3, but otherwise the risk is moderate, 2/5 throughout Switzerland. The WSL avalanche institute map shows snow depth still good throughout the Alps.
News
View of the Jura range from La Faucille (photo, Shirley Curran)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Visitors to the Geneva area for the car show get a real bonus this year, with excellent skiing lined up for this weekend in the Jura, with ski lifts 3 minutes from the centre of the city.
The snow is superb, reports our Jura correspondent, with fresh powder.
Tip for iPhone, iPad owners: the new My Switzerland national tourism office app, released 28 February, as well as the GVA Geneva airport app, released 6 March, were both selected by the iPhone store as featured “noteworthy” apps this week.
Weather forecast, snow conditions
Highs of 8C in Geneva, 10C in Sion, and 7-8C in Verbier and Crans-Montana. Mostly sunny, with overnight lows falling below freezing, keeping the still-deep snow in good condition. Expect strong winds today on the west side of Lake Geneva, gusting heavily in the mountains, but winds should die down by Saturday. Temperatures will rise Monday and Tuesday with highs of 14C, so get your skiing in this weekend.
Some fresh snow fell in many areas, in relatively small amounts, 5-20cm. Snow is hard at 1,500m in the Alps, but powder at 2,200-2,400m. Temperature Friday morning at 2,400m near Crans-Montana: -8C.
Avalanche bulletin
From the Swiss Institute for Avalanche Rsearch, WSL (full bulletin, all areas):
“On the northern flank of the Alps not including the northern Alpine Ridge from Chablais to the Wildstrubel, as well as in the regions of northern Tavetsch and Flims, the danger zones are found above approximately 2200 m. On the northern Alpine Ridge from Chablais to the Wildstrubel, the hazardous zones are found above approximately 2600 m. The size and spread of the freshly formed snowdrift accumulations tend to increase with ascending altitude and during the course of the day. They can be triggered as avalanches even by a single backcountry skier or freerider. Experience in evaluating avalanche danger is imperative.”
What’s on in Alpine resorts
This is one of the busiest weekends of the year, on and around the slopes. Great weather and excellent snow make this a very special year for several of these key events:
Crans-Montana: note that the Snowgames, earlier scheduled for 10-11 March, have been moved to 7-8 April. This weekend the Kiwanis are organizing a charity drive moonlight snowshoe trek and party for 300 at Violettes.
Davos, the Parsenn Derby, 9-11 March, open to all, is one of the world’s oldest ski races, first run in 1924. It’s a wonderfully lively three-day event in one of the country’s most beautiful ski regions, canton Graubuenden. The resort also holds its Snow Jam Party 10 March.
Engadin ski marathon, St Moritz in canton Graubuenden, is a huge and beautiful event where thousands of cross-country skiers take part, 11 March. The marathon has been held since 1969 and is one of the main winter outdoor events in Switzerland.
Grindelwald, in canton Bern, 10 March is hosting a Skicross World Cup event, giving spectators a chance to see this new Olympic winter sport in action.
Les Mosses, canton Vaud, 10-11 March, 1,000 people participate in the Mara cross-country dog sled race, one of the most important ones in the winter competition circuit. Full moon guided cross-country skiing followed by hot wine is also on offer this weekend.
Muerren, near Grindelwald in Bern, 10-11 is holding its White Style Open, for freeskiers and snowboarders, with open competitions and lessons from a pro.
Verbier: time to put a reminder on your calendar that 23 March one of the world’s top Xtreme sports events, the final leg of the Freeride World Tour, is held in Verbier. Words cannot capture this breathtaking event.
Villars, canton Vaud, Saturday night 10 March, full moon skiing on the Bretaye slopes , disco and party time, CHF10 for a pass for the event that starts at 17:00 and goes until the wee hours.
Zermatt, one of the best of the many moonlight ski run offers that take advantage of this weekend’s combination of good weather, great snow and a full moon.
Jura ski report
Jura ski lifts: the crowd are gone, but the snow is great!
We thought the season was reaching an end but this week’s snowfalls have been a delight and we were skiing in powder snow again with temperatures well below zero.
The Crozet installations will run only at weekends and on Wednesdays from now till the end of season but Lélex is still operating fully and the Faucille/Mijoux installations, with tip top snow coverage. The French holiday period is over so you can have runs almost to yourself now!
Ed. note: snow depth remains 50-150cm in the higher resorts. Daily snow and weather bulletins, plus opening hours are aonthe Monts-Jura site, “infos neige”.
Get out the waterskis!
Here comes the sun! Show melt season is here
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – There is plenty of snow but you’ll have to be an earlybird this weekend to avoid skiing in soupy stuff. Temperatures are rapidly climbing, with highs Friday of 16C in Geneva, 17 in Lausanne, 19! in Sion and 11C even in Zermatt, this is spring ski season.
Weather forecast
MeteoSwiss is promising us more of the same Saturday, but temperatures will drop Sunday to highs of 10-11C around Lake Geneva and 3C in Zermatt. Expect the snowline to fall to 800 m Monday, with some snow forecast.
Check out Jared Bloch’s videos from his snowshoe trek up the Salève next to Geneva last weekend on his “Wheels Enthusiast” blog.
Jura report
by Shirley Curran
Spring is almost here in the Jura mountains and this week has seen temperatures shoot up so that our sun-facing slopes become rather slushy after about 11:00. If you want to enjoy the thick layers of snow that still cover our pistes despite the almost drought conditions of the month of February, you do well to get onto the snow early in the day or to stick to the north-facing slopes. We have the promise of yet more sunshine for the next few days, and everything is operating until March 12th from when the Crozet side of the Lelex/Crozet resort will only operate on Wednesdays and at weekends.
Local weekend highlights
If you’ve just returned to the Lake Geneva region from school ski holidays in the Alps you might want to stay closer to home. Check out our events page, and consider heading to beautiful Annecy for its Venetian Carnival weekend. GenevaLiving blog carries a complete list of Carnival activities.
Enjoy the sunshine!
Avalanche danger growing, says federal office
Dutch prince “stable” but not out of danger after Austrian avalanche
Very steep slope above Ardon, canton Valais
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The weekend promises every skier’s dream: fresh powder on top of an excellent base throughout the Alps and Jura, warmer weather and mostly sunny skies.
There is a down side: the risk of avalanches is growing, thanks to the combination of warmer weather and significant layers of fresh snow.
Prince Johan Friso, 43, the second son of Dutch Queen Beatrix, is in stable condition in an Innsbruck hospital after being buried under an avalanche for 15 minutes.
He was skiing off-piste with three other people when the avalanche, reportedly 30 metres wide and 40m long, occurred.
He was wearing an avalanche beeper, which allowed rescuers to reach him quickly and he was resuscitated at the scene, but doctors say he is not yet out of danger.
Several members of the Dutch royal family were on holiday together, including the queen, reports the BBC.
Weather forecast, snow conditions
Frosted Jura (photo, Shirley Curran)
Saturday: sunshine and highs of 6-8C, with the Valais Alps the warmest area until you get to Ticino, says MeteoSwiss. Rain or snow in some areas on Sunday, but less likely in Valais. Get in your day on the slopes Saturday.
More snow appeared during the week than was forecast, so there’s a good fresh layer in most resorts. Alpine areas north of the Rhone had 10-25cm Wednesday and early Thursday, with peaks in the centre and some parts of the Vaud Alps getting 25-50cm.
The avalanche risk level is 3 for Saturday, but note that WSL, the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, is providing a longer than usual bulletin for this week. Three skiers were caught by an avalanche in Obwald Friday.
The WSL notes that “Snowdrift accumulations can be easily triggered in some places and should be circumvented. Experience in assessing avalanche hazards is essential. In all regions of this danger level, particularly on steep, south facing slopes, the avalanche hazards are subject to a daytime cycle. The likelihood of avalanches being triggered is somewhat lesser in early morning, but subsequently escalates in line with the daytime warming cycle.”
More snow expected Sunday in some areas means the avalanche situation will “remain tense” according to WSL. Avalanche-prone areas are above 2,000 metres in western parts of the Alps, but they are found “on steep slopes in all aspects above approximately 1,600m; in the western part of the northern flank of the Alps the danger zones are above approximately 1800 m.
Alpine resort highlights
Crans-Montana Next weekend is the FIS Men’s World Cup downhill races, with super G and giant slalom, so plan ahead to watch them tear down the National run.
Gstaad Curling tournament: the Curling Schweizer Meisterschaften from 17-25 February, your golden opportunity to see top Swiss teams. Also consider next weekend’s snow games, with a lot of family activities.
Verbier Take along a costume – it’s carnival time! You’ll find this true throughout the Alps, starting Friday 17 February, but Verbier is taking it seriously with a procession followed by a ball Saturday night.
Jura resorts
by Shirley Curran
Conditions are superb in the resorts in the Jura mountains with this week’s falls of snow added to what was already an exceptional cover and the cold weather holding up. However, it is no longer bitterly cold up there, just very pleasant with all the lifts running and queuing very rare. Of course, you have a choice of Jouvencelles/La Dôle (the Franco-Suisse resort), Les Rousses, St Cergue and all the Monts-Jura resorts. Even charming little Menthières is boasting exceptional snow conditions.
And don’t forget about ice-skating!
For those who want something beside skiing, or who are staying on the plain, here’s a little help if you want to talk intelligently about ice-skating, from EPFL in Lausanne: Ice skates glide across the ice because … check out the quiz and its informative answer page.
La Loge (photo, Shirley Curran)
Button up, drive safely and watch out on the busier slopes, with vacation crowds
View of Lake Geneva region from Jura ski slopes this week (photo, Shirley Curran)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The chilly weather of the past two weeks is set to continue, with sunshine in the mountains but highs well below 0C degrees, so take plenty of warm clothes if you’re heading to the Alps or the Jura.
This is the start of the one-week February school break for students in Geneva and parts of neighbouring France. Zurich schools are also on holiday for the next week.
Weather forecast, snow conditions
Mostly sunny but windy with strong gusts, through the weekend. High winds in the mountains and bone-chilling bise winds on the plain. Calmer Sunday with a high of -5C. By Tuesday temperatures will start to climb slightly, with snow expected Tuesday and Wednesday, according to MeteoSwiss. Snow conditions remain good everwhere, with powder remaining.
Be sure to check local conditions to make sure the pistes are not closed due to high winds
Resorts, Alps and events Swiss-wide
MySwitzerland, the national tourism office, has a weekly list of top events, a good place to check for options if you want to take part in Carneval. This week’s list includes the carnival in Aarburg, but also notes that Switzerland plays the US in the tennis David Cup this weekend in Fribourg.
Lenk has dog races and Verbier on Saturday has its Dahu freeride competition. The truly fit can join the 24-hour ski or snowboard race in Gsteig this weekend.
Plan ahead now for the 25 February night-time ski race up (that’s right) to the Rothorn in Zermatt.
Jura report
Just plain cold and spectacularly beautiful: Jura, 30 minutes from Geneva (photo, Shirley Curran)
This has certainly been the coldest week on the Jura slopes that I have ever known.
We have been skiing on almost empty slopes with masses of excellent snow under our feet and cold air varying from minus six to minus twenty, sometimes enhanced by windchill. The snow conditions are superb if you can stand the cold!
More of the same (snow and cold) are expected so check Monts-Jura.com before setting out.
Getting there by road
The Federal Highway Department publishes a list (Fre) of roads with peak travel times for the school breaks and Carneval/Mardi Gras, which is celebrated at different times in different places. If you’re planning to travel on main routes during busy periods, check the list beforehand for times to avoid. On the road, the federal traffic alerts for truck drivers are useful, as is TCS (Touring Club Suisse) travel alerts.
