After three seasons off the slopes, Peta King gives in to family pressure to rediscover her ski legs in Switzerland

THE last time I was on skis, or off them to be precise, ended with an emergency operation in Austria to repair a damaged knee. So it is perhaps not surprising that, for three years, I have resisted my family's attempts to get back on the piste.

But an invitation to visit the Valais region of Switzerland was hard to turn down and our destination, Grindelwald, in the Jungfrau ski region, proved the perfect place to rediscover my ski legs.

Grindelwald, the "Village of the Glaciers", the largest of the Bernese Oberland ski resorts, has been a mecca for British skiers since the 1930s - and it's easy to see why. It's difficult to imagine a more picture postcard location - Heidi chalet-style homes and hotels clustered in a valley of mountain peaks under the towering North Face of the Eiger.

From the village there is easy access to the whole of the Jungfrau ski region and, with over 200km of slopes served by 50 cable cars and lifts, there's enough skiing to satisfy the most enthusiastic piste bunny.

As part of my rehabiliation plan, I enrolled for three days in the Swiss Ski School where, from this season, adult classes are limited to between three and six people, giving a really personal level of tuition. My instructor, Ueli, was born and has lived all his life in Grindelwald.

He is, he tells us, "a man of the mountains"

- teaching skiing in the winter and mountain guiding in the summer.

He is also probably the fittest 74-year-old I've ever encountered and has two artificial hips and a plastic knee. So much for my wimpy snapped ligament, then.

Our first day was spent very gently on the nursery slopes at Bodmi, which are quiet after the weekend when all the locals descend - and children ski free - and are just a short bus ride from the village.

Day two, and we're ready to explore the First range, mainly blues and some easy reds and the innovative slow speed zone - a piste with a maximum speed limit of 30km per hour for less experienced skiers and families with young children.

This is straight-out-of-the-brochure skiing - perfect powder snow sparkling in the crystal sunshine under a cloudless, azure blue sky. It's even warm enough to sunbathe on the terrace of the restaurant where we stop for a decadently long lunch.

As in all ski resorts, meals in the pisteside cafés can be a little pricey, but we found the plat du jour always good value - typically, spaghetti bolognese £7, soup £4, and raclet, a Swiss speciality of melted cheese with potatoes, £4.50. A bottle of beer was around £4, water, £2.50.

The Kleine Scheidegg range, on the north side of the valley, is by far the bigger skiing area and is reached by the cog train from the railway station in Grindelwald, which is only a ten-minute walk from our hotel, even in ski boots.

The trip is a delight in itself as, with Swiss precision, the little train climbs quietly past pretty farmhouses, their walls stacked high with logs, and barns where the cattle are kept snug all winter.

This holiday isn't all about taking the easy routes. Grindelwald enjoys a reputation as a challenging destination for intermediate and advanced skiers and Peter had an exhilarating day with a guide from the Ski Club of Great Britain while Oliver, who's more of a social skier, found plenty of entertainment.

And Grindelwald is much more than a ski resort. We took a day out to visit the Schilthorn - at over 9,700ft, one of the highest peaks accessible by train and cable car, and home to the highest revolving restaurant in the world - built in 1967 and featured in the James Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Your lift pass entitles you to free travel to the Schilthorn as a walker or, like Peter, you can take your skis and tackle the black run down after lunch.

AND what a way to take lunch. The restaurant revolves - almost imperceptibly - a complete 360 degrees every hour. You'll not be shaken, but you will be stirred by the stunning views across the tops of the Alps.

And while we're Swiss munro bagging, how about a trip to the Jungfraujoch, the "Top of Europe" at 11,333ft and home to the highest railway station in the Alps? The train takes you from Kleine Scheidegg through tunnels in the north wall of the Eiger, to the Sphinx observation tower where you can see the spectacular glacier and ice sculptures from the terrace.

Grindelwald is leading the revival in popularity of tobogganing, with 70kms of pisted runs, including the famous 15km Faulhorn-Grindelwald run (the longest in Europe) and the infamous Eiger run, considerably shorter but, as we found, considerably more scary.

Toboggans can be hired for around £7 a day, but don't be fooled by the number of people on the runs, old and young and even toddlers, into thinking that this is a safe alternative to skiing. This can be seriously extreme and it's probably best to check your insurance cover.

Intrigued by its description as "the ultimate sledging experience", we cut our tobogganing teeth on the Eiger run and soon discover why this 3km descent, with its unrelenting hairpin bends at the foot of the North Wall has such a reputation.

But, after several Glühwein stops, we amazed ourselves with our ability to shoot the bends and crash through the bone-crunching bumps - and arrive at the bottom in one piece.

For those of a gentler disposition there are over 50kms of groomed walking paths, allowing hikers to get away from the bustle of the ski slopes to enjoy the serenity of the Alpine landscape.

Our luxurious base for the week was the Hirschen Hotel in the centre of Grindelwald. Owned by the same family since 1880 and today run by the fourth generation, the cosy and comfortable hotel is right at the heart of the resort, only minutes from the ski lifts, shops, bars and cafés.

The village has a great choice of restaurants, but with the Hirschen serving traditional Swiss cooking, with fresh produce from the family's garden there's really no need to go anywhere else to eat.

All the rooms are spacious and with good-sized bathrooms and deep, deep baths - great for soaking aching muscles - and each morning a dedicated TV channel gives you a weather report and a webcam of all the skiing areas.

Our room had a balcony with a great view of the main street and from where we could watch the sun go over the Eiger.

Must be time for another Glühwein, then.

TRAVELFACTS

Peta King travelled to Grindelwald, Switzerland, with Inghams. She stayed at the three-star Hotel Hirschen for seven nights on a half board basis, with prices starting from £548 per person, including return flights from Newcastle Airport to Geneva, and resort transfers.

Peta's ski pack was provided by Buri Sport in Grindelwald. Items can be pre-booked: six-day adult ski and boot hire starts from £121.

Three-day ski school starts from £140 and a five-day local area pass costs from £98 and a six-day whole area pass (valid for all lifts, plus buses and trains in the Jungfrau region) costs from £145.

Inghams Earlybird Ski 2008-9 is currently on sale including an earlybird discount of up to £100 per couple.

Inghams Reservations Line: 020- 8780-4433 View Inghams e-brochure and book online at www.inghams.co.uk Buri Sport: www.grindelwald.ch/buri-sport Swiss Ski School: www.grindelwaldsports.ch Hirschen Hotel: www.hirschengrindelwald.

ch Parking at Newcastle Airport courtesy of ParkandGo, www.parkandgo.co.uk

10:32am Saturday 16th February 2008

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