Blue Vixen is the RAF's annual cross country skiing expedition which takes place in and around Zwiesel in Bavaria, Germany. The aim of this site is to provide a focal point for information about the expedition - past, present and future. It includes a forum for the benefit of all participants who need a bit of advice or would like to share their wealth of experience with the rest of us. There are also descriptions of the training areas with embedded links to Google Maps and live webcams to get a feel for the geography of the area, an introduction to the training and skills, help and advice on kit and essentials, and several links to other related sites and articles. If you see a link, click it for more information.
PLEASE NOTE: The site will be undergoing a major multi-page redesign over the next few months so check back soon for new and updated features.
Below is a live webcam view of the home training area for Blue Vixen located on the northwestern edge of Zwiesel itself. The chalet accommodation is just out of picture off to the left which makes this area extremely convenient, being literally on the doorstep. Unfortunately, it is usually the last of the training areas to get snow and the first to lose it. It can also get rather crowded when everyone is trying to ski but for learning basic skills it's ideal.
Here is the J2SKI.COM 7-day forecast for Zwiesel
A second training area at Zwieslerwaldhaus is located around 9km north of Zwiesel. This is higher in altitude than Zwiesel and tends therefore to get more snowfall. It has a large open training area and plenty of undulating trails through the woods to go exploring and test out those fledgling skills. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a webcam or specific weather/snow report for this area. However, if you click the Skiwanderzentrum website link you can see the latest news on this area.
A third area is the Bodenmais-Bretterschachten Langlaufskizentrum at the southern base of the Groβer Arber. It is both a 'base camp' for our assault on the Arber towards the end of the expedition week and also a 'last chance saloon' when the snow is a bit thin on the ground elsewhere. For those who took part in 2007, this is where we started the long hike up the hill in search of that elusive snow.
Below is the Bodenmais-Bretterschacten webcam which seems to be ramdomly updated several times a day. If you don't see anything then it's probably been pointlessly updated during the night.
Below is the main Groβer Arber webcam looking from the north east. The Langlaufskizentrum is on the opposite side but you get an idea of the snow coverage in the area. You can see more Arber webcam views here.
Here is the J2SKI.COM 7-day forecast for Bayerisch Eisenstein, a town on the German-Czech border, around 3km east of the Groβer Arber and 5km northwest of Zwieslerwaldhaus
Click on this link for a Google Map satellite overview of all three training areas. There's also a more accurate localised snow report but it's written in German. However, the snow depths are easy to see and most of the relevant terms are translated below.
Schneehöhe am Berg = Snow
Depth on Mountain
Schneehöhe im Tal = Snow Depth in the Valley
Griffig = Perfect
Pulverschnee = Powder
Neuschnee = New Snow
Altschnee = Old Snow...?
Maschinenschnee = Snow Machine
One thing is very apparent from checking the situation on a daily basis for the last two seasons - The weather and snow conditions in the area change so quickly and so often that you can never be 100% sure exactly what it's going to be like until you get there.
Blue Vixen 2008
By mid November the snow had already arrived with the daytime temperatures remaining in single figures and overnight temperatures dipping below zero. The Arber and Bretterschachten Ski Centre seemed to have kept most of their snow but as of mid December the Zwiesel training area had little more than a frosty dusting. When the teams arrived in mid January little had changed and it looked like the Bretterschachten Skizentrum would be our home for the next week. The weather on Sunday and Monday was a mixture of rain, sleet and mist but the hardy participants were keen to get on with the job and by Tuesday they were rewarded with an inch or so of fresh snow followed by glorious blue skies and a refreshing crisp nip to the air for the remainder of the week.
Below are just a few pictures from the 2008 expedition. There are many more to follow in the next few weeks so drop back and try to spot yourself. There will also be some video footage of the relay race including the spectacular scramble for the line...
Click here for the video of the 2008 Inter-Station Relay Race.
You might also want to check out the entertainment in the local bar for top Bavarian Rave action on YouTube...
Blue Vixen 2007
It all looked a big dodgy until a few days after Christmas when Zwiesel finally got a dusting of snow with the promise of more to come. Unfortunately, the temperatures rose again after the new year and the expected snowfalls were not forthcoming. Instead, torrential downpours rendered the regular training areas unusable and so the teams travelled out to higher ground in search of what little snow there was. Despite hiking up many a steep hill the conditions were far from ideal, especially for the novices who may well have wondered why they'd bothered signing up. With the conditions in 2006 being absolutely perfect, those returning to Zwiesel could only lament the wonderful experience of previous years.
Red Arrows Team - Blue Vixen 2007 Report
Blue Vixen 2006
As mentioned above, the conditions for 2006 were ideal. The snow was deep, the sun was shining and the air temperature was extremely low. Even Zwiesel had a oodles of snow which is not always the case.
Blue Vixen 2006 Gateway Magazine Article
Photos from Blue Vixen 2006. Most of these were taken at the Zwieslerwaldhaus Skiwanderzentrum but there are also a few from the chalet area to give an idea of the accomodation.
Blue Vixen 2005
RAF Active Article - Blue Vixen 2005
Blue Vixen 2004
RAF Active Article - Blue Vixen 2004
RAF Active Article - Nordic Skiing at RAF Brize Norton
This is the first incarnation of the Blue Vixen website and it is constantly under development and review. If you feel there is anything you can contribute or have any other enquiries then please contact bluevixen@ntlworld.com or post on the forum. Thanks for dropping by and happy skiing
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