Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Another top Austrian skier took a nasty tumble on the slopes, this time in Chamonix, France Thursday 27 January, but received “only” multiple fractures after losing consciousness for two to three minutes.
Mario Scheiber, age 27, was two-thirds of the way down the “Verte des Houches” run during training when he spun out, and crashed at the area known as “Bosse de Covagnet” and skidded full-speed into the orange security nets.
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.
Hans Grugger, FIS, 2011 season
Update 5 / 23:00 Grugger’s condition critical, with thorax and severe head injuries, but life reportedly not in danger (videos)
Kitzbuehel, Austria (GenevaLunch) - Austrian skier Hans Grugger, 29, has been seriously injured after a crash on the Streif run during World Cup training in Kitzbuehel. The Streif is where skier Daniel Albrecht suffered serious injuries in a crash two years ago.
Dr Michael Blauth, head of trauma surgery, University Hospital Innsbruck, Austria, said Thursday afternoon that a team had operated on Grugger, who sustained chest and severe head injuries. TSR reports Thursday evening that a member of the Austrian team reports his life is not in danger, but that he has thorax and head injuries. The Innsbruck hospital says he will remain in intensive care for the night and no further reports will be available until Friday morning.
Disturbing television videos show his head hitting the ground hard before a long slide that ends with him lying motionless on the slope. Austrian TV commentators, watching the footage, went silent, then spoke but with very choked voices.
He lost control just seconds into the race after landing badly on an early jump, the difficult Mausefalle (Mousetrap). Didier Cuche, who came in first in the training run, said afterwards that the course was not to blame but rather a mistake made by Grugger, whose courage and skiing he praised. “The Mousetrap is a dangerous jump and if you don’t tackle it right, you’re sent flying,” Reuters quotes him as saying.
Grugger has won a number of top places in national and international races over the years, mainly in super-G and downhill. His most recent first place finish was in March 2010 in the downhill at the Austrian National Championships. He was out for most of the 2007-08 season after sustaining injuries in a crash in Bormio, Italy.
Swiss skier Albrecht only last week returned to competition. His recovery after weeks in a coma and a long rehabilitation programme has been labelled miraculous by a number of sports writers.
Albrecht’s accident occurred near the end of the Streif run. American skier Scott Macartney was also badly injured on the Streif, in 2008, close to the spot where Albrecht was later injured.
Links to other sites: Hans Grugger home page, biography with FIS (International Ski Federation), Streif downhill course description and FISAlpine profile of the Streif run
TSR video – if you are outside Switzerland you won’t be able to view this.
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.
International sports, skiing
Wengen, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Austrian Klaus Kroell pushed Didier Cuche into second place at the classic Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen, Saturday 15 January. It was the third time that the veteran Neuchatel skier had placed second on the famous run. Carlo Janka came in third, following his second place in the super-combined on Friday. The Austrian beat Cuche by just 0.14 seconds. Silvan Zurbriggen was 13th, the third Swiss. Bode Miller could only manage eighth place but was still the top American.
Ski resorts update, weather forecast, snow sports competition
Blue skies, thinning but skiable snow above 1,800-2,000 metres
(video, Albrecht returns to the slopes) Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The best news for skiers is that the sun is shining in the Swiss Alps, but fresh snow and colder temperatures to keep the snow from melting would be very welcome. The situation in the Jura is a dramatic change from December, with few ski areas open at the moment. Ski conditions in Alpine resorts are decent above 2,000 metres, with hard snow, but take sunglasses and plan on just a t-shirt on the veranda during your break: this is more like February!
Ski resorts: the higher, the better
Jura report, from Shirley Curran
The condition of the slopes at Crozet/Lélex was surprisingly good this week but we had rain up to 2,000m on Thursday and the temperatures remain high. The plan, at the moment, is to open the Crozet side of the resort on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only, until we get our big fall of snow. The Lélex télécabine will be running every day. Sadly, the Faucille resort and Menthières are closed until further notice. You can consult the resorts at monts-jura.com to see the latest news and the webcams.
