End of the Season: Saas Fee

This past weekend, I, along with heaps of friends from the EPFL, I headed to Saas Fee for the last ski trip of the season.

from the top of the mountain: peaks poking through the clouds. 

The trip was hosted by ACIDE (Association du Corps Intermediaire de l'EPFL) , the EPFL's research scientist organization. ACIDE is an advocacy organization for anyone conducting research at the EPFL that is not a class-taking student or a faculty member-- in other words, all PhD students, post-docs, and visiting research scientists. At the EPFL, the ACIDE is super active and is one of the reason's PhD students at the EPFL get so many fantastic job perks.

In addition to advocating for EPFL scientists in general, ACIDE also host several fantastic trips. Although I missed out on some of their fall excursions, I definitely jumped on board for their spring ski trip to the gorgeous Saas Fee.

The Highlights:

• Spring Skiing! Woo hoo! Warm and sunny slopes (we definitely needed sunscreen!) , fewer crowds, and a great atmosphere. Yes, yes, and yes.
  
• Smooth snow and steep slopes. Saas Fee had heaps of groomed black runs, which I absolutely love. This is probably a downside for those that like lumps, bumps, and powder, but these trails were right up my alley. I keep telling myself that I'll one day conquer my fear of moguls, but for now, I'll stick to the smooth and steep :)
  
• Everything was taken care of. I've mentioned this before, but sometimes it's nice to go on a trip planned by somebody else. We paid one flat fee, and proceeded to have our transportation, lodging, lift tickets, and food all taken care of. Although there are definitely downsides (see below) to trips like this, it certainly is relaxing.
  
• So. many. friends! Nearly all the PhD students and fellowship students from my lab came along, as well as friends from across the EPFL. There was always somebody to ski with, eat with, or play a silly game (I learned a pretty fantastic one on the bus ride back) with. 

The Not-So-Highlights:

• The "chalet."  On past Swiss ski excursions, I've had the opportunity to stay in some really gorgeous chalets. This was not one of them. It kind of reminded me of a really, really run-down dorm room-- several halls of small rooms, lots of metal bunk beds, and a large, utilitarian kitchen. There was also no hot water, a rather unpleasant surprise after a long day on the slopes. It was a bit dark, cold, and dank, and was quickly christened "The Prison" by many of the folks from my lab.
  
• Slushy snow. Along with warm and sunny spring weather comes heavy and slushy snow. While this wasn't so much of a problem near the top of the mountain, cutting and turning near the bottom was considerably more difficult.
  
• My sore, sore arms. It always amazes me that every time I come back from a weekend of skiing my arms are sore. Sure, my calves and thighs were a little tight, but my arms? Absolutely killing me. Lugging skis and boots around = excellent upper body work out.
  
• The end. I suppose this is better filed under "bittersweet" than "not-so-highlight", but this was the last ski trip of the season. It's been a fantastic, fantastic season (see here, here, here,  and here!) and I am so grateful for having the opportunity to ski my way through the gorgeous Alps!

snowboarders stopping to rest after a great run. I wish
it were as easy to sit down in skis!

our enormous and fantastic ski group!

confession: I know a lot of folks don't, but I personally love groomed runs.

vidya, tearing up the slopes. 

stopping to admire the incredible views. 

mountains + ben. two of my favorite things :) 

marcela, guiseppe, and amy- after a looong day on the slopes!

the adorable town of saas fee. 

chocolat de la maison, or the house hot chocolate. rich, thick, and super-
chocolatey. the container on the right holds homemade white chocolate
whipped cream. delish!  

so many skis! although most of the people on our trip snowboarded, it
seems that switzerland as a whole is still dominated by skiers. 

yep, I'm pretty sure I could live here forever...

white snow, blue skies. 

woo hoo! the lack of bumps meant that I was much,
much more confident on steeper and more challenging
terrain. 

Ski Stories

Last weekend, some friends and I headed to the Interlaken region, ready to hit the slopes. Although the weekend was jam-packed with wonderful moments, great trails, and even some time spent pretending to be James Bond, these are some of my absolute favorite memories:


1. Skiing Off-Piste (!!!) 


I'm a cautious skier. I'm okay with steep; I'm okay with icy; I'm even okay with (a little) speed. But through in bumps, powder, and unmarked terrain? Yikes.

