The day had a real bite to it. The sun shone in the morning, but it didn’t make much difference to the temperature, which struggled to rise above numbingly cold. The snow on Mannlichen was in great condition though and as a bonus yesterday’s crowds stayed away.
The Idle Skier’s lunch stop was at the top station for the Tschuggen T bar. This old wooden building retains heat and the long bench along the side faces south, so it is about as warm a spot as there is on the mountain. With the restaurants closed it is more popular than ever.
Early in the afternoon the clouds rolled in with a certainty which meant the end of the sun. At Scheidegg, the skiers had called it a day by the time the Idle Skier exited the Gummi chair lift. Apart from a few members of the Wengen ski club, it was a solitary ski to Innerwengen.
A quiet and very cold day brought 7,289 vertical metres in 17 lift rides and 43 kilometres travelled.
Idle thoughts from a mountain 