Alpine resorts
Details for resorts: our GenevaLiving blog this week reminded locals to check MySwitzerland for a detailed list of resorts with snow depths, quality of the snow, etc. Note that this service used to be less reliable because it depends on resorts supplying up-to-date information and they were not equally good about doing this. The service has improved and while it’s not 100 percent correct, it’s a great starting point; do also doublecheck directly with the resort for the latest information.
TSR, Swiss public television, provides a useful Bulletin d’enneigement that provides lift ticket prices as well as the latest snowfall information. Note that it’s organized by canton and is in French.
Highlights in resorts this week: Crans-Montana invited former Italian ski star Alberto Tomba to help inaugurate its new lift, Audemars Piguet Bellalui, 14 January. La Bomba, as he was known, had a place on the podium for the first time in 1987, at the World Championships in Crans-Montana.
The new four-seat chairlift went into service before Christmas, and 31 December it carried nearly 10,000 skiers in one day. The new lift has the potential to double the capacity of the old lift and button lift it replaced.
Verbier: plan ahead for the weekend of 29-30 January if you want to test top-quality freeride equipment, part of Ultimate Test Tour.
Zermatt: when you’re up skiing at 3,900 metres, think about Swiss beauty queens, who chilled out on top Friday 14 January for a day-long photo shoot for the next Jelmoli catalogue. Brrrr, but they say they loved it.
Weather forecast
No snow in sight and unseasonally warm weather, is what MeteoSwiss, the national weather service is offering us throughout Switzerland for the next five days. Even Zermatt, normally chillier than the rest of canton Valais, will have highs of 2-6C throughout the week, and on south-facing Alpine villages highs are expected of 6-9C. Geneva will hover around a springlike 12C.
Remember to keep an eye on the weather on GenevaLunch’s weather pages for Geneva and Zurich.
Ski, snowboard races: competition
It’s a busy weekend for sports competitions, many of which are televised on public TV, and you can also watch downhill live on the web, on TSR. The men’s super-combined in Wengen, canton Bern, was won Friday by Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic, followed closely by Switzerland’s Carlo Janka, but one of the key moments was the return to competition by Daniel Albrecht, badly injured nearly two years ago in a crash.
The Wengen men’s Lauberhorn downhill race is one of the highlights of the season: at 12:30 Saturday, televised.
The women’s giant in Maribor is also being televised.
Ski and snowboard tips if you’re flying to Switzerland from abroad: Easyjet came out the clear number one airline at Geneva for 2010, with 36 percent of the traffic, but Swiss, in second place with 15 percent, has been making a real push to rebuild its Geneva traffic since the old Swissair went nose down and the company reduced direct Geneva flights. Both airlines are now offering several daily connections between the UK and Geneva for the winter season. Note that Swiss allows you one piece of winter sports equipment free of charge, but you must book your luggage, including skis, when you book your flight. Easyjet makes a clear distinction between sporting goods and baggage, and you must show up with the combination allowance you’ve booked.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Four skiers were killed and one person rescued when the group was struck by an avalanche in the Haute Savoie France resort of Val d’Isère. The massive avalanche, which was set off at 2,800 metres and continued down to 2,100 metres, occurred in a popular off-piste area, the Grand Vallon. Local police noted that avalanches are always a risk this time of year, but the estimated risk was 3 on the scale of 5.
The group of seven set off the avalanche when they went through the area, according to local mountain rescue authorities. They wwere led by a ski guide who, with one other person, escaped the avalanche and alerted rescuers. The four who died were: two French people, one British person and one Swede. A fifth person was caught by the avalanche but was pulled out, according to Le Dauphine regional newspaper.
The members of the group were all equipped with avalanche detectors.