Road reminders: alcohol limit is 0.5 and autoroute speed limit is 120kph unless otherwise marked. The fine for not having an autoroute sticker (road tax) is CHF200 and police have been checking regularly this week. You can buy a sticker at any customs post, post office and some gas stations. It’s legal to have a GPS device in Switzerland as long as it doesn’t have any radar warning devices or information.
Clearing the car: it can cost you CHF200 to drive a car that is not completely free of frost and snow, including front and back windshields and lights. Snow on the top of the car that can fly off and blind or distract drivers behind you is also considered a hazard.
Winter tires: you need them in all areas this year, given the amount of ice on the roads. Chains: good idea to have them handy.
Update, 15 January weather forecast for the week, for skiers:
Dawn in Zermatt 12 January (photo ©2012 William Olenick)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – If you’re able to ski during the week, concentrate on getting up to the slopes at the start of this week, with temperatures hovering around zero, some cloudiness mornings but clear skies and sunshine in the afternoons.
By late Wednesday some rain is likely in warmer areas, with intermittent light snow in the mountains and the snow line at 1,000 metres, highs of 4C.
Thursday: expect winds to pick up, rain and snow with the snow line moving up to 1,500 metres before falling to 600 metres on Friday, with the high Friday around 1C and gusting winds.
Jura skiing, 13 January, a half-hour from Geneva
The huge piles of snow dumped on Switzerland and neighbouring France are turning ski resorts into winter wonderlands and there is an amazing mix of things to do.
Our Jura correspondent, Shirley Curran, was skiing on the mountains you pass over as you fly into Geneva, Friday afternoon, and she says the weather was good (just a few clouds), the snow fantastic, and too few people in Geneva seem to realize that fast chairs, excellent snow and very good slopes are just 20-30 minutes from home.
Weather forecast should send you to the hills
Temperatures hovering around 0C with some cloudiness in the mornings in the mountains and on the plains, sun in the afternoon Saturday and Sunday in the Alps. Gusting winds are a possibility in the Jura.
For those interested in Swiss mountain life, two bits of news are worth checking out.
Avalanche update
Clearing the roof, 30 December 2011, near Crans-Montana, Valais
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Too much of a good thing, with more and more snow falling, means that many lifts in the Swiss Alps are not open Friday: more than a foot fell overnight, more is expected Friday night and Meteoswiss is predicting strong northwest winds throughout the Alps Saturday.
Alps and avalanche reports
Check directly with resorts as the situation is rapidly changing for piste closings and openings, due to weather:
Anzere, Crans-Montana, Leysin-Aigle, Verbier, Villars-Gryon, Saas-Fee, Zermatt
The Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, WSL, bulletin concludes with: “On Saturday, continuous and intermittently intense snowfall is anticipated in all regions of the Swiss Alps except the furthermost south. The northwesterly wind will be blowing at strong velocity. The snowfall level is expected to ascend towards 1800 m over the course of the day. On Sunday, the precipitation will taper off in northern regions. In southern regions it will be sunny. The avalanche danger will escalate significantly on Saturday, presumably giving rise to increasingly frequent naturally triggered avalanches.”
Jura report
by Shirley Curran
With more snow falling, we look set for a good season. The cold weather and snow are expected to continue until Saturday when milder conditions are expected with some sunshine. The start of January promises to be warmer than recent days and our resorts will have a fine covering of snow, with the fresh that is falling now. Crowds will have diminished. Now is the time to enjoy ski-ing less than half an hour from the Swiss frontier!
Ed. note: at noon Friday the ski runs were open - check for updates
Great weather for snowshoes, ski touring, ice skating and sledding!
Snowshoes in canton Valais: perfect way to get around 30 December
Rolle, Lake Geneva, 16 December 2011
GENEVA / ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Zurich airport is suffering major disruptions due to storms Friday evening 16 December and Geneva airport saw delays during the day, as winter blew into Switzerland with a vengeance.
Valais police are reporting several roads closed due to heavy snow, and the car/train link between Goppenstein and Kandersteg was closed Friday. Trees are down in several parts of Vaud, with one tree hitting three cars in Lausanne.
Joachim is the name of the storm that blasted its way across parts of the Jura and Bern Friday morning, bringing high winds and storms that churned up Lake Neuchatel.
Zurich airport reported some cancelled or delayed flights Friday morning, notably from Nice, London and Amsterdam, all affected by storms. By Friday evening Swiss was sending people to a “bad weather in Europe” page and Zurich airport was showing several flights cancelled or delayed, including Paris and London flights.
Geneva airport, which opened its new visitor center officially 16 December was only lightly touched, with some London flights cancelled and minor delays as the Lake Geneva region was drenched by winds and torrential rains.
The Swiss Institute for snow and avalanche danger has put most of canton Valais on a red alert (level 4) for avalanche danger. Postal cars on the Gampel-Steg and Blatten (Lötschen) line are not running because of the danger of avalanches.
Weather has also closed several regional train lines, including Rochers-de-Naye.
Lake Geneva at Rolle 16 December, looking towards Evian and the French Alps where the clouds are dumping snow
Snow, snow and more snow throughout the Alps!
"Snow is getting deep here and no end in sight", from a GenevaLunch friend in Zermatt, 18:00 Friday (good luck!)
Updated 21:50 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Weather is top of the weekend news, with snow falling and falling in the mountains, at long last, even down to the plain. Zermatt, Verbier and all other major resorts now have snow, an abundance of it, in the villages at the bottom of the slopes, and more is on the way.
A white Christmas is guaranteed at this point, whether or not you’re on the pistes!
If you don’t yet have winter tires on your car, don’t delay: the snow will be mixed with rain and ice in many areas, with wild high winds Friday and Saturday in some areas.
