J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

Isn't Gudauri the place where a chairlift rollback occurred last season? Do you know if an official report on the cause of the accident has been published yet?

As most European airlines have announced the suspension of flights to Iran because of the re-imposition of sanctions by the US, how are skiers who book a trip to Iran going to get there?

Is there a seat tipping mechanism to help XL skiers to get upright again?

That's going back a bit J2SkiNews! The 'Dream Peak' was the idea of local artist and hotelier Heinz Julen, https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/artist-dreams-of-building-alps--highest-hotel/1017130 I don't think it got beyond the idea stage. In 2014 the cantonal government prohibited the building of any further structures on the summit of the Klein Matterhorn.

Skifreak, I am by no means an expert, I just happen to live in the area and read the local papers.

When Saas Fee proposed building a link to Zermatt, Zermatt tuned the idea down and announced that it was going to intensify its links with the neighbouring Italian resorts. It partially financed the feasibility study for the lift from the Val d'Ayas to Cime Bianche, Zermatt has cultural links with the valleys there as they were originally settled by people from Zermatt in the 13th century when the mountain passes were ice free. Some people in the Gressoney valley still speak a German dialect similar to the one spoken in the German speaking region of Valais today.

The new 3S lift from Trockener Steg up to the Klein Matterhorn was originally designed to supplement the current cable car, which has insufficient capacity and will shortly require a major overhaul that will involve shutting it down for an extended period of time. It now seems to have become part of a project to create a trans-Alpine cableway crossing that will enable tourists to travel from Switzerland to Italy during the summer. The plan seems to be that Asian tourists on Europe in 10 days type coach trips will spend a night in Zermatt and travel over to Cervinia the following day and then on to Milan.

In order to build it the first 3S lift the lift company built a concrete batching plant at Laghi Cime Bianche, a material transport lift from there up to the Klein Matterhorn and a tower crane above the building site. In order to avoid the cost of dismantling and rebuilding them they would like to start building the next lift as soon as possible. I don't think the objection will stop it, but it could delay the start of construction.

Sorry about the delay in replying, I'm away from home at the moment and only have limited internet access.

I agree that the information on the Cervinia website isn't clear. I assume that they assume that everybody knows that summer skiing takes place on the Zermatt side. It also didn't help that Warren's ski instructors often stated in their Vlogs that they were at Cervinia.

Cervinia will reopen the lifts up to Plateau Rosa again on the weekend of 20th and 21st October and for the winter season on 27th October. The other lifts on the Italian side will open as and when there is sufficient snow, I don't think they publish a timetable.

Unless there is an exceptional fall of snow, autumn skiing will only take place on the Zermatt side. The lifts in Warren's video close on 14th October and the pistes in the grandly named Matterhorn Glacier Paradise sector will then be served by the Furggsattel chairlift and the new 3s lift, assuming it enters service on time. Depending on snow conditions the rest of the lifts on the Zermatt side will open on the dates stated in the winter timetable https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/download/fahrplan-pdf_download_8101 From the timetable it appears that they are not going to run the Gandegg and Testa drag lifts during the winter, which is a shame as I think it will still take longer to get to Testa Grigia using the new 3s lift than it will using the drag lifts.

Admin wrote:Things are looking good at Cervinia which has had "winter like" conditions on its glacier slopes for much of the summer - according to Warren Smith who organises summer ski classes there.

There is currently no skiing at Cervinia and there hasn't been any since they closed the top section of the Ventina, which they managed to keep open until early July due to the exceptional amount of snow that fell last season. In order to keep the cost of his courses down Warren Smith uses accommodation in Cervinia and the lifts there to access the summer ski area on the Zermatt side of the border. He recently posted a video of a "ski through" of the area on YouTube, I don't think he mentioned Cervinia once!



Even if there was skiing at Cervinia at this time of year I don't think he would be able to teach there, as neither he nor his instructors hold the qualifications required to teach skiing in the Aosta Valley.

I would get in touch with the resort tourist offices, tell them where your coming from, why you want to stay for 9 nights and see what they come up with. Try and chose a resort with lots of hotels as there will be more competition, Val Thorens only has 12 hotels so they can afford to be choosey.

I don't think there has been any progress with the link from the Val d'Ayas to the Colle Cime Bianche / Plateau Rosa. On the Swiss side the construction of a 3S lift from Testa Grigia up to the Klein Matterhorn was due to start next spring, but the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Conservation has lodged an objection so the start could be delayed. They are concerned about the Disneyfication of the Klein Matterhorn.

During a humid and cold night in March 1993 the haul rope on the Furggen cable care iced up so much that it snapped. The cabin at the top station slid down the carrying rope until the self-acting emergency brake managed to bring it to a stop.



As it was already 40 years old and didn't meet the safety standards of day the authorities wouldn't allow it to be repaired, rather than bring it up to date the lift company simply abandoned it.

The restaurant in the top station was furnished with furniture designed by the famous Italian architect Carlo Mollino. The furniture remained in place until 2006 when it was removed. Mollino's furniture is highly collectable a dining table and 6 chairs recently sold for £668,750.
https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/carlo-mollino-1905-1973-a-rare-and-important-6101615-details.aspx