St Moritz

We thought we would move up market this weekend and give St Moritz a try. Leaving the cold early morning mists of Milan with the telemarker it took 2 and a half hours to arrive. The drive was a treat in itself, the frozen lakes prior to St Moritz were looking spectacular, and a mass of ice spilling over a dam seemed to promise fine ice climbing.

We couldn't be anywhere else but Switzerland. Since crossing the frontier the roads had become curiously nice to drive on. Road signs appeared before junctions, horns were silent, there was order and St Moritz was found exactly as it was supposed to be.

The weather could not have been better. Clear blue sky, no wind and the piste looked unreal. In fact it was, little snowfall had meant that the cover was hard packed, icy and rutted by the grooming machines. It felt artificial and lacking character. Quite obviously the resort has much to offer with a fresh cover of snow with many off piste runs but today it wasn't going to be. The runs were far too quick for a wobbly snowboarder, and my ski pass also bought me one or two bruises courtesy of St Moritz.