Last weekend, however, I ventured outside of my comfort zone and onto "off-piste" terrain. Unlike in the States, where pretty much every path down the mountain is a named and mapped trail, Switzerland neatly divides its trails into "on-piste" and "off-piste." On-piste trails are pretty, groomed, and listed on the trail map ("piste map"). Off-piste trails, on the other hand, are a complete gamble. Moguls, bumps, heaps of fluffy powder-- the trails aren't listed on the official map and pretty much anything is game.

Our first day of skiing was absolutely beautiful- blue skies, plenty of snow, great visibility. Ben, Amy, Riika, Viivi, and I spent a wonderful morning enjoying a plethora of nice, on-piste slopes. A little after lunch, however, Ben, Amy, and Viivi decided to add a bit more adventure to their day and took off on an unmarked, off-piste slope. Riika and I stood at the top, looking, down. I'm not sure about Riika, but I know I was both curious and terrified. The slope wasn't that steep, but it was rough- lots of lumps and bumps and piles of powdery snow. It definitely wasn't the sort of terrain I was used to skiing, but it also wasn't something completely out of my league. It was a challenge, but not in a bad way.

After several long minutes of staring down the slope, Riika and I decided to go for it. It was definitely slow going- unlike normal slopes, where I turn without thinking, each and every turn was carefully mapped and planned. I didn't always feel in control, but I somehow managed to keep my feet on my skies and my skies on the ground. When we (finally!) reached the bottom, I was insanely proud of myself. I don't often jump outside my comfort zone, but when I do, it really does feel great.

slope shots never seem to capture what slopes actually look like.
nevertheless, this is proof that I actually did master (or, to be more
precise, actually make it down) off-piece terrain!

2. Skiing in powder. Lots and lots and lots of powder.


My past few Swiss ski excursions have been blessed with impeccable conditions: brilliant blue skies, fresh fluffy snow, and temperatures hovering a hair above freezing. Perfect skiing, as far as I'm concerned.

While our first day of skiing had similar pristine conditions, our second day did not. There was snow. A lot of snow. Snow on the slopes, snow falling from the sky, giant snow-filled clouds removing any trace of visibility. It certainly made for some interesting skiing.

Although a little fresh powder makes turning much, much smoother, we were dealing with a lot more than a little powder- it was almost always mid-calf, and often passed my knees. There were times when I couldn't see my skis at all, and if I ever lost momentum, I'd quickly find myself stuck in the snow. While the snowy conditions had a few perks (falling is much nicer when it's into a bed of fluffy snow!), it definitely isn't my favorite way to ski. Next time we head to the mountains, I'll be hoping for blue skies once again!

one of the biggest downsides of snowy skiing: no brilliant views :(

when life gives you snow, make snowballs!

a brief moment of visibility: pure tranquility

winter wonderland

3. Skiing with friends.

Although the blue skies (at least on one of our ski days...), off-piste adventures, and heaps of fluffy powder certainly made the trip memorable, by far the best aspect of the trip was the company. Although going down a steep slope, dotted in bumps, and through powder past your knees can easily be more terrifying than exhilarating, having a couple of ski buddies going down with you makes all the difference in the world.

amy, on one of our first runs of the trip. 

ben, totally ready to ski!

riika. isn't her pink ski jacket fun?!

that's me!

me, ben, and viivi (sitting), taking a break before heading down our
next run. 

exhausted? definitely yes. this is how ben rides up a (not very full) gondola. 

how snowboarders rest: amy flops down, viivi touches
her toes. oh, snowboarders....

our (wonderful, wonderful) group! from L to R:
amy, viivi, riika, ben, and me!

the girls after a loooong day of skiing- riika, amy, me and viivi. 

I'm James Bond.

Last weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to head back to the Interlaken region to ski with some fantastic friends. While the weekend was certainly filled with some great story-making experiences, I think this might just be my favorite:

see the building in the center? that's the building at the top of schilthorn!

Although the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service had many filming locations, the opening ski chase scene was filmed at none other than Schilthorn, one of the many mountain peaks surrounding the Interlaken ski region. 

Because of the horrible weather and some pretty serious avalanche warnings, the ski trails coming down from Schilthorn were closed, although the gondola heading up to the peak was still up and running. Since we couldn't exactly recreate the famous ski chase scene, my friend Riika and I headed to the top and made snow angels instead. 

See? I'm practically James Bond. Sort of. 

me, making a snow angel. on a clear day, the views from
the top of schilthorn are supposedly gorgeous.
unfortunately, the only "views" we saw included blank
whiteness in all directions. 

riika's snow angel! 

