Jan 17-25, 2025
$3,735

Departs from the U.S. Monday, January 13th

Listed prices include round-trip air.
Lift ticket not included. 
Epic Pass of some type recommended (more below).

Located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Crans Montana is situated just above the Rhône Valley in the south-facing, French-speaking canton of Valais.  The resort is known for sunny days and vistas of the Imperial Crown, a chain of five mountain peaks, all 13,000 feet above sea level.  Here are some of the resort's pro's as portrayed by PowderHounds:

• High elevation ski area in one of the snowiest parts of Switzerland.
• Long skiable vertical across expansive piste, ski routes & freeride terrain.
• Minimal lift lines.
• Excellent diversity of piste trails for all levels (but less for beginners).
• Superb variety of off-piste terrain including tree skiing.
  

Here's a perspective on the skiing from Ski Magazine's 2023 review of the resort:

Experts may be disappointed by the terrain, which is 75 percent red (intermediate) and only 9 percent black. But the stop-in-your-tracks scenery and lunches at quintessential mountain huts make up for the lack of steeps.  Ninety miles of pistes vary from wide-open groomers at tree level to slopes at the Plaine Morte Glacier (9,020 ft), which lead to Piste Nationale, the most challenging run, which doubles as a men’s World Cup downhill course. For those looking to get off-piste, there are 10 ungroomed ski routes marked on the map, plus areas such as Faverges that require a guide.

Hotel Faern

Our trip includes daily buffet breakfast and dinner and seven night's lodging at Hotel Faern, which offers a unique fusion of contemporary sophistication and traditional Alpine charm.  Designed to provide elegance and comfort, Faern offers a serene retreat for guests seeking an authentic mountain getaway.  Its privileged location, close to the ski lifts and the town center, makes it ideal for our ski vacation.

Faern Double Room

The Faern's thoughtfully designed, super-comfy rooms are equipped with a range of amenities such as a bathrobe, slippers, flat-screen TV, coffee machine and a wardrobe or closet.  Adapters are available at the reception, and USB chargers are conveniently located by the beds.  The  well-appointed bathrooms feature Terrazzo-style floors and are fully equipped with plush towels, a rain shower, and a hairdryer.

Faern Twin Room

Single Rooms:  Listed cost is for double occupancy.  A limited number of rooms may be available for single occupancy; request when registering and the trip leader will make an adjustment to your invoice if you can be confirmed.

Lift Tickets:  Lift tickets are not included in the trip package.  Epic Passes, which must be individually purchased (not through the club), provide the best value.

Epic Passes:  Participants are encouraged to purchase an Epic Pass product of some type early-on.  The following options would cover your skiing for the trip; prices shown are as of March 2024 when 2024-25 pass sales began, but will increase in the ensuing months, and will be unavailable after early December:

• A "full" Epic Pass ($982)
  
• Military Epic Pass – Active/Retired ($172); Veteran ($561)
  
• Epic Day Pass (the non-holiday-rate for an "all resort" pass)
  – ($492 for 5 days; $573 for 6 days)
• Epic Local Pass ($731) - 5 days
  

You may purchase Epic Passes directly from Vail Resorts, but we suggest that you visit our Epic & Ikon Pass page to explore the various options available, including promotional offers from our tour operators.  They offer all except the military passes, which must be purchased directly from Vail Resorts.

Resort Lift Tickets:  Skiers without an Epic Pass will need to buy their lift tickets at the resort.  Here are last-winter's prices; same cost for adults and seniors:

• 423 CHF (about $465) for a 5-day pass (consecutive days)
  
• 497 CHF (about $550) for a 6-day pass

4-night pre-skiing extension

Departs from the U.S. Monday, January 13

When the towns of Pest, Buda and Old Buda merged, the world gained a true pearl of the Danube - Budapest.  Wide streets reminiscent of the boulevards of Western metropolises will evoke feelings of admiration and respect.  And at the same time you’ll be sure to notice the tempting aromas of well-known Hungarian dishes from the surrounding restaurants.  Discover the new beauty of Budapest every day.  The wide Danube winds through the city as it passes under several bridges, including the most famous Széchenyi Lánchíd.  And don’t forget the famous spa. Strong geothermal springs will carry you to a realm of silence, peace and relaxation.

The extension includes four nights at the Mamaison Hotel Andrássy with daily breakfast buffet.  The hotel is located conveniently near the city center, on the well⁠⁠-⁠⁠known Andrássy avenue. 

