This morning, everything had gone wrong – and badly so – at the Mannlichen cable car. The crowds which were meant to be at the Schilthorn for the Inferno race instead snaked some way out of the cable car door. It all took some time to clear as well. It seems to be race weekend everywhere, with schools races here in Wengen as well as the seminal event in Murren. It took the best part of half an hour to reach the top for another sunny day.
One local which doesn’t need a cable car is the Chamois. This mountain goat climbs the steepest hillsides without any trouble and can be seen perched on narrow rocks on the Mannlichen cliff face. Seemingly always alert, Chamois survive avalanches, summer drought and everything mankind’s world can produce.
As far as I know, everyone made it through race day. The pub was lively tonight inevitably. People had stories to tell and a race to relive. That is it though for the big race days; the professionals’ World Cup last weekend and one of the world’s glorious amateur events this weekend, all done. Wengen, Murren and Grindelwald will revert to being everyday ski resorts. Quite a few people seemed to turn up on holiday today, so maybe that won’t be too bad.
A busy day of lengthy lift queues and involving no racing whatsoever brought 8,346 vertical metres in 19 lift rides and 46 kilometres travelled.
Idle thoughts from a mountain 