Jeanne's Next Chapter: The mountains are calling....I must go

Until moving here, I had never lived in sight of mountains. A trip to hike or ski in the mountains always required vacation time, an airplane ride and lodging arrangements. Now that I am literally in walking distance of the hills that lead to the Alps, I have been able to enjoy many excursions to beautiful places that I had only previously dreamed about.

Our first ski trip after moving here was to Alpe di Suisi (Seiser Alm in German) which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site several hours drive to our west. It is the highest Alpine meadow in Europe, so it has wide open spaces for winter sports. This part of Italy is called the South Tyrol and is primarily German-speaking as it was part of Austria prior to World War 2. The mountains in this area are the Dolomites which are a lighter color and have a more jagged profile than their neighboring Alps.

I love seeing the variety of sports and activities that share the mountain spaces. Besides downhill skiing and snowboarding, there is mountain hiking (sometimes with snowshoes), cross-country skiing (sci di fondo), horse drawn carriage rides, sledding (called sledging) and some people who are just out for a winter picnic. The area seems open to everyone of all ages; the only thing that one pays for is the ticket for the gondolas and chairlifts.

We stayed in a small family-run hotel that was on the local bus route to the gondola. Breakfast and dinner were provided and we were assigned to a table for our stay which allowed us to sit near the same families for each meal. Our hosts spoke German (and Italian) but made us feel very much like we were staying in their home. We met Germans, Austrians, and Italians but did not encounter any other Americans while we were in the Dolomites.

Alpe di Siusi

Andermatt in Switzerland

(Photo by David Hoopes)

Andermatt is an old-school ski resort in Switzerland just north of the 17km Gotthard tunnel. We drove the 140 km (87 miles) distance from Como but it is also possible to take a train that stops within 50 meters of the chairlift. Most of the skiing there is above the tree line so it was windy and it was a little challenging to see where the trails were. Since I am a more cautious skier, I always am a little worried that I am going to be blown off into some abyss. To warm up, we got on the mountain train, the cost of which was included in the lift pass and rode to another area of the resort for a late lunch. On the way, we went over the Aberalpass, which is the highest point of the Glacier Express train route between St. Moritz and Zermatt. I love the Swiss train system.

San Bernadino, Switzerland

Once a week, I go hiking with a group of women from the Como International Club. It was recently suggested that instead of hiking, that we try snowshoeing, or ciaspole as it is called in Italian. After several postponements due to rain (heavy snow in the mountains), we ended up with a spectacular day in San Bernardino which is about an hour and 20 minute drive from Como. They have more snow this year than anyone can remember so we were surrounded by a winter wonderland. Small houses were covered almost to the roof and the plowed roads and sidewalks were tall, narrow canyons in which we could see the layers of 3 and 4 meters of snow.

Since we mostly stayed on the groomed trails, we really did not need the snowshoes but it was fun to get acquainted with them and I will be ready to try snowshoeing in the wilderness someday. As we hiked, we hoped to find a baita, or coffee shop and sure enough, just like a mirage in a desert when we rounded a curve, there was a stone hut basking in sunshine. We sat on the chaise lounges, surrounded by the incredible beauty, and sipped on our cappuccinos.

I could not enjoy such a beautiful spot without feeling some guilt that Dave was working hard back at his job. So on Saturday, two days later, Dave and I returned to San Bernadino to share the experience. Even though I am sure there were hundreds of other people in the area that day, it seemed like we had the mountains to ourselves. Peaceful and quiet, pristinely clean and white.....the mountains were calling.