Pretty much always in ski resorts, the done thing is to catch the lift, powered by electricity, and then ski or snowboard down the hill without man made energy at all.
Wengen always likes to do things differently though and, today, at the top of the Wixi chair, there hove into view a snowboard powered by a small engine linked to a miniature track behind the board.
The boarder (should that be motorist) parked at the Start bar, so evidence of this otherwise tall story was obtained. A quick conversation established the board has six horsepower and moves quicker than your average motor scooter.
There are not many petrol stations around the mountain though, so the driver might end up pushing.
The day was pretty good overall. There had been snow overnight. It was cold. The sun shone brightly for a while. Bonigen ski club turned up as normal (and closed one of the best runs on Mannlichen, namely Distelboden, for more race training), but otherwise it was quiet yet again.
A better than average day brought 10,272 vertical metres in 22 lift rides and 53 kilometres travelled.
Later in the day, a unicyclist went past the Co-op, but I mentioned him last year and he seems well known, so hardly worth mentioning really.
All things being well, I will pick this story up again mid week.
Idle thoughts from a mountain 