btb@hogpc.UUCP (B.BURGER) (07/07/84)
I was recently surprised to get mail (from an Alan Algustyniak)
reminding me that I promised a report on my ski trip to Davos,
Switzerland in January. While I don't suggest dashing off to
Switzerland with skis just now, it's almost time to start planning
next winter's vacations. I hope this helps.
* The vacation was the best of my life, with the skiing, the
atmosphere, and the food all exceeding my wildest expectations.
* The trip, for and by the (AT&T) Holmdel Ski Club, featured 6 days
in Davos, a town in German-speaking eastern Switzerland that is
one of the Alps' premier ski resorts. We also spent a day in
Zurich. We flew to/from New York on Swissair.
* Davos has incredible skiing. There are something like 100 miles
of trails (I forget now -- maybe more), and anyone can find plenty
of appropriate terrain. (A brand-new skier would obviously miss
out on some spectacular stuff, but the beginners on our trip
still had a great time.) It snowed just about every day, often a lot,
and the snow is terrific (I've heard this was *not* a fluke).
The cover ranged from deep powder to loosely packed powder.
Ice (defined as anything you can hear yourself skiing on) and lift
lines were as foreign as New Jersey license plates. Often I found
myself looking out at magnificent mountains all around me, with no
one in sight except the friends I was skiing with. Trails are
sometimes labeled with the town they lead to rather than the trail
name; the best-known runs from the Weisfluhgipfel peak in Davos
through a couple of towns (where you can stop for lunch or drink),
ending 10 miles later in Kublis (the hour train ride back is
included in the all-area lift ticket, $75 for 6 days).
* Most of our time was spent on the upper half of the mountains;
that early in the season, the snow isn't too good on the lower
half, though there are so many trails it hardly matters. You
typically take a series of funiculars, trams, gondolas, chairs, and
T-bars to get to the top. Once you're there, most of the trips up
the mountain are via *long* T-bars. The omnipresent T-bars
(euphemistically called "ski lifts" on the trail maps) were
our *only* complaint about the skiing, and I got used to them even
if I'll never like them.
* A few of us took the 2-hour train ride to famous St. Moritz to
see where kings, shahs, and the beautiful people ski. Boy, were we
disappointed. The terrain is all beginner/intermediate; worse, we
actually found ICE and LINES (neither too bad, but far worse than
Davos). The town is nice, perhaps worth a day for sightseeing --
but Davos is pretty good in that department too.
* The food was fabulous. Every restaurant on the slopes is a fine
restaurant in its own right -- no cold hamburgers for lunch. For
dinner, although we chose places almost at random, every meal was
excellent. I went expecting a week of liverwurst and sauerkraut;
while the German influence was clear, it was all delicious.
Lots of French and Italian too.
* Then there's the pastries and chocolate. Most nights ended with
dessert at either Schneider's or Fah, two Confiseries (kind of
bakery/tea rooms) in town, and I spent more on chocolate souvenirs
than on my lift ticket. I wish I'd spent even more.
* Prices were fairly reasonable. Switzerland has always been one
of the more expensive vacation spots in Europe, but most of Europe
is cheaper for Americans now than in recent years. Most dinners --
and they were all excellent -- were under $20 per person, including
wine and service. The trip (note: Holmdel Ski Clubs are
traditionally well-priced) cost $855 for air, hotels, and
transfers; I estimate $1300 covered everything.
* Swissair is a class airline. Two examples: roomy seating;
unlimited free drinks for all passengers. Of course, as a group we
each paid $600 round-trip. If I went on my own I'd have to
investigate alternatives; I think Swissair's normal fares ranged
from $900-1800, depending upon all those things like length of
stay. But at least check them out.
* Another fun thing to do was the luge, the iced sled run you
probably saw in the Olympics. Lots of thrills and wear-and-tear-
on-your-rear.
I know I've left out more than I've said. But you've
probably noticed that I had a good time, and am ready to go back.
If anyone has some more specific questions I'll try to answer them.
Think snow! ??
--Bruce Burger AT&T-Information Systems Freehold, NJ
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