StringGrrl sees the World

How it started, a beautiful day of skiing I've been unpacking some significant trauma or maybe it is post-trauma response, whatever. Suffice to say 3 years ago this week I came within centimeters of deadly injury. Since then it's been pain, questioning of my willingness to survive, fears of living in constant debt and pain, and instead of a "new lease on life" which many assume that surviving accidents should have brought me, I have a healthy fear of "surviving" in today's fraught world. Don't panic, it's not a cry for help or indication of a crisis, but certainly a recognition that there are many ways we can go and long suffering ends will not be my favored way.  That's us at the top After a full day without incident on the skis   I am fortunate to have friends who cared enough to visit me Luckily travel insurance paid everything, so survival wasn't a curse. If it had not?  Better that we don't dwell on that. Hospital Coffee and Yogu...

Between work assignments in Stuttgart Germany and Paris (Rungis) France, had again the chance to catch back up with our friends in Switzerland. Rather than running up the exorbitant cost of flying back to the USA for the weekend in between, our intrepid travelers opted to couch surf again at the Casa Paffhausen in Zurich. While there, why not get in a day of skiing? From the Zurich HB (main station) you can reach great ski areas in about 1-1.5 hours Pizol Talstation Gaffia Trail map Pizol Skiing in Switzerland is a frequent post topic here. StringDad learned how to ski in Michigan. Namely at Michigan Technological University, Mt Ripley, with a grand total of 440 ft Vertical (134m for the Metric-heads who follow the adventures of StringGirl). Every ski area in this area boasts vert unknown to the university version of StringDad and not experienced until one trip to Crested Butte, CO. (Vertical 2700 ft or 825 meters or so). Initial conditions were not too promising... ...

Panorama from Klein Sternen Located about 2 hours from the Zurich Main station, Hoch-Ybrig ski area offers a pretty well rounded menu of all mountain sports. Whether preferences lean toward free skiing, groomed piste running, ski-cross, big air kickers, or jibbing Hoch-Ybrig has it all within reach without long traverses or bus rides across the valley.  StringGirl poses with Druesberg and Forstberg in the background A right bargain at a mere 53 CHF for an adult lift pass and a whopping 88 CHF for the Snow'n'Rail which includes your transit from Zurich to the mountain (65 CHF if you have a "halbtax" card).  Shot with my new GoPro HERO The weather this day was pretty poor in the city, but according to weather reports the snow ceiling was at 1100 meters. And Hoch-Ybrig was posting a sunny day forecast. So why not take a two hour ride from Zurich to the mountains. Sun rising to our backs with this ahead of us, lower cloud ceiling at 1500 m. Just obscur...

With so many incredible ski areas in Switzerland, one might accuse us of being in a little bit of a rut. However, Flims-Laax-Falera on my 4th visit does not disappoint nor manage to surprise with its great conditions and excellent terrain. A truly mammoth area anchored by three towns; Flims, Laax, and Falera. Laax would truly require multiple days to really cover. In this one trip we managed pretty much only 1/3 of the resort; barely setting foot on the Falera side of the mountains and just looking up at the glacier. Panoramic view from Mutta Rodunda, elevation 2420 m above sea level View from Flims Soup filled "bark" bowls, at Station Plaun restaurant A look up the hill from Station Plauns Up top near Mutta Rodunda Waiting at the Scansinas either the Gondola up to Nagens or 6 person detachable to Mutta Rodunda

World's Best Ski Runs: 100 to 1 As it happens I can only claim 3 on this list. No 60, Curnius, Laax, Switzerland   Laax -- long runs, high quality. Pro skier Chris McCormick cites No 60 as one of his favorites. "This is because of how long the run is, but every feature is of really high quality," he says. Watch out for: Sudden changes in grade. Rating: Red LOOONNNNNG runs some of them. On the day we were there we skied down through 3 distinct thermal zones. Up near the top of one run we start just above 2400m and ski down to 1600m.  At the top is very crisp powder and pack powder, toward the middle we got into some crud, corduroy, and corn snow. The very bottom was like skiing on a slurpee. Ride two lifts back up on and right back into the pack powder. This bowl is nearly 250 degrees skiable. From here down to the lift in the very center of picture with no traversing a few degrees of fall line brings us right there.  LAAX is an expansive a...