A Swedish skier died a year ago, 18 January 2010, in the same area, when an avalanche was set off.
Christmas holiday traffic is upon us! Weather forecast, resort updates, traffic planning alerts
Skier Lara Gut signs with new sports agency
Photos by Keepps on flickr, Nyon 17 December 2010 set
Nyon, early Friday morning 17 December (photo, Keepps on flickr)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – School ends for the Christmas break in neighbouring France Friday 17 December and in some German states, while Vaud and Geneva finish at the end of the school day Thursday 23 December (complete list of Swiss school vacation dates) – note corrected dates. The mountains have snow; the snow cover is not deep, but more is promised. Expect traffic on the roads! The women’s World Cup ski season will see some chilly racing this weekend in neighbouring France’s Val d’Isère resort, with temperatures at -10C Friday morning and -14 at nearby Tignes. The snow is in good condition, with 103cm at the top and 40 at 1,850 metres.
Swiss skier Lara Gut announced Friday noon that she has signed a contract with a new Swiss agency, Pool Position, to help develop her reputation nationally and internationally. “This close collaboration, coordinated by my private team, will ensure how my reputation is built, both as an athlete and a private individual.”
Pool Position is a recently developped partnership, based in Zurich, between Ringier, Switzerland’s largest media company, and the German firm Kick-Media AG. The company advises clients in several fields: film, TV, theatre, fashion, music, sports and show business.
Gut was suspended for two races at the end of December for repeatedly ignoring warnings about wearing team clothing and for publicly criticizing the Swiss women’s team coach. She performed well during pre-race runs Thursday, coming in 8th overall and first for the Swiss. She is making her comeback this season after a hip injury followed by surgery last season. Val d’Isère is where Gut charmed the sports world in February, winning two World Cup silver medals at only age 17.
Weather forecast
Snow that began falling 16 December is expected to end by noon Friday in most areas, continuing a bit longer in the Jura and Swiss Alps. Saturday: changeable weather, but cold, ranging from -8C to a high of -1C on the plain and -16C to -7C in mountain resorts. Sunday: warmer, highs around 0C, with snow starting again, but the snowline gradually rising to 500-800 metres. GenevaLunch weather page
Winter resort news
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Let is snow, let it snow, preferably on our turf! Frankfurt and Paris were snowed in, but the sad news for skiers in Switzerland 10 December is that the snow that fell last week in the Jura has turned to mud, and the Alpine ski resorts are still waiting for the big snowfalls to arrive. You have a few more days to continue your pre-season warmup exercises and to reflect on safety on the slopes.
Weather forecast
Sun today! The first village house to get warm rays, canton Vaud 9 December
Temperatures are expected to go no higher than 2C throughout the Lake Geneva region this weekend, with sunshine alternating with partly cloudy skies. Expect resorts in Valais to have the same weather, but if you are longing to get warm, head for Ticino, where temperatures will reach 15C.
Alpine and Jura resorts updates
Shirley Curran writes from the Jura resorts area that “sadly, after last Saturday’s memorable start to our ski season where we were skiing with feather-light powder up to our knees, not a cloud in the sky and no crowds, this week’s torrential downpours and high winds have blown or washed away most of the Jura snow. The lifts will not be operating this weekend. However, they will be running every day from 18 December. You can keep up to date with information and webcams at montsjura.com.”
Several resorts in the Alps are offering reduced fares and special family offers. Sierre-Anniviers, which groups together several medium-sized resorts above the lakeside town of Sierre, including family-friendly Zinal and Vercorin, has a new special deal for parents. It allows a couple to share one ski-pass, for parents who are alternating taking care of children. It’s valid only in low season, basically January and March, but offers a good practical solution for many couples with small children or babies.
Anzere has a very good deal for this weekend, 11-12 December: CHF10 for kids and CHF20 for adults for a day pass, or CHF15/20 for two days, well below the season day pass price of CHF47. Slopes open for the season 17 December. Children up to age six are free and families of four get a 10 percent discount.
