On Friday, January 21st, in the year 2000, twenty-nine happy travelers
boarded Lufthansa at LAX departing about 3:00 PM for their nonstop flight to
Frankfurt, Germany where they would transfer to a flight to Geneva,
Switzerland and bus from there to Tasch, Switzerland, for a short train ride
to Zermatt, Switzerland, the final destination. Bob Shepard, aka "Shep," and
his able partner, Tara Shepard, had arranged another fabulous ski trip to
Europe!
The flight to Frankfurt was made more pleasant by the discovery of the
cocktail cache in the mid-plane food compartment. Certain travelers seemed
very happy indeed! Some entertainment was later provided by the bus driver
who picked up the group after they got off the second plane in Geneva. He had
a long alpenhorn on which he blew several alpine yodeling songs as we waited
for everyone to clear customs in the terminal. It was a treat to have him to
play for us! Unfortunately, several travelers were missing their luggage or
their skis at this point. Ray and Liz Eslamieh, Rosaline Lee and Ivanhoe
Chaput didn't retrieve their lost luggage for two days after arriving in
Zermatt. Bob Dunham had to rent skis for two days. At least, they eventually
recovered their belongings, but one couple with no ski outfits had lost two
days of their vacation.
By 8:00 PM we reached the train station in Tasch and skiers had to locate
their luggage and load it onto a special baggage cart that they would
personally wheel onto the train that would take them into the town of
Zermatt. Wheeling the loaded carts in the snow was somewhat awkward. Several
passengers had to first find an ATM machine to get some Swiss money to pay
for the carts. (Is there a lesson to be learned here?)
After twenty hours of traveling, the weary passengers finally arrived in
Zermatt. The village is nestled in a valley among the highest peaks in the
Alps, with the Italian border on the south side. Only electric motor vehicles
are allowed in town and this prevents air pollution from gasoline and diesel
powered engines. We would later appreciate the clean, crisp air during sunny
days with great visibility. What a beautiful place to be spending a week!
The Ambassador Hotel sent a tiny electric luggage car to pick up our baggage
at the train station. It took several trips to get everything to the hotel,
which was about three blocks from the station. The Ambassador, a four-star
hotel, was comfortable and the ambiance friendly. Large bedrooms each had a
balcony and view of the mountains and the bathrooms were newly renovated and
modern. And there were wonderful, fluffy goose down comforters on the beds!
Dinner that first night was served late. It was a five-course affair that
took two hours then and every night thereafter. The chef made each dish look
appetizing and picture perfect on the serving plate. Each night, it was a
pleasure to anticipate what new taste treat would greet us as we eyed the
colorful arrangements of appetizers, main entrees or desserts. Tripe and
venison were unusual entrees for some diners, as were rabbit and sweetbreads.
The salad bar was delightful with tons of greens and lettuces like radicchio
and lamb’s tongue that we find so rarely or so expensive in the USA. Shep
especially loved the fantastic Italian buffet we had one evening with several
kinds of tortellini. Sometimes our dinner plates appeared huge with a small
mound of food in the center, but we always left the tables wondering how we
could possibly eat another bite.
On Sunday, January 23rd, we enjoyed a bountiful breakfast buffet with
assorted European ham, cold cuts, cheeses, delicious fresh baked bread,
scrambled eggs, bacon, veal sausages, cereals, yogurt, fruit- the works!
Everyday! Fortified, we set forth under slightly cloudy skies and minus 12
degrees centigrade weather. Visibility on the slopes was very poor, with flat
light and a cold wind. There are three main ski areas to choose in Zermatt
and one of them leads to the Italian slopes. Our group chose the Klein
Matterhorn area, which is also the way to ski to the Italian towns of
Breuil-Cervinia or Valtournenche. But it was too cold and visibility too poor
for the fair-weather skiers in the group, and we quit early and headed back
to the hotel for swimming in the large pool or relaxing in the sauna. No
Jacuzzi. In the sauna, it was easy to differentiate the Europeans from the
Americans. The Americans wore bathing suits. Meanwhile, Ken Wong, a former
TRW employee who now resides in Hong Kong, continued skiing with Ralph Iwens
in the Klein Matterhorn locale. They reported that ski conditions actually
got better and they had a great time. TRW skiers who went to
Sunnegga-Blauherd thought the snow and visibility was better in their area.
