by Ray Muggli     photos by Ed     photos by Marshall     John's photos     Mark's photos

Skiing the Swiss Alps of Jungfrau, Schilthorn and First with 75 Après Skiers was Waaaaaaay Toooooo Much Fun. Ways Up were Trains, Vehiculars, Trams, gondolas, Buses, Cog Trains, T-Bars, and Oh Yes Lift Chairs. Ways Down were through towns, across train tracks and roads, through farms (occasional Cow Dung piles), Up on a Barn roof (watch out for roof nails), over cliffs, and the ever stimulating STEEP and DEEP. Everyone felt in Awe of the Majestic splendor of being surrounded by the Swiss Alps with their steep jagged peaks and massive glaciers. We had encountered So much Mountain and Snow that it took days to ski. The Daily Sunshine boosted the emotional warmth we all felt.

James Bond skied off of Schilthorn at the Piz Gloria Reasurant. The Tram ride over from Birg peak to Piz Gloria sitting on the steep peak was intimidating but Après skiers could do no less then 007. The screaming and hollering down the steep slope was exhilarating. Skiing all day around the Eiger was almost overwhelming. No, there were no Eiger Sanctions.

The trip over was smooth until we lost Dee Askew (our Trip leader) at the Zurich airport. We found Dee but the six pair of lost skis had to wait a day. We found out that the trip included Breakfast and Dinner. First night Dinner included beer and wine. Let the party begin. OK, the waist lines were in expansion mode.

There were NO SKI BOUNDRIES so traversing across the top of a ridge and dropping into FRESH POWDER was a MUST. The first day was a "Magic Powder" day. It was so good that Actual Giggling could be heard as the Magnificent Seven picked their line down the steep and deep the first day. Oh, they were Mark Nave, John Stoddard, Greg Smith, Bob Rogers, David Whetzell, Carlos Avila and Ray Muggli. The Europeans are not Powder Hounds. Boy did we have a lot of powder to lay fresh tracks in. Yahoooo! The seven coined it the "Big Wild Ars" day. We had lunch at Kleine Scheidegg right under the Eiger. What a delicious event. That night was Party on down in Marks room. We had Imported Wine. Well, Charles Shaw is imported when you are in Switzerland. We ended up at the Black and White Disco for Late night dancing. The Swedish Mafia ladies, Laura (Pres) and others were in a dancing mood. Cloria Vandermate turned out to be voted best dancer of the week.

The second day was ski with a guide. We broke in to groups according to which mountain you wanted to ski. The area is really that large! Our group started with an Ice run on Shilthorn and a T-Bar ride up. We didn't want to rerun it but one guy fell off the T-Bar so we had to do it again. Bob Rogers made me promise not to tell who fell off. Lorrie Elwood, Marshall Kroot, Ed Martin, John Goldner, Brian Arthur, Janet Lewis and others joined part of the Seven that day. The guide found the powder on traverses so steep that they were definitely "No Fall Zones". More Yelling and Giggling as we swooshed down the powdered slopes. It doesn't get any better then this. Oh, The groomed slopes were outstanding.

The third day was a "kick Ars Cruising Day". Carlos Avila was named "King of the Parking Lot" by Mark Nave and Rule 4 was coined by Ray Muggli as "Don't Run out of Snow before you run out of Mountain". Carlos led us down a Top to bottom run along the jagged mountains that was Breathtaking. I think Austin Parllete got a sore neck from looking up. We ended up in a restaurant parking lot and no way back up the mountain. The local Swiss at the restaurant were amused as we searched for more snow to continue our Venture. Alas, the 16 Après Americans had to take a Bus back to the town of Grindelwald to catch the Gondola back up. We skied the Famous Lauberhorn World Cup down hill racecourse. Our times would have been great except we forgot to time it. Color us Lucky. We continued on to the town of Wengen and stopped a Sneebar. (Snow bar). Schnopps and Swiss Beer was the order of the day.

Many in our group had gone to Zermatt that day to see the Materhorn. Heather Purcell and Denise Mansfield actually skied down the Matterhorn to Italy. Yes, they made the bus. That night was more partying with Local wine (Swiss that is). Some of us had Swiss fondue at the local restaurant. Some had India or Italian. The Hotel gave us vouchers for a night out.

