Switzerland - Skiing In The Swiss Mountains (1953)

[Music] foreign [Music] with the first sunbeams of dawn gilding a vast blanket of glittering snow another day begins high among the swiss alps dominated by the impressive silvreta mountains the little village of clusters slowly awakens in this enchanted valley famous not only for its unspoiled beauty and its quaint chalets clusters is an ideal winter resort brighton switzerland's parson region world-renowned downhill skiing paradise when the sunshine ski enthusiasts are up with the birds let's get going this day was just made for ski [Music] so [Music] our friends pick up three more of their pals together the five make a clusters team of highly trained expert skiers let's follow them on their way the sun is warm the air's spicy there's no condition perfect it bids fair to be a memorable day of skiing the name parson originally referred to a little elf at the foot of the casana mountain near the well-known winter resort of davos but today the name applies to a great widespread region which includes many fine resort towns and which was created it would seem expressly for skiing the parson can scarcely be matched anywhere for scenic beauty and certainly it's the largest and most fabulous downhill skiing district in the world [Music] in a shiny new cable airway which connects clusters with the fight peaks of the gochna mountain our friends zoom up almost 4000 feet in the amazingly short time of 15 minutes this fine aerial tramway conveniently transports thousands of skiers to the starting point of new and varied racy downhill runs and here they are 7 500 feet above sea level our five fearless ski devils proudly greeting the gigantic alpine panorama boys like arrows they're ready to push off there they go [Music] with breathtaking speed they'll fly down over wide open endless slopes swirling through soft white powdery snow some of these downhill runs are over 10 miles in length there's an unlimited variety of skiing routes in the parson where snow conditions are ideal from the beginning of winter to the middle of may an indescribable sense of heavenly freedom comes over them skimming over the rolling hills far from the bustling towns and confusion of civilization [Music] take heart you novice skiers even an expert can take a tumble she gives the sign no broken bones i'll be with you in a minute [Music] such grace and coordination and such fun no wonder skiing holds first place today in winter sports switzerland has been largely responsible for the enormous development of skiing and its general popularity partly of course because she has her alps and snow but also because of her excellent ski schools the reasonably apt pupil can be ready for easy runs after a single week's instruction here in an official school according to the swiss ski school it's simple to learn come on and join the fun who knows you might even wind up with the experts down they go as gracefully as if they were waltzing on clouds skiing under the bright blue alpine sky of switzerland [Music] me the parson skiing district is so tremendous that half the day can pass by before our team of five meets other enthusiastic sportsmen here they pass under the tracks of the colorful little parson funicular which connects this outstanding skiing area with the famous swiss resort town davos efficient railway and funicular service throughout the parson region return skiers to their starting points without any difficulty the less ambitious athlete will be glad to know that a network of ski huts and inns covers the area no need to push on doggedly when you're tired it's always the time and the place to stop for a cheering cup of chocolate our friends though are not yet ready to relax there are more thrilling downhill runs beckoning them for the experienced skier there are thrills of plenty in the parson and yet it's one of the least dangerous of all the big skiing districts sos cabins along the main routes are equipped with phones and the excellently organized parsen service is always on duty patrolling the more frequented runs parse and ski officials have provided liberally for the comfort and safety of winter sportsmen [Music] some of the biggest names in international skiing have trained in the parson and many of them have won their medals in the famous parson derby an exciting ski meet which was first organized in 1924 men and a girl five on skis today is for fun and snow thrills but tomorrow perhaps one of them has his eye on next year's derby [Music] um [Music] the winding track of the funicular crosses their path again the brief stop the wave of welcome to skiing friends and they'll be off once more now on the home stretch [Music] [Music] do [Music] nearing the end of this picturesque and beautiful run they reach the valley with its lovely inns and chalets it's growing colder now night must fall hi neighbor can we hitch a ride off come the skis at last and isn't it wonderful to relax in a cozy sleigh after a day in the open [Music] jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way our gay little group exhilarated and yet pleasantly wary heading homeward under a gold and pink sunset sky [Music] the likes of the village ahead twinkle their warm welcome as the snow turns to silver under a rising moon [Music] no ski adventure is complete without a traditional stop in at a typical swiss alps hotel in the heart of clusters our friends gather at the famous chez agriculture the cheerful swiss band is tuning up while our skiers prepare to warm their spirits with one of those tasty old country wines [Music] three cheers one for our beautiful country one for our favorite sport and finally one for this perfect day [Music] you