This year, everything was again compressed by work and band commitments, and we ended up going early in the year. When this was coupled with the poor year for snow, and early closure of ski resorts, we knew we had to go relatively high.
I had been translating routes from the Rother guide books for Surselva, Ost and Zentral Schweiz, and we had been near there previously with the trip to Davos and St Moritz, and so a logical place seemed to be the Laax or Flims. Bryon booked us into the Backpacker Deluxe, Hotel Capricorn for 4 nights, (it was a speculative punt ) we just had to get there.
We set off after lunch on Saturday and picked up a ferry at Dover.
By the time we reached the fuel stop at Reims it was late. We had reserved a room at
Châlons-en-Champagne. Arriving after 10pm, we crashed, and slept through.
Along to the hostel at the first roundabout into the village, where we arrived for afternoon check in.
We had a triple room to ourselves, with the bathroom next door shared with the room opposite. Plenty of space for us, and a view of the main road.
Time for dinner .. and a look around Laax at the beginning of the lift trail. The village by the lifts was a bit concrete jungle ... and half closed down. The older part below the hostel we would explore tomorrow night.... here it was just lots of square blocks, with retail outlets on the ground, and flats/ rooms above. some had cladding but most were just concrete. I guess it is one of those places where you stayed and fed all in the one place.
Back to the main road where we had spotted an Italian/ Pizza restaurant - Pizzeria Cristallina - we would later dub this as "Smokey Joes" as they lit a fire as we settled in and before long it was smoking the whole place out!
The chimney was probably damp and the smoke did not draw up. .. lots of comical waving to get it to disperse after opening all the windows and doors as well as frightening of a number of customers.
I had been translating routes from the Rother guide books for Surselva, Ost and Zentral Schweiz, and we had been near there previously with the trip to Davos and St Moritz, and so a logical place seemed to be the Laax or Flims. Bryon booked us into the Backpacker Deluxe, Hotel Capricorn for 4 nights, (it was a speculative punt ) we just had to get there.
We set off after lunch on Saturday and picked up a ferry at Dover.
By the time we reached the fuel stop at Reims it was late. We had reserved a room at
Châlons-en-Champagne. Arriving after 10pm, we crashed, and slept through.
Sunday was a day of driving, direct through Basle, and Zurich to Chur and then up the Rhine valley to the Flims resort .. a short break to check out the area and along to the next village of Laax
We had a triple room to ourselves, with the bathroom next door shared with the room opposite. Plenty of space for us, and a view of the main road.
The chimney was probably damp and the smoke did not draw up. .. lots of comical waving to get it to disperse after opening all the windows and doors as well as frightening of a number of customers.
| | | ||
| | | Arrive Laax | |
| Laax and Flims | | | |
| | | Schluechtli | |
| Cauma | | | |
| | | Travel Day | |
| Cavradi | | | |
| | | OberAlp Pass | |
| Snow Day | | | |
| | | Retreat |