It's a few
weeks away, but you can already feel the speed rush. It's ski season -or it will
be soon enough- and those powdery slopes are just a plane ticket away. All you
have to do now is figure out which ticket.
We suggest flying over to a peak in the Bernese Alps
called Shilthorn, just shy of 3000 meters tall. You'll reach the top through a
series of cable cars from either Muerren or Birg, which should give you a sense
of the Swiss lowlands and a first hand look at one of the most eye-popping
forms of transportation in Europe. Once you're
on top, make your way to the massive steel structure known a Piz Gloria for
some food. You should have a picture perfect view of a good chunk of Switzerland, including Mont Blanc, the Eiger,
and the Southern edges of the Black Forest.
(The restaurant is on a rotating platform, so you'll be able to see just about
everything.) If the spot looks familiar -maybe like something out of a James
Bond movie- there's a reason: It was built as Blofield's mountain base for Her
Majesty's Secret Service.
But of course, the real draw here is how you get down the mountain.
Luckily you'll have 33 miles of slopes to play with, including toboggan runs,
snowboard courses and a ski acrobatics setup. If you're feeling particularly
able -and you've got some serious ski experience under your belt- you can take a
shot at the black ski run that runs the length of the cable car, from
Schilhorn's summit all the way down to a village called Engetal. It's
definitely for advanced users only, but a fair number of skiers have taken it
on...including Mr. Bond.
Hopefully
you'll measure up.
Shilthorn
Hoeheweg 2, CH-3800 Interlaken
Info@schilthorn.ch
Tel: +41 33 82 60 007