Chains: you rarely need them in Switzerland because main mountain roads are cleared promptly, but be sure to have a set in the car for the winter.
Weather forecast and snow
Golf course in the centre of Crans-Montana, at 1,700m altitude, with snow falling at 09:20 Friday morning (source: CM webcam)
Note for Geneva residents: the city frequently had more than 50cm of snow a year until the mid-1980s, but the amount of snow has dropped since then (flip side is that the amount of sunshine has risen). That doesn’t mean Geneva will be snow-free this winter, but the weekend forecast is for temperatures of 3-9C with rain and strong winds by Saturday, gusting at 90-115kph on the plain.
Jura, but especially northern Jura areas can expect continuing gusts above 110kph.
Driving conditions in the Valais mountain resorts are treacherous late Friday, with snow plows struggling to keep up with the heavy snowfall, so if you’re heading up for a first skiing session, take care. Warm foehn winds blew in lower Alpine areas Friday morning, but by afternoon colder winds with gusts of up to 150kph hit some parts of the Alps, while others had steady but quiet snow falling.
Canton Graubuenden, with its famed resorts of Davos, Klosters, St Moritz and more, has “abundant” snow falling, with lower temperatures than other resort areas, -7C to highs of -1C.
Alpine resorts
Note that they are virtually all closed Friday because of high winds and heavy snowfalls; check the resorts for open runs before heading there for a day on the slopes.
Diablerets and Villars: free skiing (limited number of lifts) for everyone before Sunday 17 December! Snow falling, Glacier 3000 reports snow depths of 50-85cm.
Verbier reports a very high level of avalanches, plenty of snow in the town by late morning and snow continuing to fall. Note that the Friday reports on the web site were a bit behind, noting for example a snow depth of 110cm at Les Ruinettes (2,200 metres) and none in the village (report from 08:00).
Crans-Montana, steady snow falling this week, snow depth has reached 117-150cm in the past two days!
Jura ski resorts
by Shirley Curran
(late Thursday) Last weekend, there was enough snow for our season to begin at the Col de la Faucille, though conditions were rather wet and gloomy. It has snowed and rained intermittently since then and the resorts are now boasting 25cm of snow with more falling steadily and a significant cold snap expected. The official opening date of 17 December 17 seems to be on target. The webcams give you an honest view of the situation.
An attractive offer is being made by the Lake Geneva Tourist Office for anyone visiting the area. Here is an extract!
“For one overnight stay or longer in a partner hotel, you can familiarize yourself free of charge with snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, while exploring the vast spaces of the Jura mountain range. Relax as you discover our 405 km of cross-country trails and our 105 km of snowshoeing trails for all difficulty grades. Well maintained and safe trails await you and will allow you to discover new experiences.”
Neighbouring France resorts
Snow has continued to fall this week and there is no shortage of the white stuff at Meribel, Val d’Isere, Courcheval and other main resorts.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Tour de France cycling race will slip over the border into Switzerland in the summer of 2012, reports TSR (Fre) saying the decision will be confirmed in October.
The new route calls for racers to go from Belfort to Porrentruy, with three hours in total in the Jura region.
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The 25-year-old man who has been on the run from Orbe since he escaped police after seriously injuring two of them with hot oil has been arrested in France, near Lons-le-Saunier. He threw boiling oil on the officers as they surrounded his apartment, where he briefly held his wife hostage and threatened to kill the police who initially came to answer the domestic violence call.
French national gendarmerie officers arrested him at 12:50 Wednesday after working with Swiss police to identify areas he would be likely to head for. He broke into a home belonging to family members near Picarreau in the French département of Jura. He fled the house on a bike but was stopped by police in Crançot, on the national highway heading in the direction of Lons-le-Saunier.
Viper in the French Jura, near Geneva: learn to recognize them (photo ©2011 Shirley Curran)
Ed. note: Shirley Curran, who writes the GenevaLunch book reviews, lives in the French Jura, not far from Geneva.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – We have a rather unexpected visitor in the garden this year.We call her Vincent la vipère, and we take care to warn neighbours who have dogs, cats or small children that they should steer clear, as we do.
My husband first spotted her near his hand when he was doing a bit of weeding in a wall that has lots of holes and crevices. Neighbours had found their kitten playing with a baby one, so we know they are back in the area after a quiet stretch.
Vincent is a vipère aspic. Her bite can be mortal, especially for small animals. She lives on lizards or small mammals and spends a long time digesting them and just basking , coiled up in the sun on a patch of pine needles.
Viper, French Jura, coiled among the rocks, a favourite spot (photo ©2011 Shirley Curran)
We have both been bitten in the past, fortunately, in each case, by early season ones that were half asleep.
The bite is a couple of very vivid puncture marks and scratches going down from them. The effect is nasty for a few days but if you aren’t dead in about three hours, you are likely to live.
I once had to take a neigbour to the doctor after he had been bitten—and he survived, even though he had recently had open-heart surgery. Of course, you should seek medical help as fast as possible.
Local pharmacies stock anti-venim serum. When the children were small, we kept the anti-venim serum in the fridge, just in case. However, it has a shelf life and we finally stopped worrying. They are a protected species as they have been hunted to make the serum, and hunted in some communes in France because a ‘prime’ was offered for any that were captured or killed.
The harmless grass snake is beautiful, swimming in local ponds in the French Jura
There is a natural hostility to snakes and they are mercilessly killed when people see them. Above all, should anyone be bitten, it is important to limit movement, to stay calm and to get to a hospital or to a medical centre as fast as possible.
I believe it is a long time since there was a viper fatality in France and that was a small girl who went into the bushes to go to the toilet. She was too far from help to be saved.
Our Vincent is full grown, about two feet long. She’s very impressive when she is disturbed and slides down into one of the holes in the wall. We live near a quarry and saw them frequently when we first moved here 30 years ago.
