Tracks of Lammergeier (bearded vulture)?

We went on a snowshoe hike yesterday and came across these huge tracks of what seemed to belong to a bearded vulture or a golden eagle. The wing spread was 1.30 meters (4.27 feet), exactly the same length as my hiking pole. From the tracks it seemed that the bird landed uphill and it took him a few flaps to balance out his landing. The picture was taken on December 26, 2009 on the marked snowshow trail nbr. 120, near the Wenig-Dürrewald, Adelboden. If anyone can help identifying the tracks (eagle or vulture), please let us know!

Best snow conditions in years!

Picture: View over Sillerenbühl Ski Station, Adelboden, Switzerland

Still looking for a short winter break in the next few weeks? Adelboden, Grindelwald, Gstaad or in fact any ski resort in Switzerland would make the perfect location these days. The Swiss alps have been blessed with two major snow falls since November. As far as I remember the snow conditions have never been better over Xmas and New Years (...and yes, that is the reason, why I was not too active writing posts, I spent all my seasonal holidays on the slopes of Adelboden.

Picture: Adelboden Ski Area Map

By the way, Adelboden will be the venue of the Men's FIS World Cup Giant Slalom on January 11, 2009. And guess what. I will be up there tomorrow again - weather forecast: blue sky, sunshine and great powder - happy days!

Winter wonderland

Usually the train commute to my school in Olten, central Switzerland, is everything but spectacular. Today's train ride however, was just brilliant. The snowfall of the past three days has turned the countryside into a magical scenery. Snow packed pine trees embraced by wafts of mist are flying past my window. Moments like that just make my day. How can natural beauty like this be responsible for winter depressions? Some of us - it seems to me - have lost the ability to focus on the truely moving and interesting things in our overstimulated world.

Arctic impressions of Oeschinensee, Kandersteg

Hi guys,
Haven't posted anything in weeks. Sometimes I just simply don't find any nice topics to share with you. About 3 or 4 weeks ago, the first inches of snow covered the Bernese Oberland. This was the opportunity to hike up to Oeschinensee, a small mountain lake near Kandersteg. The scenery was smashing, the dark water surface was like a mirror, the reflexion of the mountains clear and sharp as I had never seen it before - have a look for yourself...

Meiringen-Hasliberg

Sometimes one should not write too much, it would only spoil the image... enjoy - sorry for the poor quality, I took this pic with my mobile. Location: View on Lake Brienz (in fog) from Meiringen-Hasliberg, Alpine Tower Ski Region, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.

Snow! Snow! Snow! Ski resorts open early this year

Great news for winter sport enthusiasts. This week's snow fall enables most major ski resorts in Switzerland to open their ski lifts early. In the Bernese Oberland, Elsigenalp (Frutigen) start their season today. Don't ask me, why I have decided to go to work this morning, I don't know and mistakes happen :-)

Berner Zeitung (local newspaper) annouce that tomorrow, Saturday, November 17, 2007, 55 lifts and 145 kilometers will be open in the Bernese Alps, among them are Meiringen-Hasliberg, Grindelwald, Wengen-Kleine Scheidegg, Mürren, Grimmialp, Lenk, Jaunpass and Gstaad-Saanen. But check the local snow/lift reports before you choice a resort, most of them still operate only during the weekend and/or with a limited number of lifts.

Igloo adventure in the Alps

The Bernese Oberland is the ideal location for an igloo trip. With snowshoes, warm clothes, water- (well, maybe rather snow-)proof shoes, a sleeping bag, food, a saw and some shovels, you're all set. Provided that there's enough snow, building your own igloo is great fun and burns some calories at the same time... Just make sure you choose a location near a forest, or it will take you hours to find enough wood for a fire that keeps you warm for the evening.