J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by LOTA

Not before time. The slow, slow trek from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidigg via Grund is one of the biggest drawbacks to this otherwise splendid ski area.

There's much more to Switzerland than Zermatt and Verbier. Engelberg, Saas Fee, Arosa/Lenzerheide, Grindelwald are all places I've enjoyed very much!

And again today!

Engelberg was closed for snowsports today, Tuesday.

Another late April trip to Engelberg and again the ski area delivered with another fantastic five days. Gorgeous weather, quiet slopes and plenty of snow, given the huge amounts that have fallen this season.

In strict contrast to April 2017, when heavy snowfall was the order of the day, blue sky and warm temperatures prevailed. This meant typical spring conditions: hard packed first thing, lovely corn snow around lunchtime and heavy stuff lower down later on. Somehow, the resort had managed to keep the valley run open and it was very pleasant skimming back into town along a narrow track through meadows of spring flowers!

The whole of the Titlis/Jochpass areas - apart from the Gerschnialp nursery areas - were open and there weren't that many skiers about midweek. The usual coachloads of Indian and Japanese tourists added their usual amusements and yet again we were inundated with requests for pictures, selfers etc! I was always happy to oblige!

Stayed in the Hotel Sonnwendhof - 93 Chf (sixty-eight pounds) per night bed and breakfast - and it was a clean, tidy hotel with friendly service. Its location was perfect for the railway station and the Titlis lifts, which were just a five minute walk away. Eating and drinking was the usual steep Swiss experience; however, the Core Irish pub served hearty pub grub for around £16-20 depending on your choice. Beer in town was 6.50 Chf (£4.75) a pint.

Logistics again worked perfectly. Left Heathrow on the 6am flight (free ski carriage, £87 return) to Zurich. Train via Lucerne to Engelberg railway station (£64 return) and on the Titlis Express gondola by 12.30. The return was equally painless - finished skiing at 3.45 on Thursday afternoon, shower and changed in the hotel sauna area, and on the 17.02 train to Zurich Airport in plenty of time for the 20.55 flight back to Heathrow.

This easy access and decent size, high-altitude ski area and a number of decent hotels willing to book non-standard Saturday to Saturday stays, makes Engelberg my number one destination for a short, late-season break. I'm sure I will return in Aprils to come.

Been back a little while from my first trip to Cervinia since 1983. It was very interesting to see what had changed in 35 years - not a great deal off the hill but a fair bit on the mountain. It remains a cruiser's paradise (although the last little pitch into Cretaz can be a bit steep and daunting for beginners and progressing skiers). The Ventina run remains a delight and the reds down into Valtournenche provide a sterner test than the easy stuff in the Plan Maison bowl.

On the hill, the extremely long drag lift from above Plan Maison to the Swiss border has, thankfully, been replaced by three modern chairlifts and the old Rocce Nere chairlift has disappeared, although the bottom lift station remains and still houses the 'transport cafe' complete with the dreaded squatter toilets! Also long gone, it would appear, was the old and rarely used Furggen cable car. In four visits, I never saw this working and it looked like a relic in the early 1980s. They've still done nothing about the long, uphill trek to and from the Plan Maison gondola.

The town has expanded with some modern, swanky 'mountain resorts' and apartments and some of the old hotels have been given a facelift. The standard of accommodation is now very good. We stayed in the upgraded Hotel Europa - not perfect and a little bit soulless, but not bad. Nightlife remains fairly subdued although live music in the Hotel Grivola basement was good fun. Prices remain on the better value side of Alpine standards!

As you might expect this year, snow conditions were excellent. The weather was a bit mixed - heavy snow on arrival and a couple of white-out days where the resort's lack of tree skiing proved a bit of a pain.

We travelled with Crystal - the first time for many years that I've been with a tour operator. They were ok, but waiting around at the airport for other flights and the ridiculously early departure time from resort were the usual bugbears. Wouldn't be in a mad rush to TO again, we much prefer the freedom of independent travel and arrangements.

All in all, very pleased to have returned - won't leave it quite so long next time!

That was my plan as well but the aircraft diversion put paid to that on the outbound journey! March.

Flew Gatwick to Innsbruck - that was the plan anyway! After three aborted landings, the pilot decided to head for Munich. Then caught the train to Innsbruck, train to the Otztal railway station and caught a bus up to Solden. Much easier on the way back to Innsbruck - took the Otztal shuttle. Easy to book online and good value.