Our extension package includes two half-day guided tours of the city:  one on the Buda side with the Castle district, and the other on the Pest side with the Synagoge and Parliament.  We'll also have a one-hour boat trip, including a glass of sparkling wine.  On our own, we can visit the surroundings of the city, perhaps visiting Castle Gödöllö and go to Lázár puszta, or visit Esztergom basilica and castle and go to Szentendre for lunch or free time.

Single Rooms:  Listed cost is for double occupancy.  A limited number of rooms may be available for single occupancy.  Request when registering and the trip leader will make an adjustment to your invoice if you can be confirmed.

Travel Logistics:  The flight itinerary for those on the Budapest extension appears below.  To summarize:

• Monday (January 13) we depart from IAD and fly nonstop on Lufthansa into Zurich. Skis shipped with checked boot bag are free on this flight only.  If only taking boots they must go as your carry on.  Skis are not free on the main groups United flight or on the return flight for the extension.  Shipped skis cost $230 on the return flight on Lufthansa, averaging $115 each way.
• Tuesday afternoon (January 14), after our overnight flight and connection through Zurich, we'll arrive in Budapest and be bussed to our hotel.
• Saturday morning (January 18) we'll be bussed back to the Budapest airport for our short flight on Swissair to Zurich.
• We'll then be bussed to Crans Montana where we'll join the Ski-Only group who will have arrived from their overnight flight into Geneva.
• At the end of the ski-week we'll be bussed back to Zurich for our flight back to Washington Dulles via Frankfurt on Lufthansa.
  

Air Schedules (Subject to change):

Save $1,113 with a package without air tickets

Flights updated for Extension on 9/18,  flights now going through Frankfurt

Save $1,113 with a package without air tickets

Both Lufthansa and Swissair partner with United Airlines under the Star Alliance.  If you provide your United frequent flier number, your miles can be credited to your United Mileage Plus account.

Membership Requirement:  Your club membership must be current when signing up for the trip and throughout the duration of the trip.  The trip will be "sanctioned" through the Blue Ridge Ski Council:  Current members of other BRSC member ski clubs may register for the trip beginning August 1.

Trip Insurance:   Emergency medical, evacuation & repatriation insurance (not cancellation insurance) is included with your trip.  This is not cancellation coverage and will not provide any relief if you have to cancel from the trip before it begins, whether for medical or other reasons.  You may upgrade the coverage of this Basic Plan to include cancellation insurance by clicking on this link.  It will take you to a flyer describing the Basic Plan and the upgrade options available through Myra Altschuler of Travel Protectors LLC:

• The Option 2 cancellation plan provides all the benefits of the Basic Plan, but also covers you for cancelling for a number of basic reasons such as illness, injury or death to you or to your traveling companion/ roommate.  You must purchase it within 14 days of putting down your very first dollar towards the trip in order to waive the pre-existing medical condition exclusion.
• The Option 3 "Cancel For Any Reason" (CFAR) plan provides all the benefits of the Option 2 plan, but also covers you for cancelling for any non-standard reason, or if you just don’t want to go, but you must purchase it within 14 days of putting down your very first dollar towards the trip.  If you cancel your trip for a non-standard reason, your refund will be limited to 75% of your insured trip cost.
• If you upgrade your coverage with either option through Myra, prior to making your final payment on the trip, we will credit your trip invoice with the $60 cost of the club-provided Basic Plan.
• If you purchase your own travel insurance, which includes emergency medical, evacuation & repatriation coverage, and inform your trip leader prior to making your final payment on the trip, we will credit your trip invoice with the $60 cost of the club-provided Basic Plan.  You must present your policy to the trip leader to receive the credit.
  

Payment Schedule:

We’ll confirm your registration after you've signed up (registered) for the trip and we've received your payment:  Pay online by going to our Partial Payments Page where you can make initial deposits &/or interim payments for one or more trips, and for one or more members, in a single transaction.  You may also make partial payments with credit cards at club meetings.  Note:  If you wish instead to pay for the entire trip (or to pay your remaining balance), you should make your payment directly against your trip invoice.  You can find your invoice(s) from your profile page by selecting your name in the upper right corner of the website when you are logged in.

If you prefer to pay by check, make it payable to the Pentagon Ski Club and mail it to Christina Anderson, 5502 Maplefield Place, Alexandria, VA  22310.  Indicate which trip, and what skier(s) it is for.  Or give your check to one of the trip leaders (or to Christina) at a club meeting.

Trip Leaders:  Call or text to chat about Crans Montana and Budapest

                 Steve Peirce                      

scpeirce@verizon.net
19701 Golden Valley Lane
Brookeville, MD 20833
(301) 924-5173 (h)

Susie Pumphrey
wachtraum@msn.com
703-691-3944 (h)
571-224-4512 (c)