Verbier has put together an information page on parking and public transport, with useful emergency numbers, part of the effort to encourage skiers to be a bit greener.
On the lakefront, Geneva remembers a glorious moment from its past, and eats chocolate
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
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Swiss skiers may be studying their style to see if their thumbs stick out more than others’, given the high rate of broken thumbs.
Cornel Zueger, 29, from the Swiss men’s A team, is being sent home from Lake Louise, Banff, in Canada after breaking his thumb during training.
During the 2009-2010 season two other skiers broke their thumbs, Didier Cuche and Didier Défago.
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.
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Monday 20 September is a holiday in much of Switzerland, the Jeûne Fédéral. GenevaLunch, based in Vaud, will be providing limited news coverage. Swiss weekend news highlights include:
SOCIETY – Four people are dead and 17 injured after a woman went on a shooting spree in Loerrach, Germany, near Basel, in a family dispute, setting off an explosion that provoked a fire. Media reports are contradictory, but it appears that the woman shot her former companion, their child and shot at others in a nearby hospital before she was shot dead by police in a shootout (Reuters).
SPORTS – Skier Didier Defago, on crutches Sunday 19 September after surgery for torn knee ligaments Friday, told journalists he has no intention of quitting. The 32-year-old Olympic downhill champion crashed last Wednesday during training in Zermatt, when the tips of his skis touched as he was going 110 kph.
PEOPLE – Russian billionnaire’s Geneva divorce battle now includes one of Florida’s most colourful pieces of property, reports Forbes magazine. Dmitri Rybolovlev, number 79 on Forbes’s list of the world’s wealthiest people, was sued for divorce in Geneva by his wife Elena in 2008. She has now asked the Swiss court to enforce a March court order, according to Forbes, to freeze an 18-bedroom, $48 million (assessed price) home she claims her fertilizer businessman husband is trying to hide behind business structures. The house was sold, reportedly to the couple, by Donald Trump who bought it from another magnate, Abe Gossman, who later went bankrupt.
POLITICS – Switzerland’s efforts to free two Swiss businessmen, Rachid Hamdani and Max Goeldi, have been shrouded in secrecy, but 19 September NZZ newspaper in Zurich reported that a Swiss soldier made a reconnaissance mission to Libya at one point. The newspaper bases its report on a confidential government memo it obtained. The two men were were imprisoned for 1.5 and 2 years respectively by Libya, with Hamdani freed in February 2010 and Goeldi in June 2010. The soldier reportedly traveled as a civilian, with a valid visa.
GENEVA RENTS – Geneva is regularly cited as one of the most expensive cities, with high rent playing a key role, but too much is too much, the president of the finance commission told the Tribune de Geneve, which reports that the justice department is paying CHF196,000 a month rent for a 2,226m2 building on the rue de l’Athenée in central Geneva. It houses, among others, the tribunal for rents and leases.
POLITICS – The US Justice Department announced Friday 17 September that one of the seven people charged with using UBS accounts for tax fraud had been sentenced to the longest prison term yet for such an offense. It also noted that he has been fined $4.4 million for not filing his FBAR forms, “an amount equal to 50 percent of the highest value of his UBS accounts as of December 31 for the years in which he failed to file FBAR.” The lengthy Justice Department news release notes: “Federico Hernandez, a Manhattan-based financial adviser, was sentenced today to 12 months’ imprisonment for hiding $8.8 million from the IRS by using sham companies to conceal his ownership of secret Swiss bank accounts held at UBS AG. Hernandez was one of seven US taxpayers charged on April 15, 2010, with filing false tax returns and related crimes for hiding Swiss bank accounts from the IRS. Hernandez pled guilty that same day to filing five false tax returns. In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, US District Judge Denny Chin imposed a sentence of six months’ home confinement. Hernandez also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $4.4 million. The sentence imposed on Hernandez is the longest term of imprisonment to date for hiding a UBS bank account from the IRS.
Glacier Patrol 2010 finish line in Verbier: you have to be fit to run with your skis at this point (photo 2010, PdG)
Verbier, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - A mere 5 hours, 52 minutes and 22 seconds to ski from Zermatt to Verbier: the daunting Glacier Patrol run across the top of the Swiss Alps saw 20 minutes sliced off the old record Saturday 24 April. The previous record was set in 2006 by a French-Italian team.
The winning men’s team of Florent Troillet, Martin Anthamatten and Yannick Ecoeur from canton Valais enthused about the excellent conditions when they finished the race: they were in form, the snow was hard and fast, and they were never cold.
Troillet’s sister Marie was part of the winning women’s team, which finished in 7 h 41’18”, also a record, by 12 minutes.
The race has its origins in the second world war, when the Swiss military were preparing to move fast in case of invasion. The 2010 race had more than 1,500 skiers racing in teams of three.
Background, GenevaLunch
Links to other sites: Glacier Patrol. Le Matin (Fre), TSR (Fre)
Dawn among the peaks near Zermatt for the Glacier Patrol 2010 (photo ©2010 Juerg Kaufmann/PdG 2010)
Heading up, Glacier Patrol 2010, Swiss mountain race from Zermatt to Verbier (photo 2010, PdG)
Famed Glacier Patrol has good weather
Glacier patrols depart from Zermatt to Vevey
Vevey, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Glacier Patrol race is on. The PdG, as it is known for its French acronym, is a long-distance endurance race that takes place every two years across the 53km of glaciers, summits and passes between Zermatt and Verbier.
A shorter 26km version covers the peaks between Arolla and Verbier.
The three-person patrols compete in male, female and co-ed categories. Traditionally, race participation was restricted to military personnel, but civilians are now welcome.
Most of the patrols take 12 hours on average to complete the race, although top athletes finish in almost half the time.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A woman from Versonnex, Pays de Gex in France, age 69, died Monday 19 April while climbing the Salève near Geneva, and her 71-year-old mountain-climbing companion is hospitalized with fractures, the Tribune de Geneve reports. The two experienced climbers were roped together, but for reasons that are not yet clear the woman fell 50 metres.
A 34-year-old British woman who lives in France was killed Sunday near Zermatt when she was caught by an avalanche. She was part of a group of four people who were ski touring with a guide when the avalanche struck.
Weather forecast, Jura and Alps reports, Easter weekend traffic information
click on images to view larger
Snowline in Valais, near Leukebad
Fresh snow above Aminona, Valais 31 March 2010
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The long Easter weekend is starting and school holidays in Switzerland are well underway: expect traffic jams on the road but a good mix of vacation options once you’re off the road.
Weather forecast
Highs ranging from 9-11C in the Lake Geneva region this weekend, with some rain Saturday, sunshine alternating with overcast skies Sunday. The weather should become more springlike by Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 16C and sunshine. (MeteoSwiss)
Road traffic forecast
Title: Snowshoeing by the moonlight
Location: Saint-Cerge
Link out: Click here
Description: A guided two-hour snowshoeing tour by the full moon.
Start Date: 2010-03-28
End Date: 2010-03-30
Car-gazing, sailing on Lake Geneva or skiing this weekend: you choose
We’ll start with some photos, to help the choice
click on images to view larger
Iced-up boat in Versoix near Geneva, 10 March 2010 (photo Peter Brodbeck)
Geneva Motor Show 2010 (image: Mr Kio)
Jura near Geneva, 10 March 2010 (photo: Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The sun is shining, slopes are gleaming, the ice around the edge of Lake Geneva is melting and the wind has finally died down after a week’s drubbing. Skiing beckons, all the more so with Swiss skier Carlo Janka putting in a spectacular performance in Germany Friday morning, winning the World Cup’s Crystal Globe for the most points all season.
