For Clint Eastwood in the movie the Eiger Sanction, the climb up the Eiger was a long, grueling – and deadly – process. Soon you may be able to zip to the top in about 30 minutes.

One of the most popular train rides in Europe is the Jungfraubahn, which passes through the Eiger on its way up to the Jungfraujoch – at 11,371 feet the highest train station in Europe. At one point the train stops so that everybody can get out and enjoy the views from a window cut into the face of the Eiger. Over a million people made this trip last year. It's a long train ride, requiring almost 90 minutes from either the village of Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, and the same back down again.

A new project that will cut the travel time in half has just been given approval. The controversial V-Bahn project will see the construction of a new cable car route from Grindelwald to the Eiger Glacier station, where passengers will transfer to the Jungfraubahn for the rest of the journey through the Eiger and up to the Jungfraujoch station.

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Heavy snows in Switzerland have cut off the village of Zermatt from the outside world, for the second time this year. Avalanches in other parts of the alps have also forced evacuations or road closures in Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, in France, the Seine River has breached its banks, flooding Metro lines and stations in central Paris.

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While I was hiking in 60 degree weather in the mountains of southern California last week, Europe was in a deep freeze. Around 13,000 tourists were trapped in Zermatt, Switzerland earlier this week, when heavy snow fall forced the closure of the train line linking the village to the outside world. With the ski lifts also closed, I can only imagine the scene, with people celebrating their extended holiday in the always busy local bars.

Good news, though. Swiss Rail reports that the line is open again! Here are some pretty dramatic photos of other areas in the alps.

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