Season’s end

Skiing on Mannlichen continues until Easter Monday and on Scheidegg to the end of the month. For me though, the ski season ended today.

The weather forecast was correct last night; we had early morning cloud and then some sunshine. It was a good day to finish, cold with good snow on Mannlichen in particular and few skiers all day.

I suppose any period of five months will have its ups and downs and this winter has been no different. In weather terms, we have been up, down and everywhere in between. Early season, before we arrived in Wengen, there were excellent skiing conditions. Around Christmas it was very warm and I thought the season might be finished in a few weeks, but the weather gods relented. Much of late January and almost the whole of February brought a long period of cold, sunny weather. The lift companies did a sterling job. With no snowfall to speak of at all in that period, they managed to keep the pistes in fantastic condition. March and April have brought a return to winter and more snow. It should last until closing day and beyond.

A first rate day brought 8,213 vertical metres in 19 lift rides and 48 kilometres travelled. An 86 day season brought 734,067 vertical metres in 1,591 lift rides and 4,089 kilometres travelled.

Thank you all for your time spent with this blog over the winter.