2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide - 22

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 2O23 - RECAP
The iconic Matterhorn, at 14.692 feet, is
a pyramidal peak within the Pennine Alps.
The four steep sides face north, east, south
and west. The charming Swiss town of
Zermatt lies at the base of the mountain.
Numerous partipants on the 2023 Ski Week experienced the extension trip to Southern Spain and
Mallorca. While on the island of Mallorca, Spain, we rode the historic railway - the Ferrocarril de Sóller
through the scenic mountains to reach the town of Sóller, then took the tram to the Port of Sóller. The
views of the Mediterranean Sea were spectcular! The entire Ski Week and extension trip were fantastic,
and we look forward to returning to both areas! photos provided by Debbie Stewart
FWSA 2023 Ski Week to Zermatt, Switzerland Was a Spectacular Success!
Zermatt, Switzerland is one of the most
fabulous ski areas in the world and for many
people it is their favorite, so Far West Ski Association
partnered with Holidaze Ski Tours
and offered this as the 2023 International Ski
Trip. From every run, skiers enjoyed the absolutely
spectacular scenery often with views of
the Matterhorn. Zermatt, a town at the base
of the Matternhorn, was founded in the 1860's.
Our 104 participants started the trip on
the evening of February 24 with six days skiing
possible from February 25 to March 3. To
get to the ski area, we rode the Gornergrat cogwheel
train for 30 minutes to the top or we
took a shuttle bus from that train station across
town and then rode a cable car up the
mountain. Even though it was a low snow
year in the European Alps, we had good snow
for skiing at Zermatt thanks to a few days of
light snow and excellent grooming. A few of
our members skied on Sunday, although it was
a snowy whiteout day. The rest of the week
was fabulous with mostly sunny skies. In addition
to skiing at Zermatt, many in our group
skied over to Cervinia in Italy. Several people
commented on how glad they were that we
went back to Zermatt after nine years because
it is still rated Number One on the list of The
World's Best Ski Resorts. It's easy to like Zermatt,
as it is home to nine of the ten highest
mountains in Europe.
Skiing at Zermatt and Cervinia also was
a culinary experience. The many highly rated
restaurants right on the mountain served delicious
food. In fact, reservations often were required.
The Hotel Alex, where most of our
group stayed, is an excellent historic hotel.
Meals were delicious, rooms were well appointed,
and the hotel had a very nice pool, hot
tub, and spa. Others stayed at the Gornergrat
Hotel, less than a block from the train station.
The lovely car-free pedestrian town of Zermatt
offered plenty of shopping and nightly entertainment.
FWSA
2023 Ski Week
Extension to Southern
Spain and Mallorca
was So Much Fun!
With 44 people on the extension trip to
Costa del Sol, Southern Spain and Mallorca,
our journey from Zermatt to Spain started
with a flight from Zürich to Malaga, followed
by bus transfer to the Meliá Costa del Sol
Hotel in Torremolinos. The Meliá is situated
right on the beach and offered a promenade
for strolling up and down the waterfront with
numerous restaurants, cafes, and shops. We arrived
in the afternoon and had a free day to
explore this beautiful area.
The next morning, we took the chartered
bus for a 2-½ hour scenic ride to Granada.
Upon arriving in Granada, we met our tour
guides and embarked on a nearly 2-hour walking
tour of the Alhambra Palace. The Palace
was a huge infrastructure resembling a small
22 Far West Skier's Guide 2O23 - 2O24
city with many palaces and gardens. We were
blessed with moderate temperatures that
made walking the grounds comfortable. Following
the tour, we hiked down to the city of
Granada and had free time for lunch and
shopping.
The next day, we traveled by bus to
Ronda. It was a pleasant scenic ride past acres
and acres of olive groves. It's no wonder that
Spain produces lots of olive oil. Upon arrival
in Ronda, we were greeted by our two tour
guides and proceeded on a walking tour of the
city. We were in awe of this city built atop a
mountain overseeing the enormous valley that
surrounds the city. Vistas were incredible, as
were the various monuments and historic
buildings. One building that stood out prominently
was the Corrida, or bullring, as Ronda
is considered the birthplace of bullfighting.
After the tour, we had an excellent lunch at a
nearby restaurant, followed by our return trip
to the Meliá Costa del Sol Hotel.
Although our last day in Torremolinos
was a free day, we did a walking tour to the
Cathedral, then went to the city center for
shopping and dining. Several road warriors
rented bikes at the hotel for exploring on their
own. The next day we transferred by bus to
the Malaga airport for our flight to Palma,
Mallorca.
The best activity on Mallorca was riding
a historic train to the town of Sóller (pronounced
soyea). The exquisitely refurbished
train cars meandered through the mountains
FWSA Travel Memories - 2023

2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide

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