People sometimes complain that a Swiss winter holiday is very costly, but I believe it can compare favourably with a golfing holiday at home.  Ski-ing is the cheapest possible sport, if runners are content to foot it uphill instead of using railways or sledges.  During the months of February and March, special low terms can probably be obtained in the hotels, as they are anxious to prolong their season, and will do anything they can afford to induce British sportsmen to come out then.  February and the first half of March are the best time from every point of view, so that no one who can take his holiday then, and who does not want all the gaiety of the social side, will regret going during these months.  In old days before the war this was fully appreciated and the season used to last three months, instead of a short six weeks as it does now.

SKI-ING CENTRES

In this chapter I propose only to describe such of the larger Swiss places as I know personally, or by reputation.  There are a great many smaller places where equally good, or even better, Ski-ing may be found, but, as my book is meant mainly for beginners, it seems preferable to adhere to the advice given in the preface, and for me to mention only such centres as provide comfort in the hotels and good coaching and organization of tours, as well as facilities for playing other games.  Most people when they go to the Alps for their first winter visit wish to try all the different sports in order to see which they like best, and there seems to me to be no question but that the all-round sportsman gets the most out of his holiday.

There may be days when Ski-ing is not possible or when a few hours on the rink or toboggan run offer a relief to a stale Ski runner.  It is usually only the really keen enthusiast of some years’ standing who can spend the whole day waxing or oiling his Skis, or poring over a map planning future runs.

When choosing a place the first objective is a good supply of snow.  This does not seem to depend entirely on height, though there is more likelihood of finding it above 4,000 feet than below that height.  Above 5,000 feet there is less chance of thaw and rain—­the bugbears of all Winter sportsmen, who can only go out for the Christmas holidays.

I have known a Winter when snow has lain in one district at 5,000 feet and not at 6,000 feet in another, but this was exceptional.  The higher you go, the more hope you have of snow as a rule and also of frost, which is so necessary to keep the snow in good condition.

The centres I recommend are mainly arranged in groups geographically, taking the Canton of Graubunden, or the Grisons first, because it is the country I love best, having spent most of my early life there.  The heights are taken from Murray’s Handbook.

Klosters, 3,970 feet above the sea.  This seems to me to be one of the very best Winter Sports centres.  It is a small village with two large and a few small hotels.  It usually has good snow and is protected from wind.  There is plenty of sun, but North slopes provide good runs near the village as well as on the Parsenn.