In 2021, meteoblue turns 15, and we celebrated this as a teambuilding excursion – our “meteoblue day” – in the vicinity of the pictoresque Swiss town of Spiez in the canton of Bern.
The event started with a (moderately for the sporty) strenuous mountain hike - specifically the ascent from Erlenbach (720m asl) to the cable-car stop of Chrindi (1635m asl), followed by a walk around Hinterstocksee (a picturesque mountain lake, pictured below) and lunch at the local farmstead, which miraculously produced 3 dozen traditional Swiss meals – Älplermaronen (English: Alpine macaroni with cream and cheese sauce) - on 2 hotplates.
We continued the hike around the charming glacial lakes, followed by the descent back to Erlenbach - thougher than ascent. The need for refreshment and shelter took us to Spiez, where we visited the quaint Museum of grapevine and folklore (see below), and learned that wine was once the cleanest drink in the region. Wine was followed by dinner and drinks and some of us almost forgot that the night was coming to an end.
The second day was therefore purposely more relaxing – commenced by a visit at the imposing medieval castle of Spiez, located on a small peninsula, and for centuries the center to the politcal and organisational activities in the region. The castle is carefully maintained and displays the historical developments of the region, lifestyles and arts. In the afternoon, we took to the lake (Thunersee) – by boat, canoe or stand-up paddling - and swimming (the natural excursion into the pristine 18°C for almost all stand-up paddlers).
You may wonder whether a weather company is able to pick the perfect weather for their outdoor events. The answer is: yes, we can! The weather conditions were ideal: First day initially sunny, then partly cloudy and not too hot, so we could hike the mountains, take stunning pictures and avoid getting sunburnt at the same time. The second day was mostly sunny and warm enough to dry the water splashes. How far in advance did we plan this? 4 weeks, which is too much for a perfect forecast, and that was where we were lucky. 2 weks ahead: 40% predictability. 4 days ahead, we knew we would get it right - and rainfall was kind enough to arrive after our departure and according to the forecast 4-days ahead.
Refreshed and rejuvenated, our meteoblue team is now back at work to continue introducing more innovative functions to the weather business. Stay tuned to find out more!