Local swimmers, French Jura
I think all the building in the area discouraged them, though they are said to be everywhere in France in hedges and rough rocky areas. They don’t have a very long season, as they hibernate when the temperature is below 12°C.
The marks on their backs can vary considerably. Vincent has just dark bars in a pattern, not the very distinctive V marks that people know about. She is of a breed that the French sometimes call la vipère rouge but she is grayish in colour with distinctive orange under her tail and little orange eyes.
We have lots of the other type of common snake such as the couleuvre à collier, or grass snakes, in our ponds, but they are completely harmless, except to their prey, and very beautiful, especially when they swim.
So if you are wandering in the Jura mountains, be aware that they are around, very well camouflaged and very dangerous.
Click on images to view larger
Snow conditions, Spring skiing deals, this season’s improvements, Aminona resort, upcoming events
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Winter is officially behind us, clocks spring forward this weekend, and the snow is gone from the lower slopes, so this will be GenevaLunch’s final weekend snow and winter sports report for 2010-2011 season.
There is still time to ski and even sled, so snow fans have little to worry about, but you’ll need to check first to see where the snow is. Be sure to take along the sun cream!
Weather forecast
Snowpark at Corvatsch, St Moritz, 25 February 2011
Highs on the plain and at low altitudes, including Geneva, of 18-20C Saturday, with sunshine, but clouds building in the afternoon. Expect mountain highs of 16C Sunday and snow Sunday afternoon down to 1,700-1,900 metres.
Resorts closing, but special offers in some that stay open
This is the final weekend of skiing for most resorts at lower altitudes. This includes the Jura, where there is still, happily, enough snow for a few final downhill runs. Shirley Curran reports:
“Our Jura ski season closes Sunday, 27 March, but it is still possible to ski at Crozet and Lelex. Indeed, in the middle of the week, the run right down to Lelex was still in operation, though the cover down there is thin. Eight lifts will be running on Saturday and Sunday but it is a good idea to get up there early as the snow becomes very soft in the afternoon. You will need suncream too. The season is already over at the Col de la Faucille.”
MySwitzerland, the national tourism office, has a list of resorts that remain open in April, with special spring skiing deals as well as a list of the glacier resorts, some of which offer summer skiing later on.
GenevaLunch’s series, Swiss dream ski week, will be completed Sunday 27 March with the final article, on Zermatt, the slopes and the town. The report on Davos published 25 March points out that great skiing and snowboarding is available there until the end of April.
Avalanche alerts, for those going off-piste or doing back country skiing: moderate / level 2 on the northern flank of the Alps, but high / level 3 on the southern side, from lower Valais to the Goms. Details in the national daily avalanche bulletin, in English.
Looking back, changes during the 2010-2011 ski season
Snow machines are everywhere
Snow has been falling at higher altitudes, although not in great quantities, as on the road to the Simplon Pass 14 March
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Blue skies and 10C in Geneva Friday morning 18 March make it hard to use the word “winter” but resorts are still open and the snow remains decent to good in most areas.
Weather forecast, snow conditions, avalanche warnings
Highs of 10C around Lake Geneva, 14C in Valais for the weekend, with occasional cloudiness, but mostly sunny, turning sunny for the start of next week. Snow down to 900 metres in cooler areas, which could give the Jura a final spring covering on the slopes. Details, Meteosuisse (Fr)
MySwitzerland’s snow conditions report indicates that it has snowed in several resorts in the past 24 hours, although in most places, such as Crans-Montana, the snowfall above the resort was 10cm.
The avalanche warnings are at level 3, “considerable” throughout all mountain areas: warm late winter days are the peak time for them. The national avalanche institute notes that “The old snowpack is thoroughly wet in all expositions below 2000 to 2200 m. Particularly on west to north to east facing slopes, the old snowpack is prone to triggering.” Even north-facing slopes below 2,200 metres are at risk where steep slopes have not yet discharged, it says.
Hikers are starting to walk in the mountains, thanks to the warm weather and low snowfall this winter which means many areas are clear of snow. Use caution: a man died near St Luc Friday 17 March after slipping on ice and then sliding 100 metres, while on a mountain walk.
Resorts news
Eurpean wildcat, in Bayerischer National Park in Germany (photo, wikipedia)
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland is seeing a revival of its wild cat population, notably in the Jura, where 450-900 of the animals are thought to be living in a 600m2 forested area.
The cats, which are not simply domestic cats gone wild, are visually hard to distinguish from household tiger-striped cats, although they tend to be pale gray and lighter brown in colour.
The cats are on the international red list of very threatened species. They were nearly wiped out by hunters in the 18th and 19th centuries, but they are now protected by Swiss law.
The federal government says studies indicate they are present in five cantons in western Switzerland. They need dense woods and pastures to survive.
Animals’ genetic integrity under threat
The wild animals now face a new threat, however.
Les Faucilles, Jura, 5 March 2011 (photo, ©2011: Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Blue skies, warm weather, and the snow is holding in most places, although this will clearly go down in the records as a winter when it mostly forgot to snow during the ski season. This week we bring you an abbreviated edition of the winter sports weekend news to continue producing our Swiss dream ski week series, with Scuol next, after St Moritz.
Weather forecast
Western Switzerland will have almost summery, balmy weather, with highs of 15-16C and sunshine Friday and part of Saturday, with cloudy skies and rain gradually moving in. Highs of 12-13C Sunday. The Alps show a mixed picture, with highs in canton Valais of 16C this weekend, and yet snow is expected at high altitudes. The dry, warm foehn wind will be blowing at lower altitudes. Details, in French, MeteoSwiss
Southeastern Switzerland, however, will have highs of 3-6C, starting around Zermatt, and in Samedan in Graubuenden, the high for the weekend is expected to be -1C.
Snow conditions and avalanche warnings
Moderate, level 2 warnings for avalanches Friday, 10 March and snow conditions remain generally good, but check daily snow reports from MySwitzerland, by resort.
