Snow, mountains, skiing: Aug20-Sep10

Old Aug 8th, 2015, 05:20 PM
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Snow, mountains, skiing: Aug20-Sep10

Hello, I am acting as tour-guide from Aug20 to Sep10 for my elderly parents (for whom snow-capped mountains are an exotic dream that they would like to see). I will start from Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Bavaria) and end up in Italy (Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, Pisa, Palermo etc) and in between, would like to spend two or three days somewhere where

a) there is snow, skiing and "mountainous sights"
b) can be reached by public transport (train or buses)
c) is reasonably robust to weather so that the probability of the whole visit being spent indoors is small
d) there is no climbing or hiking involved: both my parents are non-skiing "heart patients" who would just like to see the slopes
e) is not too expensive, given that we are not even trying to actually ski, and it is the "visuals" that matter more.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or tips you can give me. As you might have guessed, I know very little about this myself...

Thanks !!

Suresh
suresh123 is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 07:23 PM
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Hello Suresh,

I assume you are coming from a country where there is no snow at any time of the year. Unfortunately, August 20 - September 10 is basically summer in the northern hemisphere and even in the Alps, it is not ski season.

However, if you were to visit some of the highest altitude areas of the Alps or the Italian Dolomiti, you could take gondolas or trams up to view points where you might be able to see some snow left at the peaks.

If you really wanted to see winter time snow, you could instead visit South America - Peru and Chile, where it is winter and they also have ski resorts.

I would definitely check with your parents' physicians before taking them up to these high altitudes if they are heart patients.

Good luck!
Dayle is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 09:33 PM
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Hi Suresh,

The only place that has summer skiing (that I know of) is Zermatt in Switzerland. Yes, it is quite easy to get to by train -- fly into Geneva or to Zurich airport, both of which have an integrated train station. Then it's about 3h to get to Zermatt.

Once in Zermatt, they can take cable cars to ascend the peaks. Zermatt itself is a car-free town.

Unfortunately, there isn't much else to do in Zermatt except hike or ski. It sits at the end of a valley, and it's a pretty small town. They may run out of things to do -- unless they just like to sit on a sunny terrace and read.

If they can do without the skiing, there is a glacier at the Zugspitze in Germany, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen. They can take cable cars to ascend several mountains to see the summits, and they can take the cogwheel train to see the glacier at the Zugspitze. Garmisch is about 2h from Munich airport by train, and once in Garmich, they can get around by town bus or by taxi.

Have fun as you plan!

s
swandav2000 is offline  
Old Aug 9th, 2015, 12:39 AM
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For summer skiing I recommend Hintertux Glacier in Austria. It's probably the best you can get at the moment. Here's the website with current information:
http://www.hintertuxergletscher.at/e...formation.html

But be prepared that there's not much snow at the moment, even though they say max. 110 cm at the top. That's just the remains of the snow put together on the pistes. We are in the middle of a heatwave and the snow is melting rapidly even there.

The weather is not predictable for more than maybe 3 or 4 days, and there is no region in the Alps where it is "reasonably robust to weather" (stable nice weather, I guess).

Austria is much less expensive than Switzerland, so that's another plus for Tux. You can easily get there by bus from Mayrhofen (Zillertal), where I suggest you stay in a hotel - it is the major tourist town in the region with lots of usual stuff to do and see.
Ingo is offline  
Old Aug 9th, 2015, 01:04 AM
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Basically at this time of year the only locations with some snow are the exceptionally high resorts with a glacier. Some do indeed offer summer glacier skiing but it is mostly an early morning affair.

Saas Fee is an alternative to Zermatt and they generally have some ski runs open even in summer.

Currently there is a heat wave in southern Europe and zero centigrade is found only above 4000m.

Saas Fee has a convenient funicular railway - Metro Alpin - which takes you up to roughly 3500m.

However, two words of warning for this an other ultra-high spots. The UV rays are extremely fierce at such an altitude (air clarity and reflection off the snow). Also you say that your parents are heart patients. Would such a high altitude be at all wise?
nochblad is offline  
Old Aug 9th, 2015, 05:12 AM
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For SLOPES, check:
Les 2 Alpes
Hintertuxer Gletscher
Zermatt
Cervinia-Breuil
Saas Fee

If you just want to go into the snow areas and walk on a glacier (without running ski lifts and prepared ski slopes), there are tons of other possibilities, like:
Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix)
Les Grands Montets (Argentiere)
Glacier3000 (Gstaad, Montreux)
Glacier de la Plaine Morte (Crans-Montana)
Pointe Hellbronner (Courmayeur)
Ghiacciaio d'Indren (Alagna Valsesia or Gressoney)
Titlis (Lucerne)
Diavolezza (Pontresina)
Kaunertal
Pitztal
Stubaital
Kitzsteinhorn (Zell am See)

All these place can be reached by public transport, Indren Glacier only up to Set 6th, however.

The Austrian glaciers are between Munich and Venice, along your itinerary. All others need a detour to the West.

I suppose your parents consulted their cardiologist before planning a high mountain stay
neckervd is offline  
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