Fasnacht in Saas-Fee, Switzerland
26 January - 2 February 2008

The end of January is still dark and cold.
Yet Harry went to Saas-Fee with his family to ski a little earlier than usual, because the Fasnacht (Carnival) in Saas-Fee was celebrated in the final week of January this year.
The photo shows the Allalinhorn at 8AM.
The half Moon announced the beginning of the Fasnacht in Saas-Fee.
From Sunday, 27 January, a brass band called "Gugge" started peforming everywhere in the village of Saas-Fee.
The biggest event of the Fasnacht came at 9PM on Wednesday, 30 January.
With the sound of fireworks, the Gugge started a loud performance on the stage, which was set at the foot of the valley.
Soon a crowd of people gathered aroud from all over the village.
And they started to dance to the music.
Then suddenly skiers and snow-mobils, radiating white lights, came down from the mountain. The lights looked intensely bright as the snow reflected them on to the black sky.
The climax of the Wednesday night came with tremendous fireworks.
Harry could see the fireworks well from the balcony at the hotel.
The Fasnacht in Saas-Fee used music and lights very well.
It was something very differenly from Basler Fasnacht.
The Fasnacht in Saas-Fee was not yet finished on Wednesday.
The Gugge started playing music again at 4AM on Thursday - everybody in the village must have been awaken by the music.
The photo was taken around 7:30AM.
The Gugge was actually enjoying a pause at that time.
However, as soon as they noticed that Harry and his master were staring at them, they started howling and playing the music again!
The Fasnacht still continues...
On Thursday evening, people in strange costumes paraded around the village, throwing colourful confetti to the audience.
In Basler Fasnacht, confetti is never thrown on dogs or other small animals.
But in Saas-Fee, it seems like anything that moves can be a target!
Waggis is the most prominent character of Fasnacht in Basel.
But there are no Waggis in Saas-Fee's Fasnacht.
Instead, people with black masks and horse-tail like dusters in their hands seemed to be playing a major role in the parade.
These people also had big cowbells on their waists and made loud noises, like a huge herd of cows.
Harry and his master woke up at 7AM every morning, although they did not sleep well at nigt during the fasnacht.
Harry had to go to toilet and excercise a bit before getting prepared for skiing.
First by a cablecar and the last bit by an underground railway,
Harry went up to the top of the ski field.
The temperature there was around -5°C during the day, which was pretty warm for the end of January.
They had excellent weather for the entire week.
Just like in the last year in Saas-Fee, Harry accompanied his master in her backpack.
He brought poop bags, dry food and self-heating body warmers with him to the mountain.
Before they start skiing down the slopes, they always make sure that all the backpack fasteners are closed.
The glacier looks light blue in the summer.
But everything was covered with white snow.
On the way down, they had a little break on a terrace of a mountain café...
... and they skied down again.
Harry was quietly looking at the fast-running views through the mesh of the backpack.
Funny-shaped layers of snow can be found in the area a little off-course from the regular slope.
It can be fatal if Harry collides with other skiers or snowboarders.
So Harry came out of the backpack only when nobody else was around.
When he was out of the bag, he smelled the snow, dug the ground and ran around like a little bunny.
The view of the village in the evening.
A Poop-Box is standing alone in the cold snow, as watching the people who are walking back from the ski area.
Harry and his master thanked the Poop-Box for doing a very good job.
They vowed to the Poop-Box to keep Saas-Fee always clean, in order to help dogs be always welcomed there.

(8 February 2008)

Safety is the #1 priority for you and for your dog. One has to have good skiing skills and knowledge of the safety in a winter environment before taking his dog to a snowy mountain.
Harry's master always brings this book to a ski holiday. She reads it on the way to the mountain to check if she has forgotten anything very important.

Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book:
Travelling & Camping Skills for a Winter Environment

Allen O'Bannon & Mike Clelland (1996)

Go to Harry's World Journeys Index

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