GstaadLife

World-renowned Scottish mountaineer Jamie Andrew, OBE, will speak Wednesday, May 25, 8 pm at the Landhaus Hotel, Saanen. 

Andrew was the height of his climbing career in 1998 when tragedy struck; a terrible storm in the French Alps claimed the life of his climbing partner and left him with severe hypothermia and frostbite. As a result, Andrew became a quadruple amputee, losing both his hands and feet.  Despite this challenge he has continued to thrive both personally and professionally, continuing his mountaineering career and raising a family. 

 “Our greatest limitations are those we impose on ourselves,” believes Andrew, who focuses on realistic, achievable goals and the power of positive thinking.  He shares his inspirational account of survival and adaptation in Life and Limb—A True Story of Tragedy and Survival.  Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

Sponsored by the John F. Kennedy International School’s Alpine Club and Parent Teacher Association, there is no charge for entry.  Donations, however, will be accepted to cover the cost of the event and further school development projects.

Mark the date in your calendar: October 27 to 30 2011. Local businesses present themselves, lots of interesting stuff, food, shows, kids activities etc. Here is the program.

The Hotel Arc-en-Ciel in Gstaad is celebrating its 50th anniversary this Saturday October 22 2011 from 11:00 till 17:00. You can have a look behind the scenes, there will be music, a lucky wheel, pony riding, face painting, a bouncy castle, the famous electric cars, and a special pizza oven for the kids.

BEMO (Bewegte Momente) is happening again - Sunday October 23 2011 from 10h00 to 13h00 at the school sports center between Saanen and Gstaad. They bring out every bit of sports equipment you can think of and the children can use everything for free. Parents are responsible for their little ones so you cannot just dump them there - but lots of fun is guaranteed and they will sleep soundly that night.

The Pure Snowboard Shop in Gstaad is organizing a fashion show at the Split Club on Saturday October 22 2011. The runway will feature the newest collections for the upcoming winter sports season. The fun kicks off around 22:00. 

In a recent interview with sister publication the Anzeiger von Saanen, Leonz Blunschi reflected on the 2011 Menuhin Festival with mixed feelings. For the first time in its history a concert had to be canceled due to storm warnings. And this apparently caused a slight dent in the financial numbers. Which of course had nothing to do with the strong franc, general economic malaise, or any of the many other reasons affecting almost all businesses right now. No, blame it on the weather: it's easier. If GL.com is a little testy this evening, it's because we're growing tired of the political "things are not so bad" statements emanating from our tourist trade. It's just this, it's just that, but otherwise it would have all been perfect. So while the PR spinmeisters continue to strictly control Gstaad's message to the world (see below), we'll give you our impressions from on the ground...

It is Country time again. Trace Adkins, Dailey and Vincent and Laura Bell Bundy (see video above) and Sister Morales are the big names this year. For the detailed program click here. Some tickets are still available, and there is a major side-program that is open to the public. 

 
Don't miss this great market - lots of stands, lots of food and lots of fun. It starts at 9:00 and goes until 17:00. The Lions Club Gstaad Saanenland will also have a stand there where they collect old reading glasses for SightFirst - so don't forget to bring them. 

Marcel Granollers wins the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad against his fellow Spaniard 6:4 3:6 6:3. Haven't heard from him before? - well we haven't either but he solidly played himself into the final and is currently the no 33 in the ATP ranking.

The Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad started last Saturday with cool temperatures (we were shocked to return from a sunny holiday and find the thermometer in Gstaad at 6°C!). Nevertheless the games have been exciting so far, even if punctuated by enough rain that center court has been as much covered up as played on. The weekend looks more promising though, but Swiss favorite Stanislas Wawrinka went out today Friday in the quarters. Nonetheless it's still worth a visit to the areal in Gstaad, with the PC-7-team flying their acrobatics again this year - definitely a spectacle not to miss: Saturday July 30 around 11h30 and Sunday July 31 at 10h30.