Faced with a lack of snow, several mid-mountain ski resorts in Switzerland, and elsewhere in Europe, have had to close. In Torgon, a small family resort in the Valais Alps, located between 1,200 and 1,900 metres above sea level, it's hikers rather than skiers on the slopes. "All the snow we had is gone" says Giuseppe Sammarco, a ski instructor at the resort, "there's just a little line left for the beginners". A visitor to the slopes, Anna Reiner, explains how her family has had to find other activities, "today we went hiking, which was fun, but it's not the same." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES