European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Unlimited possibilities on Europe s slopes re Martou 7ein cd. By Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer perhaps the Best Way to sum up skiing in Europe is to borrow a phrase the germans use to describe the United states Quot unlimited  from the pyrenees to the Alps the dolomites to the scottish Highlands skiers will find an incredible variety of ski terrain. There Are High wide open Glacier slopes and winding Forest trails craggy peaks with vertical drops of More than 7,000 feet and gently rounded Hills that Rise Only a couple of Hundred feet. The resorts Are As varied in character As the terrain. They Range from tiny clusters of rustic chalets that evoke the previous Century to gleaming High Rise complexes that preview the next. At one end of the spectrum Are the Low key family areas Ideal for relaxing with the kids and at the other Are the glitzy Jet set resorts where the disco scene is As fast paced and wild As anything in Paris or Munich. The majority fall somewhere in Between. There Are ski opportunities nearly everywhere americans Are stationed in Europe. Even the so called warm countries a Greece Spain Turkey a have skiing. The Best and most popular ski regions on the continent a in France Italy Germany Austria and Switzerland a Are less than a Day s drive from Central Germany. This puts them within easy reach of the main concentration of . Service members. Yugoslavia is Only a Day and a half away. Military members and Dod civilians can ease into the ski scene Here by joining one of the Many military ski clubs. Another option is the armed forces recreation Center which has programs and facilities in Garmisch t Chi Emsee and Berchtesgaden Germany. Exploring different ski areas in Europe offers the Chance to experience not Only varied terrain but also different cultures. Places like Zermatt Chamonix kit Buhel and Sarajevo which in the United states May have been no More than exotic video images on wide world of sports become fascinating reality. The fervent Hope of skiers is that this will be the Winter when it finally snows again in Europe three years of Snow drought have left Many sceptical. Hannes Exenberger co owner of git Reisen in Flop Garten Austria says his company s bookings Are Quot Aski Europe armed forces recreation Center pages 28-29. Arc much of Europe s skiing is above the tree line. Bit slow at the moment. People Are waiting to see what  despite the Lack of Snow hopfgarten had a better season last year than some areas. Quot everybody who came was Able to ski Quot he says. But for most of the Winter Only the upper trails were open. This year he says is bound to be better because Quot it can t get any  Herb Seaton president of the Heidelberg International ski club says because of the last three Winters the club will Start its ski trips about six weeks later this year than in the past. The first trip planned is for the veterans Day weekend nov. 10 and 11. All of the Heidelberg club s trips through mid december Are to Glacier areas which Are assured of having Snow. Seaton is confident that it will Snow this Winter but he is not predicting How much. Bernhard Bruckdorfer Winter sports program manager at arc Garmisch is also upbeat. Quot i believe the 100-year calendars and they say heavy Snow Quot Bruckdorfer says. It s takes More than Snow to ski however. Money. Skiing is an expensive sport this season with the Dollar table of contents introduction .<2 Italy Val senales. 3 equipment fashion. Industry Outlook. Winter driving. Skiing with kids. 13 ski patrol. Ski safety. Resort selection .18_19 lessons. A. Outdoor rec centers .27 afhc.28-29 Engelberg. Ski clubs. Reaching record lows pursuing the sport will be costlier than Ever for americans. Quot the Low Dollar Means that the avid skier instead of skiing once a month May Only go once every two months Quot says John Schwartz of Scherer Tours. Nonetheless he remains optimistic. Quot most americans realize that it s cheaper to ski in Europe now while they Are Here Quot he says. American skiers new to Europe need to keep in mind that there Are some important differences Here. The biggest difference Seaton says is the attitude of the resorts toward safety. Because of insurance factors in the United states ski areas Are More careful about making rules and policing the slopes. In a sense they watch out for their patrons Well being and set limits on their actions. In contrast in Europe Quot there is no out of Bounds Quot Seaton says. Quot you can ski anywhere you want if you Are willing to assume the  this can present certain problems. In the United states if you ski off Trail you May have your ski pass confiscated. In Europe you May ski off a Cliff or into a Crevasse. The danger Factor increases As the weather worsens. Since much of the skiing is above the tree line it is easier to get lost if Clouds or fog move in. In Europe skiers who do become lost or injured Are liable for the Cost of their Rescue. For this reason ski insurance is a Wise investment. It generally covers stolen skies and personal liability As Well As Rescue and Hospital costs. Americans May be surprised by the size of some european ski resorts. In some areas you can ski for Days and never go Down the same Trail twice. Trois valleys in France has 175 lifts and More than 270 Miles of trails. Verbier France has 84 lifts and 190 Miles of trails. The Wilder Kaiser Brixen Tal Region of Austria has More than 80 lifts and 115 Miles of trails. Anyone skiing at one of the bigger resorts should carry a map of the area and some extra Money. It is possible to Start the Day in one Valley and end it in a different one 10 or More Miles away. Seaton tells an anecdote about skiing at trois valleys with the head of the Vail colo., ski patrol. At one Point they stopped High on the Mountain and Seaton asked him How the area compared to Vail. The Man thought a moment and then made a Small Triangle with his fingers and scanned it across the Skyline of the resort Quot Well you could pretty much fit Vail in anywhere  Europe skiing with kids Page 13. Arc ski Europe is a special supplement to the stars and stripes an authorized unofficial publication for . Armed forces overseas. Contents Are not necessarily the official View of the . Government department of defense or the . European command. Editor a Norm Zeigler Art director a Wes Booher makeup editor a Brian Smith october 24, 1990