Is this still a slope or is it already a shift?

If you could buy profits, its price would rise to dizzying heights right now. In the ski country of Switzerland, white glamor has become a scarce commodity. Vehicles for ski resorts disappointment and above all business. This is demonstrated in the Blick report from the Lenzerheide-Arosa ski areas. GRBraunwald GL And cheese rug SG.

The approach to the Braunwald ski area passes by green meadows. When he arrives at the mountain station, disappointment reigns. The lower part of the slope consists only of thin strips of snow. The rocks peek and the brown earth sparkles in the slush. Slope and rescue manager Martin Zimmermann, 43, says those responsible must re-decide each morning whether it’s “legally a slope or more of a stony slide.”

Slope crew digging snow together

Zimmermann and his team work nearly 30 days a month, ten to eleven hours a day, nearly round the clock so guests can ski in town.

The night before, 30 people scraped the sparse snow next to the slope and dispersed it with a snowplow. “We can save the track by the end of the week,” says the track leader. “We’ve never seen so little snow during the winter.”

The effort is worth it – at least in part. Skiers admire the slope team, as Blick says. like every day somehow manage a ski slope.

But the pleasure of skiing looks different. “It feels very jelly and late April. You have to be careful not to find snowflakes near brown areas and stones,” says Petra. fidgeting (49) from Zurich.

High wear, low income

In addition to the great effort, the wear and tear is also enormous. Stones on the track damage vehicle caterpillars. And the circumstances are not surprisingly reflected in sales. Sports holiday, apartments are full of vacationers. But far fewer skiers wind up downhill than in a regular year – this is because many day-trippers stay away. In addition, mountain railways lowered their prices because it did not snow.

We will see at the end of the season how big the deficit in the cash register is. Those responsible will then have to talk about the future as well. “We have to work with what nature has to offer,” says Track Manager Zimmermann. A controversial option: more winter hiking, less skiing.

Arosa grows in Lenzerheide

A change of scenery to the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area. Guests at Arosa line up for the elevator early in the morning. The weather is cheerful, the slopes are icy. Here, too, the low slopes curve between green landscapes. But the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area reaches an altitude of almost 2900 meters. This ensures snow security.

“Daily slope preparation is a challenge,” says Stefan. presence (49), marketing manager for mountain railways. 160 of the 265 kilometers of pistes are accessible. For example, Paul says, “The snow is low, but the conditions are great.” runaway man (75) off effect icon ZH. But in the early afternoon the snow quickly becomes muddy; some guests go after skiing and sunbathe.

In Arosa, the sun hasn’t just been shining in the sky for weeks: sports holidays have caused the tinkling of cash registers on mountain railways. The start of the season was still a bit limited so presence. “We’ve almost caught up in the last three to four weeks.” It does a good winter job.

ski operation brambrüech falls into the water

Also in the ski area cheese rug Toggenburg’s staff have to work hard to ensure that skiers can have fun in the snow. As an on-site survey shows, guests appreciate the reduced number of runways. However, dynamic prices are a nuisance. The ticket on Tuesday is said to be 70 francs – but only eight of the 23 tracks are open, according to the website.

Yesterday the mountain railways said no more skiing brambrüech GR. Tracks can no longer be opened on these sports holidays.

Currently only the large, higher mountain railways in Central Switzerland, the Bernese Oberland, Graubünden or Valais offer a wide variety of slopes. “High-altitude areas tend to be more popular than in recent years. But for lower ski areas, the lack of snow is a big problem,” says Hans. wiki (59), Chairman Cable Car Switzerland.

In particular, mountain railways that do not produce artificial snow are likely to face an unsolvable problem in the future.

Source :Blick