Winter In Murren - As Seen On Ski Sunday

At 1650m Mürren (www.muerren.swiss) is the highest ski resort in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland.  The car-free village that sits on a clifftop facing the Eiger enjoys a long winter season that lasts until May. 

Famous as the cradle of Alpine ski racing long before the 007 classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service brought the Schilthorn to the big screen, Mürren remains a magnet for passionate skiers, 1850 of whom converged on the small village last weekend for the Inferno, Mürren’s annual festival of amateur ski racing and all-night revelry. 

First-time competitors in the latest edition of the world’s longest downhill race included Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill and Olympic skiers Dougie Crawford and #MountainMummy Chemmy Alcott, who finished 3rdfastest woman, less than a second behind the winner. If you missed the excitement on Ski Sunday, catch up with Chemmy via BBC iplayer for a flavour of the thrill of the Inferno and the spectacular appeal of the resort. 

This year the lifts will stay open for skiing until 13thApril and until 26thApril on the upper slopes. Exciting events and attractions coming up include: 

• Big-air Acrobag in the freestyle Snowpark:  20 Feb to 8 March   
• Whitestyle Open freestyle competition: 28 February to 1 March  
• Telemark World Cup finals: 15 and 16 March 
• Telemark Only weekend (with instruction):  1 to 3 May  

Mürren’s uncrowded ski playground extends from the top of the Schilthorn (2970m) to Lauterbrunnen (800m), with long runs offering gorgeous views and every variation of steepness and orientation.   

A broad nursery slope with a rope tow and a nearby restaurant terrace at the heart of the village is ideal for beginners, children and spectators; the entire nursery area is protected from toboggans and other skiers. From the top of the Allmendhubel Funicular, Lilly’s Magic Kidsslope is a wonderful children’s ski playground, and there are attractive easy runs higher up for a confidence-building progression using the Winteregg and Schiltgrat lifts and a fan of chair-lifts reached from the Birg cable car station (2677m). A timed slalom course on Maulerhubel and a terrific high-altitude Snowpark offer endless entertainment for teens and trick skiers. The steep black from the Schilthorn summit ranks high on the list of the Top 10 must-ski pistes in Europe and, with an 88% incline, run No. 9 from Birg (Direttissima) is the steepest ski slope in the Jungfrau region. Spring is the time for touring and off-piste adventure, with local mountain guides available to find the powder and lead an escape to nature. 

Using the lifts or scenic hiking trails, non-skiers can reach mountain huts and bars to meet up with skiing companions. Other attractions include snowshoeing trails, a 3km toboggan run, a high-adrenalin Thrill Walk across the cliff face at Birg, and Bond World - a fascinating exhibition at the top of the Schilthorn dedicated to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Mürren’s sports centre has an Olympic pool, a large ice rink, gym, sauna and spa. Among the organised activities are regular yoga, zumba, Qi-Gong, Pilates and curling.