Cross-Country Skiing!

On Saturday, I attempted a new sport for the first time: Cross Country Skiing. The trip was led by the EPFL's XChange Student Union, and offered a fantastic morning of snowy fields, peaceful paths, bright skies....and about nine million new bruises.

There were many aspects of cross country skiing I absolutely loved: I loved that is was somewhat slower-paced, allowing me to actually chat with my fellow skiers in a way that would be impossible when downhill skiing. I loved that it worked out an entirely new set of muscles. I loved that our 10k trail wound through beautiful meadows, over icy creeks, and under pristine alpine cliffs. In many ways, cross-country skiing seems to be winter's version of hiking-- a chance to get outside, appreciate nature, be healthy, and relax while doing so.

Unfortunately, there were also parts that I wasn't so crazy about-- or to be more precise, there was exactly one part I wasn't really feeling: going downhill. One might think that, given how much I adore downhill skiing (see here and here), going downhill on cross-country skis would be a breeze, a welcome treat from climbing up inclines and pushing myself across the snow. This is not the case. Cross-country skis are very thin, very long, and offer practically no edge. Carving and hockey-style stops are impossible, causing the only mechanism of slowing oneself down to be pushing your ski tips together, bending your knees, and bracing yourself to fall. At least, that's what I did.

For whatever reason, as soon as the path sloped downhill, I would find myself going faster, faster, faster, faster...and then falling over. While I was never seriously hurt and walked away with far more smiles than bruises, it did make me realize that my new cross-country skills have a lot of room for improvement.

a perfect day to appreciate the outdoors.  

les mosses- a fantastic area!

our group!

as we climbed up more and more inclines, we all started losing layers-
eventually I was skiing in a t-shirt!

the area we were in is also a popular downhill skiing destination, but the
snow coverage was pretty thin. 

an absolutely gorgeous trail. 

me, stopping to admire the view (and smile for my friend amy's camera!)

even small inclines could be a bit of a struggle. 

a beautiful day and a fantastic new sport. 

From Wengen to Eiger

After a few wonderful days spent relaxing in Lausanne, I travelled with the Hamners to Lauterbrunnen Valley for a weekend of skiing. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am in love with this area. In the summer time, it's like watching Tolkien's Rivendell spring to life. In the fall, it transforms into a valley of waterfalls. And in the winter, the steep mountains and thick snow drifts are practically begging for someone to sledge or ski down them.

I am fairly convinced I could return to Lauterbrunnen Valley once a month for the rest of my life and still never stop being amazed at just how beautiful it really is.

Although there are several small villages surrounding Lauterbrunnen Valley, for this trip, we stayed in Wengen, a Christmas-card-perfect town perched high on the cliffs above the left side of the valley, and just at the base of some fantastic ski runs. For two wonderful days, we enjoyed incredible views, good company, delicious food, and absolutely perfect skiing conditions. It was quite possibly one of my all-time favorite ski trips, and I'm already thinking about when I can go back.

mark, me, chris, and ben: skis in hand and ready to hit the slopes!

not only were the snow conditions great, but the views were absolutely
superb. 

ben and me, skis on and ready to go!

mark, chris, me, ben: deciding which run to take next.

there is nothing quite like skiing in the alps. when zooming down a run,
mountains all round me- I feel like I could fly.  

I loved the bright gondolas crossing over the icy creek. 

I loved how many of the ski runs were built through residential or
farming areas. this shelter for sheep was stationed directly in the center
of a ski run!

chair lift. 

paraglider! despite the colder weather, we saw several people enjoying
the alps from this unique point of view. 

I love how snowy mountains make shadows seem much more pronounced.

mark and ben, taking a break after a long run. 

me + ben

I love the contrast between rough, grey rock and soft, white snow. 

ben, pausing for a (very, very scenic) photo

we saw an avalanche! it was fairly far away, but
the thunder-like rumble was unmistakable. this is
the rock face where the avalanche happened, mere
seconds after the sheet of snow tumbled down. 

ben,  at the bottom of a fantastic run. 

me, pausing for yet another super-scenic photo. 

can you spot ben, zooming down the mountain?

ben again, cutting a turn. 

I love the feeling you get at the top of a steep and fantastic run. It's
incredible.

*Please note: a lot of these photos were taken by Susan Hamner, not me :)