hey all!!

are you ready to hit the mountains? its my first winter in switzerland.. I already have my gear tuned, serviced and reloaded for the new season.
Come on all ski and snowboard freaks!! wake up and lets get together for a joy ride!! where when how?? wake up everyone!!

err.. one small point: snow?

Interestingly, I was interviewed by Tele Zuri at Flumserberg last week. It was very very very green up there!!!

ohh really? still green??

anyway I have just been on www.snow-forecast.com
it seems like most of the swiss resorts will be getting as much as 100cm snow just this week!! The weather has been unbelievably warm in the recent weeks but I believe the snow is just on our doorstep!!

For those of you living around Zurich, whats is the best resort to make quick tour in the weekend? Even as quick as a daily tour?

I've met a few people here who are telling me I should have my skis "farted"
some word for waxed and polished is this really necessary?

Farted? never heard of that

I would definitely recommend waxing them. They glide much better when waxed and also last longer. Also you should get the edges sharpened for better grip.

It is only possible to ski in the summer ski areas.

See here: http://www.slf.ch/swiss-snow/hstopodc.html

not much snow at all, but it will come

I'm off to Zermatt on Friday. With any luck, i won't just be spending the weekend in the pub staring at the grass! Full report next week.

Daniel,

Id really very much appreciate a full snow report when you return. Hey, dont forget to take some pics too!! have fun!

Fart is French for wax. It is not necessary to have skis waxed - unless you are a downhill racer or still have wooden skis.

But having them serviced is a good 'Swiss' thing to have done. This involves sharpening the edges, filling holes in the base (both these can be done yourself with a bit of kit from the likes of a Migros MMM). And most importantly, you should have the bindings checked. You get an car exhaust test sticker on your skis after this .

Best for one-day quick trips from Zurich are Flumserberg - accessible by train to Unterterzen (new cabins installed) or 60 mins by car. And Hoch Ybrig 55 Min's by car. Also accessible by train and bus. Hoch Ybrig is a smaller area and has the disadvantage that unless there is a lot of snow you need to take the cabin down again. Otherwise it's a black run back to the car park. But Hoch Ybrig is popular with snowboarders as the terrain is great for air. It is generally a cuter area, but not the best for absolute beginners...

In my opinion, despite it being smaller than Flumserberg, Hoch Ybrig is probably more 'beginner friendly' and it's a *nicer* place to snowboard (or Ski ) I find Flumserberg too much of an Autobahn: wide, wide pistes and not much in the way of variety. And too many skiers ha ha. I like Hoch Ybrig because it's compact; you get to board through the trees; there're not too many kamikazi types and it's generally quieter... so long as there's some snow...

Daniel,

I was in Zermatt this weekend and whilst it looks very, very green from the village at the bottom of the valley, once above Trockener Steg (2,900m) the snow was fantastic. I've also heard that the Alps are due for a covering of snow this week, although I can imagine it would take an awful lot to fall for you to be able to ski all the way down into Zermatt village. Off to Flims in a few weeks, so hoping that this snow forecast is right!

Grass skiing anyone?
http://www.flumserberg.ch/winter/de/news/livecams.htm