Jura ski report
by Shirley Curran
Conditions remain surprisingly good in our Jura resorts, as the weather becomes milder. From next week, the Crozet telecabine will be running only on wednesday and at the weekends, though you can reach the resort from the Lelex side of the mountain. The Faucille will remain open for your end of season ski-ing with a variety of lifts and pistes available.
Dream Swiss ski week
Snowpark at Corvatsch, St Moritz, 25 February 2011
If you’re a good skier and dream of heading off for a week of some of the best slopes in Switzerland with a friend, this is for you.
Share a week in some of Switzerland’s top resorts for good skiers with reporters Nick and Liam Bates: Verbier, en route by train, and St Moritz have been published. Scuol, Davos and Zermatt will be published Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Click on images to view larger
Jura skiing, on Geneva's doorstep, in the fresh March air above the Geneva Motor Show
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) -Spring weather is upon us, with temperatures well above zero C during the day throughout the region and no fresh snow in sight over the weekend.
Head for Oslo, Norway, if you want colder weather, where the Nordic Ski World Championships finish this weekend.
Closer to home, if you’re not interested in going to the mountains, Geneva will be awash in car fans, for the Geneva Motor Show, one of the world’s largest car shows. Biel/Bienne starts its five-day carnival festivities a bit later in the week, Wednesday 9 March, with some seriously noisy and fun brass band competitions.
Warning about Sunday traffic: the Vaud school holiday ends and the car show is on: the combination will create dense traffic starting at 15:00 on the autoroutes heading back to Geneva.
Weather forecast
Nighttime temperatures just below 0C and during the day highs of 7-8C, with 5-6C in the mountains at 1,500-1,800 metres altitude. Fog on the plain in the mornings, to 800-1,000m, dissipating or thinning during the afternoons, a bonus for Jura resorts where you can ski in the sun and look down on poor Genevans in the fog. Temperatures are expected to stay in this range until Thursday.
Details, MeteoSwiss (Fr). Check GenevaLunch weather pages, from the national weather service, for current Geneva and Zurich temperatures and weather forecast in English.
Avalanche warnings
The danger level is 3,”considerable” along the northern flank of the Alps, the northern lower Valais which includes several popular resorts and the main Alpine ridge from the Matterhorn to Furka. Fresh snow has been 10-25cm. The Swiss national avalanche bulletin Saturday morning 5 March notes:
“In northern regions more than anywhere else, there are faceted, loosely packed layers of old snow embedded inside the snowpack which are prone to triggering in many areas. Released avalanches and weak snow profiles make clear that these weak layers must be taken into consideration at altitudes as of the treeline. In addition, in all regions of the Swiss Alps, there are freshly formed snowdrift accumulations, particularly in areas adjacent to ridge lines and pass areas.”
A sad note: a well-known and very experienced Canadian skier from Verbier, Scott Mann, who ran the Surefoot shop in Verbier, lost his life in an avalanche near Mont Bonvin in Crans-Montana early in the week.
News from the resorts
Snow cover remains good in the Jura resorts and blue skies are returning for the weekend
The anticyclone that was stationary over our Jura mountains has at last moved on and the sunshine is back. The snow cover is still good at both Crozet/Lélex and La Faucille/Mijoux with about 60 percent of the lifts operating at Cozet, and good runs still available right down to Mijoux and Lélex. Up above Geneva’s layer of murk there is good skiing to be had and the French holiday crowds are diminishing.
Alps
The small bit of snow that fell last week isn’t enough to excite off-piste skiers, but it gave the resorts enough to look brighter and whiter and to keep skiers happy.
Snow is hard underneath a thin layer of fresh snow in most resorts, but it varies, so do check MySwitzerland’s up-to-date guide to snow conditions.
Zermatt and the 4 Vallees areas are the only ones with a depth of over 100cm, although Verbier has 93cm and Crans-Montana 79cm, and there is powder in several places.
Snowpark at Corvatsch, St Moritz, 25 February 2011
GenevaLunch on Sunday starts its special five-day report on Dream Ski Week: five of the best resorts in a week, for good skiers. One of these is St Moritz, and if you’re tempted by our report, keep in mind that next weekend you can catch one of the most impressive ski sights of the year, the 42 km Engadine Ski Marathon, with some 20,000 participants. Reserve your hotel room ahead, given the visiting crowd of cross-country racers.
The run, with spectacular scenery and great snow, is from Maloja to S-chanf, with the half-marathon from Maloja to Pontresina. Tempted to join the race? You can register until the day before the event, 12 March.
Weather forecast, driving on Swiss mountain roads, watch the icy slopes
Jura has had some fresh snow this week (photo: Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Expect traffic on the roads and on the trains: this weekend is the height of the school holiday period with families heading towards the slopes from cantons Geneva and Vaud as well as parts of France.
The snow cover might be thinner than winter sports fans like, but snowmaking machines and snow left from December are keeping the pistes white. And, cross your fingers, the weather people are telling us to expect snow down to about 1,000m Sunday, cooler temperatures Monday and the snow line falling to 600-800 m.
Better yet, all of this should be followed by clearer skies early in the week in Valais.
Switzerland received almost no new snow in the past week. What little fell landed mostly in the Jura, so it is one of the good places to go if you’re looking for snow Saturday.
We’re repeating a word of caution this week because there have been yet more injuries and a death linked to icy slopes. A 16-year-old from Neuchatel died 15 February, two weeks after she crashed going down a slope that had been closed, during a school ski trip. TSR has a good page, in French, with advice on safety and health tips including common sense pointers for those who love going off piste.
Canton Vaud police have offered a few tips on driving in the mountains to help the foreigners on the roads, which we’re sharing with you.
Weather forecast
It's the Jura this week! Snow .... (photo, Shirley Curran)
It’s true: snow is on the way! The forecast from MeteoSwiss for Sunday shows one big black cloud, with the snow line down to 1,000 metres for the first time in weeks, and falling to 800 or 600 by Monday as temperatures fall.
