Tag: ski

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Lift Operators experience dismal early season

zinal chairlift
The Swiss Cableways Association recorded a dismal start to the 2014/15 season with a decrease of 28.2% in lift use and a decline of 12.9% in revenue in the period to 31st December. The season started brightly in November but the warm conditions in much of December meant many lower slopes were not even able to use their snow cannon and some lower resorts delayed the traditional opening in time for Christmas, reports Andreas Keller, the Assocaition’s Head of Communication Division. Not surpisingly, higher resorts in the Engadine and Valais fared best. However Keller is upbeat about the prospects for the rest of the season, with improved conditions leading into the New Year.

By region this was the picture for the early season compared with the same period last season in percentage terms:

Area Volume Revenue
Graubuenden -19.9 -11.8
Central Switzerland -25.8 -12.4
Eastern Switzerland -53.4 -44.8
Bernese Oberland -38.1 -17.9
Vaud & Fribourg -17.2 -7.3
Valais -28.6 -6.5
Ticino 124.8 27.3
Total -28.2 -12.9

The resorts of Eastern Switzerland did the worst, probably from a combination of a lot of low runs in these resorts and the allure for many Zurchers of seasonal shopping as an alternative to being in the mountains. Ticino’s unexpectedly upbeat position is simply a reflection on how dismal thigs were last year when many lifts were closed early in the season and avalaanche risk was high.

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Back country skiing in the Engelberg valley

I have often heard it rumoured that in the Engelberg valley lurk many hidden stashes of lift-served back country off-piste. From Titlis itself there are several areas of off-piste, the Laub being the most famous. There is also one route off Klein Titlis itself down towards Trübsee via the Steinberg some friends of mine have skied, although I have not tried it myself.

I know you can ski from the top of the Fürenalp cable car – again I have not tried it, but I know there is a trail back down to the valley floor which I guess presents at least one option. The lift company identifies a 1000m toboggan run, a 1500 winter walk and snowshoe trail as well as ski touring options at the top. There is also a restaurant. One to add to the list for sure.

Anyway, I came across an article at Worldcrunch which finally addressed the rumour. Apparently there is a lift, Sesselbahn Brisen, which ascends the Haldigrat below Engelberg to provide access to a large unprepared area of snow from 1937m.
Sesselbahn Brisen - photo: raffaconzinu via Instagram
The owner of the lift, Kurt Mathis, is quite famous, apparently, and the lift is possibly not as obscure as I had thought – even featuring in a film and having its own website. The lifts operate 9am-4pm at weekends and on public holidays in the winter season. Kurt’s wife, Antoinette, runs a restaurant and guesthouse at the top. A webcam is here. To get to the Haldigrat by train, take the Engelberg service from Luzern and get off at the request stop Niederrickenbach Station, just after Dallenwil, then take the cable car to Niederrickenbach itself and take a sign-posted 30-minute walk on a broad and well-maintained path to the valley station of the chairlift from Alpboden up to the Haldigrat. There is parking at the bottom of the Niederrickenbach cable car. Although there are no recorded fatalities or significant avalanche risks, the ski area is not only unprepared but also unpatrolled.

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Oey in Diplomatic Storm

Adelboden
The US Ambassador to Switzerland, Suzi LeVine, has kicked off a diplomatic incident by suggesting the Swiss don’t know how to respect lift queues. The story, published in Blick, quotes the Ambassador on her Facebook page as saying that “chaos” and “inefficiency” prevailed at the Swiss ski lifts. More diplomatically she tweeted “I had a great day of skiing @ Adelboden & am looking forward 2 more there & across the country. Simply seeking advice on the experience.”

I am almost certain her experiences were at the Oey lift. I have heard so many horror stories about the queues at this lift that I avoid Adelboden at busy weekends and public holidays. Mid-week it is fine, but it is a bottleneck the lift operators need to review.

The Swiss in my opinion don’t treat queues the way the British or the Americans do, and in supermarkets or getting on trains will edge forward to gain advantage, particularly at the expense of people distracted by small children or whatever. The Swiss are probably no worse than other Europeans, but the orderliness of the country and the apparent respect for standing in line may cause surprise to somebody who suddenly finds a smartly dressed gentleman or well-heeled middle aged lady has surreptitiously barged in front of them.

As for Madame Ambassador, hardly a diplomatic way to start a new assignment. It ain’t Kansas.

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Let it snow!

Visitors to French ski resorts faced chaotic conditions last week when the snow finally arrived, and are probably concerned as they face the return trip. The good news is that the weather outlook is that the authorities seem better prepared and the weather is milder. Apparently on transfer day last week around 29,000 cars and coaches were left stranded for the night in 80 emergency centres in France and thousands were left stranded at airports.
Chur Railway Station
I was in Switzerland at the same time, and broadly the same weather conditions hit the areas I visited, but there were no delays and no problems that I was aware of. As the Daily Telegraph succinctly put it:

Swiss resorts reached from Geneva airport caught at least the same amount of snow last weekend, but the Swiss managed to keep roads clear. The trains too – from Geneva to Martigny for Verbier and other resorts – ran to their usual clockwork schedule.

Snow conditions now look promising as the season gets fully underway. However warmer temperatures in the next few days mean that the freezing level may rise as high as 2000m. Although well prepared pistes below that level should be OK, lower slopes may see rain rather than fresh snow.

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