The fourth day I added my Swiss COW Bell under my COWboy hat. Another cruising day. Heather and Denise were named the Local Swiss Misses at an outdoor restaurant in Murren. I promised Heather not to reveal her Nick Name. It was reported that Guerin Provini ended up in the snow with his skis sticking straight up and parallel and John Goldner came to his rescue. Mark who had skied so well hit a mogul on a very steep slope and flew through the air. Heather said he looked like a "Flying Squirrel". We renamed that run on the spot. It started snowing early before we left the city of No cars (Murren). That night was the Rowdy Party in Laura's room. The Hotel made us cool it about 11pm so we went to the Balck and White Disco and danced into the wee hours of the morning. This resulted in my oversleeping and missing the ski bus. That resulted in a new Rule 5 coined by Mark "Never Sleep Through a Powder Day".

The fifth day was a VERY SUNNY, VERY FRESH POWDER DAY. The Steep and Deep gang went crazy. The cruisers were ecstatic. This is a Quote "Best Day Ever".

The sixth day was another Cruising and Powder day. We took the train up to the top of Jungfrau just under the Glacier and skied down the Steep and Deep and on down to the bottom of the mountain. What a fabulous Last Run. Igor Goulaevsky ended up with a separated shoulder in a non-ski accident.

The week was so intense that emotions ran deep, as we had to depart. Thirty-six of us went to Paris by Train.

The Train ride was Awesome. The two transfers to other trains with our entire luggage was exciting. We had so much luggage that we blocked a doorway and the Train Police tried in vane to put that entry back in service. Of course the little dog watching the luggage was dubbed our Watch Dog. You will have to see the pictures to believe it.

On arrival at the Hotel De Castiglione in Central Paris My Phone rang and Susan Cronin and Erin Barnett said "Get the Champagne and wine from your mini bar and get up here". They had been given the Penthouse with the roof overlooking all of Paris. Everyone gathered there nightly for a Sunset Party and the lighting up of Paris. The Eiffel Tower glittering with lights blocked some of our view. Tee Hee. We toasted the lights of Arc de Triomphe, Sacre C'ur Basillica and Paris. You will have to see the pictures. Cheese, Salmon, French Bread, and of course French Wine was the standard Fare. Everyone was busy during the day taking City tours, doing the Louvre and my favorite the Museum d'Orsay. I like the impressionist masters like Van Gough, Monet, etc. We did time on Montmartre soaking in the artists with the city below us. Our Hotel was in walking distance of most of the attractions but the Paris Metro was fun to use. Martha Giannini, Ray Cirimele and others extended their stay and the rest of faded into the sunset on our return to the Real World. Addendum: The Five Après Ski rules as they stand today

• Rule 1: Never Walk Up Hill
• Rule 2: Never Pay Full Price
• Rule 3: Always Look Good
• Rule 4: Never Run Out of Snow Before You Run Out of Mountain (new)
• Rule 5: Never Sleep Through a Powder Day (new)

by Brenda Cash

During our week at Interlaken, at 7:00 A.M. on Wednesday, under clear blue skies all day, 20 of us boarded the bus for our scenic trip to Zermott. Along the way, the driver drove our bus onto a car-carrying railroad car for a 15-minute ride (each way) through the Lotschberg Tunnel. Bob Rogers shared facts with us from his Lonely Plant Book on Switzerland. We saw many waterfalls, frozen and not. From the scenic medieval city of Zermott, many of us took the cog railway to Gornergret, then cable car to Hohtälli and Stockhorn, where we were right up there along side the Matterhorn. Awesome! John Golden led five of us part way down from the top of the world in the "Matterhorn Conga". (John was so "high" on what he was seeing that the next day he booked reservations for five nights at the castle-like structure at the top of the Stockhorn lift for after the end of our Interlaken stay.) From way up there, we saw the BIGGEST, WHITEST, WIDEST, LONGEST, MOST SPECTACULAR ski area any of us had ever seen, with deep dry groomed and ungroomed powder, and the beauty of the huge Swiss Alps ever present. Wow! When we returned to Zermott, we explored the old part of town with its medieval houses, as well as other parts of this charming City. Having brought their skies with them, Heather and Denise skied over to the Italian side of the mountain and back to Zermott in time to join us for the bus ride back to Interlaken. Good going, ladies! by Ray Muggli

How could I have forgotten to include the WILD SLED ride of Erin Barnett and Laura Bryan. The quaint wooden Swiss sleds could be seen coming down various mountains with one caveat; get the heck out of the way. Laura and Erin went from the village of Kleine Scheidegg all the way down to the village of Wengen. They went over snow ridges catching air, trying for control and Erin finally knocking Laura over. The quaint little sleds are normally controlled with your feet. Why was Laura on her tummy? Oh Well! They got on the train back to Kleine Scheidegg and did it again. WHAT FUN!

Ed's photos     Marshall's photos     John's photos     Mark's photos