In view of the minimal snow we now experience in the British Isles, I thought you might enjoy these taken on my rail tour holiday last week. There wasn't as much snow as you might expect, present in quantity at heights only over 1000m, but the blue skies aren't faked - there wasn't so much as a wisp of cloud for five days. Click to enlarge.
Starting at Chur, in the Rhine valley at 500m asl, which should be under snow at this time, but it was up on the hills.
But an aftrenoon trip to Arosa, 1000m higher, showed a different world where skis were de rigueur - though I was told it only opened 3 days earlier.
Next day a trip on the Bernina Express which climbs to 2250m with the aid of spectacular engineering and an amazing ruling gradient of 1 in 17 without the benefit of a rack.
The Landwasser Viaduct - straight into a cliff
Spiral tunnels - the train has just passed over the viaduct below, going the other way.
But there was plenty of snow at the top of the Bernina Pass
Then on to the Glacier 'Express' which averages 25mph
Avalanche protection
and a view of Andermatt
The final planned tour day went to Zermatt and up the Gornergrat rack railway to 3100m
Monte Rosa (4634m) and the Fixen Glacier
Proving that I'm bigger than a little pimple called the Matterhorn
No, it really is a big mountain (from Zermatt)
And the last day, free but all railed out, drinking coffee on the lakeside and admiring the Eiger-Monch-Jungfrau group
War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce
Chichester 12m asl