http://laurent.climbingaround.com/arosa.zip
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Perched at the top of the delightful Schanfigg Valley to the southeast of Zürich and the old city of Chur, family-friendly Arosa ski resort is one of the highest (1,800m) and most popular of the Alpine resorts in the Grisons(F)/Graubunden(D), after Davos and St Moritz. The open snowfields on four mountains largely favour beginners and intermediates and the lift system is highly efficient.
The fast lifts to 2600m and 100 km of skiing are perfect for families, beginner to intermediate skiers. Off-piste junkies have vast landscapes and stunning hikes just there, waiting!
Arosa has plenty to interest families and non-skiers, too, starting with the fabulous restaurants and horse and sleigh/walking trails.
In Summer, golf, tennis, walking routes, running trails, mountain biking circuits, swimming lakes, horse riding terrain, and town amenities attract visitors year on year.
Arosa village lies sheltered above the Schanfigg Valley and, although part of it dates from the 14th century, it has a modern and contemporary feel. The village consists of one main street (Poststrasse), lined with hotels and shops, and lures families with its attractions such as kindergartens for children and fashionable shops for adults.
Arosa is a municipality situated in the district of Plessur, Switzerland. Located at the end of the Schanfigg Valley, Arosa is a renowned summer and winter destination. With a population of around 2,300 inhabitants, Arosa is known for its skiing area.
Arosa has a mild and a favourable summer climate, characterised by sunny days and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The area of Arosa is believed to have been inhabited since the thirteenth century. Till 1851, Arosa was considered a part of the Davos municipality. The nineteenth century saw the development of Arosa as a major tourist destination bringing in a large number of visitors from all over the globe.
The main source of economy in Arosa is tourism. Festivals like the Arosa Humour Festival are an important part of the Arosa culture.
Arosa is a high altitude, ozone rich, resort for outdoor activities. It is well structured for skiers, non-skiers and children of all ages.
Because it is the first high altitude mountain range met by weather from the North, Arosa has an exemplary winter snow record, and it is an exceptionally sunny resort in Summer - two reasons why it has been a popular ski and health resort for over a hundred years and it continues to attract holidaymakers all year round. The wonderland potential of Arosa led to the huge investment of the present train access one hundred years ago.
Area Profile
A classic high-altitude resort of the type that only exists in Switzerland, Arosa is famous for its views over the local peaks and its well laid out lift system. The local ski club was founded in 1903, making it one of the world's oldest, and the ski school began in 1933. Developing from a destination for health giving holidays in the last century in to one of the pioneering winter sports meccas before the era of modern skiing, Arosa has managed to turn itself in to a winter sports destination with the facilities modern tourists want, but at the same time continued to capitalise on the stunning natural beauty and unspoilt quality, an ever more valuable asset.
From a practical point of view Arosa also scores highly thanks to its altitude - one of the highest traditional villages in Europe. The village's location at the end of the steep Schanfigg Valley gives it another strength in the modern era - no through traffic.
The resort was turned from a remote village to an international destination resort by a Dr Otto Herwig-Hold, who thought it the ideal location for his tuberculosis sanatorium back in the 1880s. Since then kings and queens, along with celebrities such as Sophia Loren and Thomas Mann, have made up the guest list. Early winter sports fans had a basic bobsleigh run and hickory wood skis to enjoy the snow. Today it attracts a wide range of clients from the rich-without-glitz brigade who have money but don't want to flaunt it, to lively young 'boarders.
Services Profile
Children's ski school, babysitting. Shops, restaurants, post offices, banks, museum, night clubs, cinema, casino, and public library.
Snowboarding Profile
Snowboarding is a vibey scene with the SIT hut playing chilled music on the terrace, very comfy seating and excellent burgers, right next to the terrain park and 130 metre halfpipe.
Winter
It is a snow sports heaven in the winter season And with a wide range of cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops, you’ll always find something to keep you entertained both day and night.
A bit of history for ski fans....
Sylvain Saudan was born the September 23rd 1936 in Lausanne. Called the " skier of the impossible" , he is one of the pioneers of the extreme ski.
Patent of instructor to the first exploits
In 1961, at the 25 years age, Sylvain Saudan passed the " Swiss patent of instructor of ski". One allots the n° 4 ' 114 to him! He initially used his new trade in Notch-Montana. The summer, he devotes himself to the alpinism in the Swiss and French Alps, sharing his time between these two passions (2/3 of ski, 1/3d' alpinism).
In December 1962, he leaves for a voyage around the world and trades as ski instructor in three stations: Aspen (Colorado), Christchurch (New Zealand) and (Scotland). He affirms to have obtained a " diploma of guide of high mountain américain" in Aspen, spring 1963 (in Dreyfus, p. 38). With Easter 1964, it is of return to Martigny, then goes quickly to Chamonix. During the winters 1964-1965, 1965-1966 and 1966-1967, he worked as ski instructor in Zermatt and Arosa. It is there that it carried out its first exploit in spring 1967, on a particularly steep slope on the blanks of Rothorn, Arosa.
The time of the " premières"
Between 1967 and 1973, Sylvain Saudan accumulated the " premières" , at the rate/rhythm of one per year. Although raftered mountaineer, it is before a whole skier, which pushes it, each time that is possible to use the means of transport at disposal to curtail the rises, even if it means to resort to the helicopter, which the purists will reproach him. He proved all the same his talents of mountaineer during the rise of the McKinley Mount, of 1 ' 800 with nearly 6 ' 200 Mr.
Its first exploits were not very médiatisés. The films carried out at the time of the descent of the corridor of Gervasutti and especially of Bionnasay opened to him, as of the autumn 1970, a parallel career: that of lecturer.
After the Alps, Saudan launches out to the conquest of the tops of the North America, then of the the Himalayas, where he will know a great victory (Hidden Peak in 1982), but also a tragic failure (three died with the Dhaulagiri in May 1979). Its exploits were worth to him to be quoted in the Livre Guinness of the records.
Its " premières" not bringing back money to him,in 1975, Saudan earned its living of its lessons of ski (the winter) and its races in mountain (the summer). He also has a ski shop in Arosa.
Summer
mountain sun,
excellent hiking and biking trails,
bathing pools and leisure facilities.
Cable car, gondola,
horse and carriage, train,
scooter, walking and cycling,
music course weeks, figure skating lessons, golf tuition can all become reality in Arosa.
The all-inclusive Arosa card ensures that the whole family can do all their favourite activities, whenever they like, and however many times they like. The bathing beach, 100 metres from Chalet Runca, offers barbequed dishes and buffet salads, right on site of the swimming, volleyball and playground - in the most stunning setting with lawns and the 1920's wooden swim house on stilts.
There are toy shops for all your beach fun needs, clothes shops to get you in the holday mood, and an open air train to visit the oldest (continually inhabited) city in Switzerland.
Supermarkets ensure you can buy the freshest food produce.
We offer the apartment cooking facilities, the garden and barbeque facilities (gas and wood burning barbeques), and the restaurants are convivial occasions at good value.
We offer a bed and breakfast/mountain bike guiding service in the main chalet.
We look forward to welcoming you this summer. Helen and Mike.
