It has been the big day, the day when the Lauberhorn downhill has been run. There is no greater event in the Swiss sporting calendar. The only ski race of the same magnitude takes place in Kitzbuhel next weekend. The world’s greatest ski races, in the course of a week or so.
This morning I headed for the cable car early to beat the crowds, but at 8.30am the platform was packed, mainly with people looking for a few runs before going to Scheidegg for the race. By 10.30am, most skiers had headed for the Gummi lift. Those who stayed behind sought out the televisions in the Berghaus for the most part. For a couple of hours either side of midday, the snow was good, the light was middling and the mountain was empty.
Norway took the honours in the race for the second time this weekend, though Switzerland had another good day, with several top ten finishes. The crowd this evening seemed happy enough. It will be wild now on the high street, the village being dismantled piece by piece. However, it will have been put back together again in the morning, with only a few signs of the night’s revelries. It is the slalom tomorrow, at Innerwengen, and whilst it will be busy, the day should be on a lower key. After all, Monday is a school day.
A day spent on Mannlichen brought 8,405 vertical metres in 19 lift rides and 54 kilometres travelled.
Idle thoughts from a mountain 