We had convinced a group of friends to leave a historic snow year in Colorado to come ski where the glaciers are receding over 50 meters a year and where the snow would be questionable at best. That's what friends are for. But these folks are more like family than friends and needed no convincing. The gang all converged on the quiet village of Bever, Switzerland, for a week of skiing among the Endagin Swiss Alps. We found Bever was ideally located for easy access up and down the pristine valleys of the region. Within minutes we could hop on a train and be skiing any one of the five regional resorts under an hour. There was something civilized and even romantic about traveling on trains through the Alps. Tim Harmon Pro Tip #1: Request your stop.
The Bever Lodge would act as headquarters for a week of good times and friends. Last summer the gang stumbled upon the lodge after a bike ride and knew immediately that if we returned to the area we’d surely stay here. We’re back. The lodge is a modern small hotel with about 40 rooms, a cozy lodge area, spa, great rooms, and the food was outstanding. It was everything you could imagine a bike gang would want in a ski lodge. Our apres-ski routine would include a relaxing trip to the spa before meeting around the fire for cocktail hour. The owner was the sweetest person and was always around to make sure we had what we needed. Within days we were feeling at home and enjoying the comforts of the lodge in our downtime. We’ll be back.
To shake off the jetlag a bit and get our legs back under us, we ventured to St. Moritz for some off-piste skiing and sun. The conditions were variable, but the gang was back together, it didn’t matter. With no lift lines to slow us down and a quiet Sunday crowd, we casually toured the ski area to get acquainted with the layout of the resort and find what aspects were skiing the best. The options were slim but we had a blast poking around. We added some fun at the end of the day with a long run off the hill to the town of Sameden, where we introduced Tim to an Aperol Spritz before hopping on a train toward Bever.
After a successful day one, the group was excited about the week ahead and the loose itinerary we had set for the tomfoolery and shenanigans. We booked two days with a local guide for some backcountry tours around the area and booked the remaining days with plans to ski as many different areas as we had access. As popular as St. Mortiz is for being home to the rich and famous the ski terrain is fantastic and shouldn't be overlooked. What makes the Engadine region exceptional are the gems just outside the glitz and glamour of St. Mortiz. In addition to St. Moritz, we skied Corvatch, Lagalb, Diaviolezza, and Zouz with one pass that also included our bus and train fares. 48 euro a day to ski endless terrain and never needing a car is the deal of the century.
Not wasting any time in getting this party started, we met our guide for the week in the village of Zuoz. Anselm was our Bavarian guide, and right away we knew he was going to fit in with the crew. He set a comfortable pace for the group, tested the exposure line a few times for a few of us, and enjoyed a cigarette at every stop on the way UP the hill. Classic guide stuff. Our tryout tour was under a beautiful bluebird sky with towering peaks filling our views in every direction. My frail sea level, city boy skin was no match for the alpine sun and snow. My lips and face are still chapped as a reminder of the sun’s intensity. As we reached the summit of our first climb, you could tell the vibe and mood of the group was ramping up. Vacation mode was starting to take over the jetlag. The trip we’d been dreaming about for weeks was now a reality. On the summit of our first climb, our smiles and heartrates were growing. We tested our balance against the strong ridgetop winds as we gave a round of high-fives before making our first descent. Thanks to Anselm, this would end up being the best snow we'd have for the trip. Three thousand feet of mellow terrain and soft snow is hard to beat on a lean snow year.
Let’s Ski
High above Zuoz, CH
February, 2020
We returned to St. Mortiz for a chill day under the sun, but we had to reveal a secret we’d been keeping from Nicole. Up to this point, we all knew that Charlie was going to ask Nicole to marry him, but we didn't know when. As we had been skiing around the proceeding days, Charlie had been on the lookout for the perfect spot to ask Nicole the big question. With that location now confirmed, today was the day, and the team knew the plan. The signal to start the proposal was when Chuck suggested we all take a group picture. The crew was probably anticipating a few runs to start the day when suddenly we all hear the signal. It was on, making it hard to hold back the excitement. The wheels were in motion, and there was no turning back now. The champaign was ready, the scene was set, and before Nicole could grasp what was happening she had Charlie kneeling in front of her with his grandmother's wedding ring in hand. With tears in her eyes and a smile bigger than the moon, Nicole said yes. Congratulations, Charlie and Nicole! We love you and wish you only the best on your next adventure together.
Time to Celebrate.
Piz Corvatsch from St. Moritz
The second half of our week would take our trip to another level. The feeling among the group had become more comfortable and relaxed. We knew where we wanted to go and how to get there. All we had to do was ski. The excitement of skiing three new areas that are surrounded by massive glaciers gave the group the energy to finish the journey on an extremely high note. We thoroughly enjoyed the skiing and views at Corvatsch until the weather forced us inside a quintessential Swiss chalet for lunch and a jacket swap. On a powder day, I’m heading here first. Our final day with Anselm started from the stunning Diavolezza tram where the day would start with puckering traverse to our low light route to the valley floor. The weather improved nicely over a cup of coffee and the day ended memorably with a fantastic descent over the glacier to Monteratsch. Our last day to gang ski was filled with mach’ schnell piste skiing, delicious local food from the top of the Lagalb, and another sentimental ski down to Monteratsch.
Can we stay a little longer?
Morteratschgletscher February 2020
I thought I'd be able to keep the sappiness out of this post, but of course, when it comes to the love we have for our friends, it's hard to express just how much this time means to us without a few teary eyes. We feel incredibly blessed to have any of these experiences and adventures in our lives, but the real blessing comes from having people like these to share the experience with. The memories from these trips are what keep us reminded that we have a special group of friends that mean the world to us and we’d go anywhere to spend time with them. We love you all. We miss you already!
O. Richard, C. Wolf, A. Dennis, T. Harmon, N. Bentzoni, H. Hanssen
Diavolezza, CH 2020