Monday was gorgeous outside- cold, but not a cloud in the sky. Seven of us
skied in the direction of Cervinia which meant first going up to the Klein
Matterhorn peak to cross Theodul Pass into Italy. Klein Matterhorn peak is
accessed via a long steep cable car ride. The ski run from the top back down
to Zermatt is eight miles long! It is one of the longest runs to be found
anywhere. The view of the surrounding peaks and glaciers is unsurpassed from
the tip of the Klein Matterhorn, reached by elevator. Absolutely breathtaking!
The group of seven had first wanted to ski to Cervinia, then attack the long
run on the way back home. But it is difficult to keep together such a large
group of skiers with their variable skiing ability, so the group finally
separated. Joanne and Ralph continued south and skied down some wide,
well-groomed runs and bowls leading into Cervinia where they had an excellent
lunch in a tiny bistro, then skied back to the Swiss side where they found a
concession stand with sled dogs resting in the snow, eager to take people on
a dog sled ride. The dogs were very affectionate and there were signs posted
requesting donations to buy meat for them to eat, which they did. Some moist,
Husky kisses were their reward! They skied on. Everywhere you looked, the
views were fabulous. Steep slopes rose up right next to you, not in the
distance, like when at Mammoth viewing the Minarets. Matterhorn peak remained
constantly in view. The spectacular views made up for the long, flat run on
the way back that one had to pole at times. What a great day!
But some skiers were not on the slopes today. Oscar and Betty Guidali and
Jack Howes were nursing sore throats and flu symptoms and taking it easy in
town. This sore throat would eventually make the rounds and hit many more
skiers, including Ralph and Joanne, like the flu bug that attacked most ski
club members on the Europe trip to Ortisei, Italy, the year before! Bummer!
The following ski days alternated between sunny and cloudy and were mostly
better than that first cold Sunday on the slopes. A bright red train took
skiers to Gornergrat Station at 10,100 feet where there were terrific views
of the Matterhorn Peak, Gorner Glacier and surrounding mountains. The ride
took forty-five minutes to reach the top. At times, the electric engine was
aided by a cog wheel pulling the train up the steepest sections. What a
beautiful ride on a sunny day! Oscar said the Gornergrat train ride and the
gorgeous scenery along the route was his favorite part of the entire trip.
Who could argue?
Fortunately, there had been a recent snowfall just before we arrived in
Zermatt, because we sure didn’t get any new snow while we were there for a
week. Snowmaking equipment was used to cover some of the steeper icy runs
with manmade snow, but many places were left crusty and needed fresh snow.
The Sunnegga-Blauherd runs were generally considered the sunniest slopes with
the best snow in the area. To get to the Sunnegga lift, you first had to walk
through a long underground tunnel and board a funicula that was also
underground. It exited at the top of a forested slope. From Sunnegga there
was also a walking path through the snow that lead back down to Zermatt and
reportedly would take about two and a half hours. Joanne skipped skiing and
began walking down the trail one afternoon, but was so slow, she had only
reached Findeln when it started getting dark and cold. Wearing her
lightweight suburban boots, she kept slipping on the icy path and pictured
herself falling down a cliff before reaching town. Dodging skiers on a curvy
piste, she finally hiked to a chair lift and rode back up to Sunnegga and
took the funicula down to Zermatt.
Each night when we gathered for our lengthy gourmet dinner, skiers shared
their anecdotes from the day's adventures. Terry Bates reported finding a 100
lire coin in his glove after lunching in an Italian cafe. The coin pinched
his finger and he never did figure out how it got there. Ken Wong from Hong
Kong told how he tried to keep up with Monika Carlson while skiing with her
and Bob Dunham. No matter how hard Ken tried, Monika was always way out in
front showing him her backside and fast slide. Ken could always tell you what
their elevation totals measured at the end of their ski runs- he kept an eye
on his star GPS gadget. They tallied 24,000 to 30,000 feet per day! Ken was
also the only person on the ski trip who skied every day of the trip. When
you come all the way from Hong Kong to ski, you ski!
Chuck Carlson had a bad fall one day with no inkling how it happened. Poor
guy was black and blue and had scraped up his face. It kept him off the
slopes for the rest of the trip. Pamela Brooks, from San Diego, reported that
Harold Koletsky had the patience of a saint. Seems he gave her great ski
instructions. Nice guy! Pamela’s husband, Bob Brooks, enjoyed listening to
the Karaoke Stars in the hotel piano bar, our own Rosaline and Ivanhoe, soon
to appear on MTV. Ivanhoe in turn reported that the piano man in the hotel
bar was also a gourmet chef. This gourmet chef promised to spend one night
with Ivanhoe and Rosaline at their home in Redondo Beach in September and
would cook them a gourmet meal. May we all come to dinner, Ivanhoe? We’ll
sing for our supper!
Shep enthusiastically related how he, Phil Weissgerber, Monika and Bob Dunham
tried to ski to Valtournenche on the Italian side. But Monika twice led them
on the wrong route and they had to hurry out with barely enough time to catch
the last tram back to the Swiss side. Before heading back though, Shep
discovered a tiny church all by himself. However, he had to do a little
hiking to get back to his ski group. Way to go, Shep! Unfortunately, they
didn’t make it to Valtournenche. Shep also told us how much he admired
Monika’s glove liners, which he said must have been previously owned by
Emmitt Kelley, the clown. They were so holey and air-conditioned!
Several skiers on the trip had walkie-talkies with them. One day Ralph had
gotten separated from ski buddy Ken in the Blauherd area. Ralph returned
alone to his hotel room wondering where Ken was. So he went out on the
balcony and attempted to call Ken using the walkie-talkie Ken had loaned him.
Pat Howes answered. Ralph asked Pat if she were in Blauherd. Nope, she was in
her hotel room down the hall! Never did reach Ken! By the way, Ken and Terry
Bateman made very amicable roommates. It was a toss-up who had brought along
the most gadgets on the trip! (But must confess, I brought my laptop.)
One night during dinner, we all helped Tara celebrate her 39th birthday.
Friends decorated the hotel dining room with streamers and balloons for the
festive occasion. We got to share her Black Forest Cherry Torte birthday cake
for dessert. Yum! Was that ever good! Rosaline, Ivanhoe, Liz and Ray skipped
dinner with the group one evening while they had a Chi Ba Bou experience
instead in another dining room of the Ambassador. They were served an
elaborate fondue with forty kinds of sauce, three kinds of seafood and nine
to ten kinds of meat, including ostrich, which they dipped in a boiling
broth. Afterwards, they sipped the soup the meat and fish was cooked in. They
had to work for their supper.
Betty shared a wonderful experience she had with several ski club members who
went on the guided tour of Zermatt one late afternoon. They met the tour
leader at the train station and visited old and new areas of town. Betty
reports, "A highlight of Zermatt was the walking tour which included the
history from the olden days, and meeting 'the uncrowned king of the
mountains,' Ulrich Inderbinen, age 100 years old, born December 3, 1900. He
has climbed the Matterhorn some 300 times, the last when he was 90 years old.
Throughout his life he has been a skier and a mountain guide. He has
charisma, dignity and deep appreciation for the beauty of the mountains. I
shook his hand!" That career would certainly be hard to top! Can you imagine
all the adrenaline he used up?
All too soon, we reached the last night of the Zermatt ski trip. It was party
night, Friday, January 28th, time to display our hats for the hat contest! It
is always fun to see what concoctions everyone comes up with using materials
at hand, and this year they were more splendid than ever! Ivanhoe and
Rosaline created elephant head hats from plastic bags. They were adorable and
won a second place in the vote by popular choice. Elissia Eastwood was a
playful kitten with her painted cat face and snarly hairdo for which she
garnered third place. Monika was sooo cool with her long green head of hair
hat! But Joanne's Matterhorn hat won first prize, a beautiful bottle of white
wine with the Matterhorn painted on the inside. (The wine tasted very good,
too, carted home to RPV for drinking!) Using flour and water as glue, plus
dinner napkins and toilet tissue to mold the shape, Joanne had constructed a
papier mache hat of the Matterhorn. Luckily, her hotel room had a tiny
kitchen counter area where she could work without getting a big mess
everywhere. She still wears that hat to this day! (As Emmitt Kelley’s
assistant?)
It had been a great week, even though we may have wished for more snow at
times. But who could complain after having so much fun with such a wonderful
group as the TRW Ski Club in the beautiful valley of Zermatt! On Saturday,
January 29th, the Grindelwald bus picked up the skiers who were returning to
Geneva for a leisurely day on their own. The next day they would board the
plane from Geneva to Frankfurt and two hours later they would board the
flight back to LAX airport and home. Several skiers extended their trip and
would return home two to three weeks later.
Thanks again to our great trip leaders, Shep and Tara, for planning such a
wonderful ski week in Zermatt! And thanks to all the participating ski club
members for their friendly camaraderie on and off the slopes throughout the
week!
Postscript: Save the date! The next TRW (The Right Way) Ski Club trip to
Europe is February 9, 2001 to February 17, 2001! Swiss Air travel, three-star
hotel, gourmet dining, ooh la la! The works! Val d’Isere, France, here we
come!
Submitted by Joanne Iwens