It is always pure guesswork as to the skiing conditions in Wengen early in the season. Some years, it is warm and the snow thin on the ground and some years, things are better for those of us who want to ski. The autumn weather doesn’t seem to be any sort of reliable indicator for the winter to come.
Today was spectacularly cold, so that icy particles hung in the air and the snow squeaked under ski edges. It was a four layer day for the Idle Skier and even so it was cold on the chairlifts.
Early on the sky was blue everywhere but above Scheidegg, which is the only skiing open at the moment. The clouds cleared eventually from the Eiger north face and the morning offered near perfect skiing. It snowed shortly after mid-day, but then the sun returned.
Late on, the railway from Scheidegg down to Wengen broke. The run to the village is closed at the moment, but it was the only way home without a long railway journey via Grindelwald and the Lauterbrunnen valley. The piste was a roller coaster ride over high mounds of man made snow which are waiting for the attentions of the piste bashers. It was good skiing; maybe they should leave the snow as it is for the season.
A cold, cold day brought 7,028 vertical metres in 26 lift rides and 38 kilometres travelled
Idle thoughts from a mountain 
We had the same ski home – a bit character building.
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