European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                At last the snows Are falling in Europe and skiers Are delighted. Many americans skiers however it Are headed to the Sand not the Snow. A v a. A a a i it. A Vav. By Norm Zeigler. Travel outdoor writer. Early season storms that dumped substantial Snow throughout ski country have skiers and Industry officials alike excited about the possibilities for the 1990-91 season but desert shield is putting a crimp in some plans a after four years of Snow drought it appears that this could be the Winter skiers in Europe have been dreaming about. Already the list of Snow accumulations at ski resorts reads like a midwinter report a / a. A a a Eill Amman at the ski information office of adar Germany s largest automobile club in Munich said Snow conditions throughout Europe Are Quot very Good for this time of  they Are so much better than the last few years that Many of her colleagues Are More excited about skiing than about Christmas a Amman says the Best skiing at the moment is in the italian Alps but stresses that Quot in the other Alpine lands it is also Good Quot in nearly All areas it is already possible to ski Down into the valleys. Most areas also have enough Snow for Good Cross country skiing at the armed forces recreation Center s Skytop slopes in Berchtesgaden Germany conditions Are Quot the Best they be Ever been Quot says Harry Connors arc Public affairs spokesman. In Carmich All slopes Are open. Quot you can ski. From the top of the Hausberg to the Valley for the first time in four years Quot Connors says. Herb Seaton president of the Heidelberg International ski club says during a recent trip to Kapraun Austria the skiing was Quot the Best i be seen Early season in three or four years Quot others go even further. Rav Nicholson vice president of the Rhein main ski club says Quot we be bad probably More Snow already this year than in the last three or four  Snow comes at an opportune time since ski resorts count on the Christmas Holiday period for a Large portion of their yearly income. Helmut Steger owner of tyrolean Tours in Kyj Rehdorf Austria says the pre Christmas ski conditions Are Quot the Best since 81-82.&Quot Steger s assessment is shared by Siegfried Baumgartner owner of Siegi Tours in St. Veil Austria Quot it s just perfect Quot Baumgartner says. I n some areas the Snow acc mutations Are already Large enough to assure sufficient coverage far into the season Steger says Quot even if there would be some warm weather we Are pretty Safe for the  but because of operation desert shield Many americans have been unable to take advantage of. The unusually Good conditions on the slopes. Steger whose firm caters mainly to americans says he has received Quot quite a number of  he still a has 20 or 30 vacancies for the Christmas holidays and Many More for Jan uary. Whole units were forced to cancel because of deployment or possible deployment to the Gulf Region. Quot we have excellent skiing conditions but no clients Quot Steger says. John Schwartz of Scherer Tours another firm catering to americans says his business is off 20. Percent this season. Quot it could have been potentially our Best but now it s probably going to be just  Baumgartner s company is faced with a similar situation. Quot i expected the Best season in 24 years Quot european Snow Depths in . St. Magritz Verbier Zermatt Austria bad Gastrin St . Cou Mayeur Val senales German Garmisch Feldberg Oberst Dorf lower upper slopes slopes 12 20 47 74 8 48 we 39 .8 48 12 20 47 102 10 57 31 117 24 72 10 it 14 35 he says. He is fully booked for Christmas but faces the Prospect of Many empty rooms in january. Tour groups of 50 and More people have had to cancel. Desert shield has also had a dampening effect on the plans of american ski dubs in Europe. Seato says the Heidelberg club has been forced to cancel Quot three or four Quot of its planned trips. He says even people who Are not being sent to saudi Arabia Are working Long hours in support of the deployment. Seaton says attendance at club meetings has been Good but membership is Down from 1,800 last year to about 1,200 now. / v Nicholson says the Rhein main club has cancelled Only one trip so far but the number of people going on the trips has dropped a thanksgiving trip to Zermatt attracted 62 people last year but this year Only 23 went. The club membership is also Down from around 200 a year ago to Quot about half of that  Nicholson says another Factor in the downturn in addition to desert shield is the Low. Dollar. Quot with the terrible Exchange rate people can t go on As Many trips Quot 1 companies and clubs have tried to tailor their trip cancellation policies so  forced to cancel their ski plans because of desert shield do not lose Money Seaton and Steger say whether a cancellation fee is charged depends on w Hether the hotel charges a penalty. This sometimes depends on Hove far in Advance the booking is cancelled. The Heidelberg club tries to cancel Quot about six weeks out1 from any trip. So far this year the club has not had to pay a penalty. Steger said tyrolean Tours is Quot quite flexible Quot about cancellations related to desert shield. In general no fee is Char ged but one american group paid a cancellation fee of $5 per adult. A a a Schwartz says his company s policy is Quot that everyone who cancels because of desert shield gets a full  a a a. Baumgartner has the same policy Quot if somebody has to go to saudi Arabia they get 100 percent of their Money  he says he has military customers w to ave been booking with his company for 10 or a years f0, of t Iem fiends he Hopes that they Wilt soon be Able to leave the desert Sands and return to enjoy the Snow and the mountains. Quot my no. 1 concern is for people to come Back  a amps stripes Magazine december 20, 1990