That said, the highs are expected to be 5-7C in western Switzerland, just a degree or two colder at altitude, but with luck the snow will last for the coming school holidays week.
Ski resorts report
European Women's Cup, Geneva/Monts Jura, 11 February 2011 (photo, ©2011 Damienphoto)
European Women's Cup, Geneva/Monts Jura, 11 February 2011 (photo, ©2011 Damienphoto)
Geneva, Switzerland and Monts Jura, France (GenevaLunch) – Geneva is better known as a point of departure for resorts than as a ski resort itself, but this weekend the city is the partner host, with French department Ain, of the Women’s European Cup for skiing.
The pistes are in excellent shape despite the shortage of snow from Mother Nature, and the skies are blue, temperatures above 0C.
Photo report by Damienphoto, France (all photos ©2011 Damienphoto)
Click on images to view larger
European Women's Cup, Geneva/Monts Jura, 11 February 2011 (photo, ©2011 Damienphoto)
European Women's Cup, Geneva/Monts Jura, 11 February 2011 (photo, ©2011 Damienphoto)
International sports, Women’s European Cup skiing
Shirley Curran writes the weekly Jura report for GenevaLunch’s weekend snow and winter sports feature
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Preparations are underway for this weekend’s big Geneva-Jura ski event, the FIS Coupe d’Europe (European Cup) women’s super-G and super-combined.
This is the first time the Jura resorts have hosted a ski event of this significance.
The city of Geneva is hosting the competition in partnership with France’s Ain department, a show of cross-border cooperation.
There is an astonishingly rich layer of snow thanks to the work, all through the month of January, of the resort’s staff and the massive accumulation of neige de culture: artificial snow.
Race preparations, Jura (photo, ©2011, Shirley Curran)
The nets are going up on both sides of the two race pistes and the tents are in place.
Young skiers from all over Europe are already training heavily.
Note for skiers and race fans: A one-day special, a €1 for the day ski pass is available from Crozet and Lélex Friday 11 February and Saturday 12 February.
Pedestrians will need to go up the mountain from the Lélex side, where there is still snow down to 900 metres.
Skiers have access via the Fierney telecabine and the Bergers chairlift from the Geneva valley.
The conditions are still astonishingly good but it is like spring skiing, as the daytime temperatures have risen during the last week.
However, the plans are to keep the resorts running all next week and as long as possible, even if that longed-for metre of fresh snow doesn’t fall.
More photos Read more…
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)
La Loge, Wednesday 19 January 2011 (photo, Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Good news for Geneva and Lausanne area skiers, from GenevaLunch’s Jura ski reporter Shirley Curran:
In view of the snow conditions on the slopes at Crozet/Lélex, the installations will be open on Thursday and Friday of this week, 20-21 January. The weather has turned much colder and there has been astonishingly good work done by the pisting machines and the snow-making machinery. A telecabine and a chairlift will be open at each of the resorts as well as some poma lifts.
We have just come down from the slopes and we were truly amazed that such impressive piste grooming has maintained good skiing conditions.
Expect rain, snow, wind and the occasional ray of sunshine in the Lake Geneva region, 7-12 December
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Expect warmer weather, then rain, then a sudden cold spell followed by snow down to the plain in the next five days: the forecast is for Lake Geneva area weather is changeable, according to MeteoSwiss, with a bit of everything. Check GenevaLunch for daily updates from the national weather service.
The region is, at least briefly, mostly back to normal after snow turned to rain, causing icy conditions everywhere. Hardest hit were the mountain areas where roads turned very slippery, with several accidents in the Jura-Neuchatel hills. The St Bernard tunnel and Simplon, two main north-south truck traffic routes that generally remain open, were closed Sunday night and Monday morning due to heavy snowfalls followed by icy conditions.
Wintry winds will blow in Jura, Alps
Strong winds will pick up and are likely to be around 100 kph in the Jura and Alps starting Tuesday afternoon, reaching their height Wednesday.
Take care with your umbrella Thursday if you’re near Lake Geneva. Strong winds will blow around the lake Thursday, from 50-100 kph.
Temperatures will fall Thursday
Geneva and Lausanne will have a temperature range of 4-9C Tuesday 7 December, while in Sion, where temperatures are often slightly higher in winter, the forecast is for 1-7C. Temperatures will drop rapidly Thursday and remain cold, with -1C to 2C in Geneva and -3C to 2C in Sion, with temperatures in main Alpine resorts colder: Zermatt is expected to have -7C with highs of -1C.
Rain, then snow again
Rain or snow are forecast in western Switzerland up to the weekend, but with warm temperatures until Thursday the snow line has moved up to 1900m. When the cold front moves in Thursday, snow could fall on the plains, although Valais is expected to have little or no snow Thursday and Friday, with cloudiness alternating with sunshine.
Brought to you earlier than expected! Lifts opening, safety, weather, cars, new radio
La Loge, Jura, November 2010 (photo, Pauline, JC Cusin)
Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Our first real winter sports bulletin at GenevaLunch was scheduled for Friday 3 December, but the skies opened, the snow fell, the lift operators cheered, and we’ve decided to offer this to you earlier than planned. Visit us regularly on Fridays from now until April for our weekly weather and news linked to the Alpine world and winter sports.
Ski resorts open
A good starting place for information about Swiss ski resorts, if you’re unfamiliar with them, is the Swiss Tourism Office web site, which has a wealth of information. Note that historically their information about snow conditions is not up to date for all resorts, but maybe 2010-11 will see a change.
Jura
A number of ski resorts have already opened but be sure to check before you head there. The Jura, which has had snow steadily for over a week, already has a good base.