Weather forecast
Pull out your skis, but keep the warm clothes, including that rarity in the Swiss Alps, thermal underwear, handy. Friday and Saturday mostly sunny with highs of 5C on the plain and 7C in canton Valais, -8C at 2,000 metres. Sunday sunny to partly cloudy, temperatures the same.
Good news once you’re off the slopes: it should warm up to 10C Tuesday and 15C Wednesday. Welcome March spring weather!
Alpine resorts
It’s the winding down season, but the slopes are in good shape with recent snow and cold weather keeping it powdery.
Events in Alpine resorts this weekend: Read more…
Garmisch, Germany (GenevaLunch) - Carlo Janka has become the first Swiss in 18 year to win the overall World Cup ski award for the most points in a season, the coveted Crystal Globe. Friday he won the giant slalom in Garmisch, and with only one race (worth 100 points) left, he has a 106-point lead over Austrian Benjamin Raich. The 23-year-old from Graubuenden will duplicate the feat of Swiss skier Paul Accola in 1992.
Carlo Janka (photo: Swiss Ski)
Garmisch, Germany (GenevaLunch) - Carlo Janka has taken the lead in World Cup ski standings, with a total of 1,073 points after he won the downhill in Garmisch 10 March, by a hair. He came in at 1:58:45 but second place Mario Scheiber of Austria clocked 1:58:47 and Canada’s Eric Guay and Switzerland’s Patrick Kueng shared third at 1:58:52 in a remarkably close race.
Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Twenty-four-year-old Dominique Gisin took full advantage of the changing wind conditions to win the Super-G on the National run above Crans-Montana. It was the third World Cup victory for the skier from Engelberg in canton Obwald: the others were in downhill. Lindsey Vonn was next, 0.15 seconds behind, while fellow American Julia Mancuso, who won two silver medals at the Vancouver Olympics, was third.
Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Lindsey Vonn, fresh from winning the Olympic downhill gold medal at Whistler, notched up her sixth downhill victory out of seven starts, Saturday 6 March. This assured her the crystal globe for the season’s champion in the specialty. She is almost certain to also take the overall title. The National course at Crans-Montana, scene of Swiss skiing’s finest hour at the 1987 World Championships, was difficult because of restricted visibility and strong winds at the top.
Snowbikes, World Cup races, good snow in the Jura
Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The season is winding down, but there is still plenty of good snow around. And with the Geneva Motor Show pulling in thousands of visitors, the slopes might be less crowded. The big news this weekend is World Cup Skiing, with the women competing in Crans-Montana.
Weather forecast and snow conditions
Bundle up and don’t fall into the trap of thinking that longer days means warmer weather: not in March in the Alps!
Title: Cross-country skiing race
Location: Vallée de Joux
Link out: Click here
Description: Free-style. Registration open.
Date: 2010-03-14
Title: Ski world cup Crans-Montana
Location: Crans-Montana
Link out: Click here
Description: Women’s world cup in trendy Crans-Montana.
Start Date: 2010-03-05
End Date: 2010-03-07
Title: Laax freeski open
Location: Laax
Link out: Click here
Description: A Brit-invasion that lasts seven days, including freeski competitions, and a seven-day party on the Alps.
Start Date: 2010-03-03
End Date: 2010-03-06
Title: Nescafe ski open
Location: Leysin
Link out: Click here
Description: International ski & snowboard competition.
Start Date: 2010-03-04
End Date: 2010-03-07
Title: Nendaz free ride
Location: Valais
Link out: Click here
Description: A ski and snowboard freeride contest in the Valais.
Start Date: 2010-03-12
End Date: 2010-03-17
Title: Snow and music weekend
Location: Saas Fee, Valais
Link out: Click here
Description: This is the second year of this international event that mixes music concerts and all snow sports.
Start Date: 2010-03-12
End Date: 2010-03-14
