The Specialists in Swiss Ski
and Snowboard Holidays

Snowmotions Season Review 2005/2006

Snow before Christmas and plenty of it, provided the perfect start to the season.

Even managing to board down from the Arosa road in to the village in December which hadn’t been done before by any of the SM team!

The past season saw the operation of the new Snowmotions chalet in Luen for the first time and although in the depths of wilderness in The Schanfigg Valley it proved to be a great success with the guests. The first guests to stay were from Tasmania with a great variety of other visitors from far away destinations: Bangkok, South Africa, New Zealand, Prague and The USA to name but a few of them.

The “Royal” family and friends (not to be confused with the other Royals over the ridge in Klosters) entertained the local community encouraging sledging mayhem on the roads and put many a smile on the faces of the workers in St.Peter. Sam, Jack, Ella, Riou and Fynn don’t grow up … it wouldn’t be the same with out you!

January saw the arrival of The Snowboard UK Team on the Glacier Express from Zermatt. Luckily the powder had arrived in Davos before them and three great days were spent there before we had to make way for Brad and Angelina and The World Economic Forum nonsense.

St. Moritz proved to be “snowless” so we relocated to Flims/Laax where the team of Danny Wheeler, Ryan Davis & Josh Wolf played in the park & pipe whilst Nelson Pratt played elsewhere …

As with last years feature on St. Peter on “The Secret Lives of The Swiss” The team was led by Master photographer Dan Milner and we look forward to the “Glacier Express” Article being published towards the end of the year …

St. Peter/Hochwang provided the family visitors with days of fun with the children growing in confidence in the small & friendly resort and the adults getting to grips with riding in knee/thigh high powder on the rolling terrain and through the forests. I’m yet to meet any guest or indeed local that hasn’t had a great day in St.Peter !! And there is still never a queue for the lifts.

Aussies on sledges

Brüggerhorn (© Dwayne Senior)

Arosa hosted two memorable family day outs for the Scotts and The Devonians as well as some quality Powder days on the “Bruggerhorn”. “The Molinis Run” became a regular fixture for the more experienced riders: 1600 meters vertical, stretched over appx.5 km through rolling fields and steep forests from The summit of the “Weisshorn” down to the river “Plessur”.

Gavin Davis

“The Safari Tour” was also completed by more groups than in any season previously.

For those Freeriding specialists it is one of the “must do” tours of Graubuenden.

Taking in Arosa, Tschiertschen and Lenzerheide the tour is a quality day away from the pistes in stunning scenery with some of the best Back Country descents in the area.

Ben

For three of us we managed to finally extend the Safari Tour by starting early in Davos & dropping in to Langwies from the backside of Parsenn and then continuing on to Arosa & Lenzerheide. One of those crystal blue powder days that will stay in the memory long after the photos have faded.

An unexpected highlight was a day at the women’s half pipe finals at The Olympics in Bardonecchia with thanks to our adventurous Scottish clan for providing the entertainment, the tickets and support for the riders. Rhona and Frazer, your turn in 2014?! It was truly amazing to see how far women’s snowboarding has progressed with the girls flying as high as the men and although the crowd cheered on the Aussie and Norwegian girls as well as Lenzerheide’s Manuela Pesko to win, the two American girls were justifiably in the Gold and Silver places. Full respect to the Italians for organising a friendly event in a great setting which ran smoother than a “gelati”!

The SM Chalet in Flims was fully booked most of the season with The Britts squeezing as many characters in it as possible. Although Flims & Laax remains as “cool as ever” the days on the slopes never disappoint & that evasive Swiss après ski experience could be found in “The Living Room” and at “The Arena”. Just ask “Backflip Ben”!

Snowmotions @ Piz Palü

Having been detained in England by over zealous RyanAir ground staff it was a joy to return to The Alps for April and “The SM End of Season Sessions” on Diavolezza.

Spending a couple of nights at 3000m with quality freeriding conditions allowing mass descents of the Arlas valley and The Morteratsch Glacier was the perfect way to finish the season off. Not to forget to mention The Igloo, The Hot Tub, Palu and Piz Bernina and Bradders !

Bradders 

Thanks to Dan of “The Jinks” and Gina Estrada for providing the tunes.

Thanks to Ben for making the season a great success.

The men in black 

Thanks to our South African “Men in Black” for providing the “soul to the season” and last but not least a little reminder to our Aussie friends that not only have they lost “The Ashes” but they had better get some practice in if they don’t want to rely on The Swiss to score ALL their runs on the annual Diavolezza cricket challenge at 3000 m!!

So until those flakes start falling again, stay “salt watered” and keep those legs in shape because 2006/2007 is going to be a classic season.

JRS, Luen, May 2006.

The Pitch!

  


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