La Loge, Jura, November 2010 (photo, Pauline, JC Cusin)
The Monts Jura area issued this notice before Tuesday night’s fresh 20-plus cm of fresh snow: “Because of the recent snowfalls, the Monts Jura website is announcing the early opening of some of its installations. This weekend, there will be installations operating with reduced personnel at the Col de la Faucille and Crozet/Lélex and pistes open at La Vattay. Depending on snow conditions, these are the ones that will be running:
La Faucille: Télécombi and the Myrtilles skilift
Lélex: Catheline télécabine, the Loges six-place high-speed chairlift (if there is adequate snow at the summit), the Monthoisey skilift, Crozet Fierney télécabine, Télécorde, the Bergers chairlift
Vattay: Verte de la Vattay, Bleue de la Puthod, Petite Grand and Grande Grand, Noire de Divonne and Verte du Plateau.
Valais, Vaud
Swiss snow forecast, road alerts, Anzere traffic change, kids’ competitions this winter
La Loge at Crozet, Jura, 24 November 2010 (photo, Jean Charles and Pauline Cusin)
Update 13:20 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - It’s official: time to pull out those skis and head for the Jura slopes, or tuck up inside and light a fire, because this weekend will be cold and wintry. MeteoSwiss (see GenevaLunch weather pages) is predicting highs of 1 to 2C throughout central and western Switzerland, with sun alternating with snow.
New booklet helps winter sports fans shift to public transport
Leisure time activities account for a hefty part of road use in Switzerland. ATE, Association Transport & Environnement, has just published an excellent guide to using public transport for winter sports, with details for the time it takes, how to best get there, equipment rental and more for each Swiss resort. The guide is an excellent resource and good addition to the information available about winter sports (Fre, Ger, Ita).
Winter roads: reminder from Vaud that conditions can dictate legal speed
If you don’t yet have your winter tires on the car, don’t delay, as snow as low as the plains makes for slippery driving, Canton Vaud’s highway department reminds drivers they are legally obliged to drive at lower speeds when road conditions, such as ice and snow, call for it.
Cantonal road authorities say they replenished their stock of salt this summer, but if the winter is a tough one, supplies in Europe are likely to run short.
Road clearing times, list of Vaud closed roads
Click on images to view larger
La Faucille, Jura (photo, ©2010: Shirley Curran)
Geneva / Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Snow began to make a serious appearance in the Swiss Alps and the Jura mountains over the weekend, leaving the first layers that are needed for a good skiing base. Jura skiers were already out Saturday and Sunday 20-21 November, at La Faucille. Cross-country skiers from the Lausanne area began training, while in Saas-Fee early season skiers have been having fun for a couple weeks.
GenevaLunch Friday 3 December begins its popular Friday winter weather and snow sports reports. Here’s a warm-up:
Geneva has a skiing first!
The Monts Jura will be hosting a women’s event, the FIS Coupe d’Europe de Ski Alpin Dames. This major event in the skiing calendar is coming to Geneva for the first time. The success of the Monts Jura resort in hosting the French championship competitions in 2009 and 2010 encouraged the European cup organizers to plan one stage of their competition there. The Swiss Ski Federation will be organizing Friday’s Super-Géant race and the French Ski Federation the Super-Combiné on Saturday in Crozet-Lélex, less than half an hour from the centre of Geneva.
Exceptionally, on Friday 11 February, skiers will be able to buy their day pass for 1€ at the Crozet lift. Pedestrians will be able to watch 140 world class skiers, travelling via Lélex on the Friday and the Saturday, also for 1€. Details on the Monts Jura web site.
Winter tires and chains reminder
Vercorin, canton Valais, Switzerland 21 November 2010, snowy peaks above village
Winter tires are not obligatory in Switzerland, but if you are in an accident and your summer tires or winter tires with worn treads are considered a factor, your insurance company and the judge might see fit to give you the bill.
France does not require them either, although some mountain districts do. Austria and Italy are the same. Winter tires are obligatory in Germany.
Make an appointment now, if you don’t yet have winter tires or want someone to change them for you, as garages get very busy with this work by the end of November.
Update 22:25 Bure, Jura (GenevaLunch) – Sixteen soldiers were injured Tuesday afternoon 9 November near the military training base in Bure, Jura, near Basel. Six of them are in serious condition but their lives are not in danger, the federal military office says. The accident involved four Piranha tanks that collided for reasons that are not yet clear. Further details are not yet available, but Rega rescue helicopters have been on the site. A recruit died in the same area in 2007 in an accident involving a tank and others were seriously injured in another accident in 2008.
An investigation into the accident has been opened to determine the cause: the soldiers, including recruits, were not involved in a military exercise at the time: the tanks were moving from one area to another.
Lionel Regal, who died 15 August in Jura, Switzerland
(video) St Ursanne, Jura, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Hill-climb is one of the least known of motorsports, so the death of Lionel Régal, five-time French champion and 2008 European champion, on a slippery road in western Switzerland Sunday, did not make the kind of headlines that any F1 crash would. But kudos continue to stream in for the 35-year-old from Lyons, France, widely considered a brilliant driver, a likeable sportsman, and the driver of reference in uphill mountain motor racing.
He died instantly when his car hit a tree after slipping on a rain-drenched road. Hill-climb drivers run on roads that are normally open to regular traffic (closed for the race day), and that therefore have few guard rails and no tire barriers. They can get up to speeds well over 200 kph, depending on the course.
The St Ursanne course counts for the European championship.
Auto123, which says the “highly talented 35-year-old driver will be sorely missed”, describes the sport: “The objective is to drive up a mountain road closed to public traffic, such as the famous Pikes Peak in the USA.
The runs of competitor are timed. Most competitors drive rally cars while others, such as Regal find their rush of adrenaline behind the wheel of a nimble put very powerful single seater.”
His father Marc, also a racer and a pioneer in Formule 3000 cars, was killed during a race in southern France 28 September 1997.
Obituary, Regal team site and large collection of photos by Clement Luck
Video of his 2009 run on the St Ursanne course in 2009
