Snow for the Euros.

**Arno** · 07-07-2007, 05:13 AM

palm trees in the park - nice touch!

**davidof** · 07-07-2007, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by Arno

palm trees in the park - nice touch!

Yes that is really classy isn't it?

**Stani** · 07-10-2007, 01:26 PM

777 at Mölltaler Glacier (the only one glacier skiresort in Carinthia, which is the southern Bundesland of Austria)

**Ripzalot** · 07-12-2007, 11:58 PM

6 swiss army recruits killed on the jungfrau....RIP.

Six soldiers die in Jungfrau avalanche

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An avalanche in the Swiss Alps has killed six army recruits. Eight others were rescued unharmed.
The accident happened at 10am local time on Thursday morning as the troops were taking part in an exercise on the southwest flank of the Jungfrau peak in the Bernese Oberland region.

The army's deputy commander Fred Heer said that the soldiers were part of a 14-strong patrol.

The other eight soldiers were rescued by helicopter and are unharmed, he added. Heer said the victims were from the French-speaking part of the country.

The climbers were heading up the 4,158-metre mountain, roped together in two groups of three. They had reached a height of 3,800 metres when fresh snow dislodged, sending them plummeting into the valley below.

The six - who were from the Mountain Specialists Division - were recruits on a routine training exercise.

"The people were excellently equipped for such a mountain tour and had been well trained over the last 17 weeks of their school," Army spokeswoman Kirsten Hammerich told Swiss television.

She said the bodies had been taken to the nearby resort of Lauterbrunnen. A team of psychologists were counselling the other members of the army unit.

Defence Minister Samuel Schmid expressed in the capital Bern his condolences to the victims' families and friends, adding that the men had died "serving their country."

Schmid said that an investigation was already underway to determine whether the accident was due to bad luck or human error.

Heavy snowfalls

The head of a local mountain guide centre told swissinfo it had snowed for the past few days and there was 40-60cm of new snow.

"This morning, I decided [together with my guests] not to go up the Jungfrau because of the snow conditions. Naturally, one has to take into account how experienced the climbers are," said Johann Kaufmann, head of mountain sports in Grindelwald.

According to the army, it was the professional guides accompanying the patrol who had the final say on whether it was safe enough to go ahead with the climb.

Ueli Steck, one of Switzerland's most accomplished climbers, told swissinfo that the heavy snowfall in the Alps coupled with warmer temperatures would have given rise to a "totally unstable snow structure".

"So much snow has been falling during the week and this has been the first day of good weather. The possibility of an avalanche would be high and this kind of thing can happen," said Steck, who set a new speed record on the infamous Eiger North Face in February.

Thomas Stucki of Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos told swissinfo though that the avalanche risk is usually low in summer, even if fresh snow is common at that altitude.

Steck, who lives in the nearby town of Interlaken, said the southwest flank of the Jungfrau was the normal route up the peak. He described it as an easy day climb that could be accomplished by beginners.

"You get a lot of traffic up there. It is one of the most standard routes in the Bernese Oberland," he said.

"It is not known for being a particular hotspot for avalanches, but accidents can happen at any time, on any route."

The accident is one of the worst in the Swiss mountains in recent years.

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/d...=1184261854000

**Tectonically_Neglected** · 07-13-2007, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by davidof

Some of the best day's skiing this year in the Chartreuse (French Alps)

Dent de Crolles

in fact some of the only day's skiing in the Chartreuse.

The "line" goes down the large notch in the cliff bands before tracking right below the cliffs and then skiing the south face.

I added a few hundred meters going up and over a minor summit.

Just realised that I worked on a friends house last weekend that's verrry close to this... (it's in St. Hilaire du Touvet)... Nice area!

**davidof** · 07-13-2007, 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by Tectonically_Neglected

Just realised that I worked on a friends house last weekend that's verrry close to this... (it's in St. Hilaire du Touvet)... Nice area!

pop round for a coffee/beer next time you are in the area

**bbirtle** · 07-13-2007, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

6 swiss army recruits killed on the jungfrau....RIP.

Sad and unfortunate. Like the article said, there is an incredible amount of snow up there. Although I'm super keen to do some alpine routes, general consensus around the village is that it's been too dangerous so far all year.

Two Polish climbers also died under similar circumstances on the Italian side of Mont Blanc last week. I believe it was two others that died a few weeks ago, also in an avalanche, on the Mont Blanc du Tacul.

The snow is melting quickly though and I think mid this week some stuff will be becoming safe again.

**Roo** · 07-13-2007, 04:34 AM

Someone hass been making ze wedeln in ze DEATH ZONE!

**Franz Klammer** · 07-13-2007, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Roo

Someone hass been making ze wedeln in ze DEATH ZONE!

Hehe, I had to laugh at that one ...

**Stani** · 07-16-2007, 01:01 PM

7th of July 2007
777@Saas Fee (Swiss Alps)

just some shots:

**Ripzalot** · 07-26-2007, 12:08 AM

nice saas fee!

hey i was wondering if any of our brit mags were being affected by the floods?

on better news - meteoswiss says august will be warm and dryer than average. good for biking.

**Huck_Schmuck** · 07-26-2007, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

on better news - meteoswiss says august will be warm and dryer than average. good for biking.

At last! It hasn't rained up here in 24 hours...

**Shorey** · 07-26-2007, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

nice saas fee!

hey i was wondering if any of our brit mags were being affected by the floods?

My part of the world was cut off totally last Friday/Saturday - only way in by air, until they cancelled flights because of rough weather. No damage done in these parts - other than to my tomato and grape plants which were showing such promise and only needed some sun to bring them on.....

Those picks of Saas Fee are amazing. I went there years ago and it looks better mid summer than it did mid season back then.

**Hayduke** · 07-26-2007, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Shorey

My part of the world was cut off totally last Friday/Saturday - only way in by air, until they cancelled flights because of rough weather.

That's a big steaming bag of bullshit and you know it. You live a good 200 miles away from the affected areas.

**Arno** · 07-26-2007, 06:56 AM

croydon was under water on Friday so maybe Shorey was unable to go chasing the laydeees there on Friday evening

**Shorey** · 07-26-2007, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Hayduke

That's a big steaming bag of bullshit and you know it. You live a good 200 miles away from the affected areas.

The Somerset levels are not 200 miles away dipshit - in fact, they're right on your doorstep, so you should have known they were pretty washed out. No trains past Westbury, no road past Tiverton..... of course, coming from the master of further edumacation you're more likely to make a stupid call like this than check the facts first.

All I can say is that when our house was only half flooded back in 1990 it stank and cost a lot of effort, stress, money and time to repair. I'm so glad we didn't get seriously affected this time, and pity those who did.

**Roo** · 07-27-2007, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by Shorey

All I can say is that when our house was only half flooded back in 1990 it stank

In its prediluvian state?

**Shorey** · 07-27-2007, 07:08 AM

No, ante state.

Mind you, certain people were prone to making their bedrooms absolutely stink. No names mentioned.

**Hayduke** · 07-27-2007, 07:36 AM

I think it showed good enterprising spirit at a young age to put both rubbish and piss in my bin. How was I to know it wasn't watertight?

**Shorey** · 07-27-2007, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by Hayduke

I think it showed good enterprising spirit at a young age to put both rubbish and piss in my bin. How was I to know it wasn't watertight?

At least you got out of bed to have a piss that time.

**Mulletizer** · 08-01-2007, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

hey i was wondering if any of our brit mags were being affected by the floods?

My office was 6" deep in water after the rains hit. Nice clear water, luckily - the guys next door were in 6" of sewage... The river next to us rose 3-4' in 20 mins. If it had risen 2" further it would have breached the final defences and we would have been waist deep or worse.