It’s cold in Klosters

17th January 2013, by Abi Butcher

The last ski run before lunch at the Serneuser Schwendi in Klosters

I’ve just come in from my first powder day of the season, and I was lucky enough not to have to share it with anyone else.

I’m now in Klosters, Switzerland, and the place seems almost deserted. Granted, it’s mid January, and it is very cold, but we had some amazing off-piste runs all round the Parsenn ski area with barely a soul in sight.

Having never been to Klosters before, I had no idea what to expect. Switzerland is, I think, my favourite country in which to ski (partly because you get proper hot chocolate on the mountains) but the area more than lives up to Switzerland’s reputation of being chocolate-box pretty and offering impressive service.

With mountain guide Jorg from the Klosters Ski School, we spent all day skiing powder runs lined with snow-laden trees. Perfect in such cold conditions (it was -20c all day) and when the light is flat like it was today. First run of the day was down to the side of the piste Schwartzseealp from the Gotschnagrat cable car, and the snow was quite wind-packed — not what I’d been expecting looking out of my room in the Silvretta Parkhotel this morning to a good foot of snow.

Apparently this is the slope where instructors suss you out, to see where they can take you next. We all clearly passed muster – I am in a group with five other journalists — so on we went to ski Drostobel, a chilly, but beautiful, north-facing run which used to be an un-pisted black. Around 10 years ago the markers were taken away so now it’s just an off-piste run and we were the only ones on it, skiing in thigh-high, beautifully light powder.

Next was Chalbersaas, which I’m told means “calves meadow” as livestock graze this area all summer — yet another run through the trees down to our lunch spot. I’ve rarely been so relieved to get inside and the excellent Serneuser Schwendi, where we stopped, has sheepskin-lined benches and really friendly staff who plied us with hot drinks and food at impressive speed.

After one last run I’m back at the Silvretta Parkhotel, for a quick sauna, swim and dip in the whirlpool (the last run of the day was not my best, and my muscles are aching) before heading out for supper. My room is enormous, and contains a fireplace with a neat stack of firewood, so I have resolved to come in tomorrow afternoon and light myself a fire while I make a start on the next WTSS newsletter. It’s a tough life!

• snow
• switzerland
• off-piste
• klosters
• powder

Back to all blogs