The foehn is not just any old wind. Last week, it blew at 200kph and did substantial damage to the catch fencing and other preparations for the Lauberhorn race.
On one of the days when the wind blew but the mountain stayed open substantially, I got off the Wixi chair lift just in time to see two snowboards hurtle past. They had been left outside the “Start” bar (so named as it is next to the race start hut) and the wind had caught their bindings, which acted as sails. A rather burly snow boarder was in hot pursuit, but the smart money was on the boards.
At the same time as the wind plagued Wengen, Zermatt and some of the French resorts were disappearing under snow. Zermatt was cut off. The BBC website said conditions in the town were calm. I bet they were; only a shortage of Krug and Oscietra causes panic in Zermatt.
Which raises the interesting question as to which is worse (or perhaps better), too much snow or too much wind. I think most of us in Wengen would choose to have the snow every time. You can dynamite too much snow; there is not much you can do with the wind, other than hang on and hope.
Idle thoughts from a mountain 