Lauterbrunnen, Bernese Oberland - SWITZERLAND

TUESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 1999

Overnight more snow had fallen and was slowly inching its way up the vehicle. By 9am we had assembled by the bus stop, eagerly awaiting the transfer to the station. The train wound its way around the cliff-face and towards Wengen in scenery so picturesque that the sixth ascent seemed as magical as the first we took the other week. We rented our gear from the same shop in Wengen and made our way up the Mannlichen chair, where the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau were shrouded in cloud. The conditions seemed a little icy in some patches compared with last time, probably because of the crowds. Although our favourite powder hound piste was still untamed.

In the afternoon we tried again to get across to ski First above Grindelwald, but were again thwarted by the archaic bus timetable, only running every hour!! Europe's longest Gondola was graced by our company for six spectacular kilometres and then it was back to carving up the powder to the sides of the groomed slopes.

By mid-afternoon the weather had closed in a little bit and visibility had become low. For 2 hours we skied virtually alone as all the Brits, Germans and Swiss had deserted the slopes. In pounding winds and under looming dark clouds we ploughed on until the last lifts, by which time the snow had turned into a kind of hail storm. In our parabolic paddle bats we followed the run out trail back to Wengen and pondered on a day of contrast compared to the sunny skies we enjoyed with Peter.