With Winter Season Off in Europe, Switzerland Keeps Going wtih Amazing Adds-On

By Massimo Terracina (special from Grindelwald, Switzerland) 

The December 8 week is, in normal times, the kickoff for the ski winter season on the Alps. In this going-to-an-end -for God’s sake- 2020, winter season will be absolutely unusual. EU policy was embraced and, at least until mid January, the legendary slopes located in Italy, France, Germany and, lately, Austria, will remain “frozen” until further order. Snow is falling in a proper way to anticipate a promising season, but Covid 19 denied it strongly with the second wave and the menace of a third one later on. 

So, 2020 will end and 2021 will start with no ski holidays for most Europeans. Only Spain and Switzerland are not following this basic, though tough for the economy, rule. Spain is part of the EU, but Switzerland is on its own.

Just on December 5, after 908 days of work, the biggest, latest hit for  Swiss mountains opened: the futuristic “Eiger Express”, a cableway right in the heart of the Bernese Alps.

“It is the most modern tricable gondola, bearing 26 heated seats in each of the 44 cabins, equipped with free Wi-Fi and large heated windows that will allow for admiring the legendary Eiger wall,” says Urs Kessler, director of the Jungfrau Railways. “As many as 2.200 people per hour will be able to reach the upper station at Eigergletscher (2,328 mt) jumping from the 937 mt of the base station in Grindelwald, running the 1,391 mt of difference in height in just 15 minutes for the 5.483 mt of the ride length.”

The huge investment for the Eiger Express has been 470 million chf (440 million euros) but it seems to be worth, or it should be in the future.

“The terminal station features shops, restaurants, ski and sport rent, public transportation terminal with the Jungfrau railways, Switzerland’s largest mountain company, connecting to Grindelwald and Interlaken,” adds Mr Kessler. “A big 1,000-car parking lot and more. But mostly, it is the completion of the V-Bahn project that cuts 47 minutes of travelling to reach the amazing Jungfraujoch, top of Europe.”

The ski area around it is really wide (206 lifts), including three main areas. The idea that led to the development of the project was to provide a faster arrival to the slopes and facilitate the ascent to the Jungfraujoch "Top of Europe", the highest railway station in the continent, located at 3,454 meters above sea level, which it now can be reached by train in 7 km of ascent, in the tunnels dug there since 1896, which saw the inauguration of the section back in 1912.

The Eiger Express, therefore, flanks and, in a certain way, replaces the cog railway up to the intermediate station of Wengernalpbahn that goes from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, cutting 47 minutes to get from Interlaken Ost to the Jungfraujoch. The V-Bahn project was developed in two phases: first the renewal, in 2019, of the existing facility towards the top of Männlichen, a complex very popular with sportsmen inserted in the 160 km of slopes of the area between Grindelwald and Wengen, with a 10-passenger gondola lift. 

Phase II included, in addition to the construction of the plant, the two interchange stations linked by train. The one upstream of Eigergletcher, which offers a panoramic view of the Eiger, and the one downstream, Grindelwald Grund, the beating heart of the project from where the two cable cars depart. It looks like an airport terminal, with shops, a bistro, the ski deposit, separate entrances for groups and individuals. There is also a VIP lounge accessible to Platinum club members: 12,000 Swiss francs (or 18,000 for two) to have the "deluxe gondola" booked, with red leather armchairs and champagne to make the 15-minute lift more comfortable.

The complex includes the new Rothenegg station where the Berner Oberland Bahn train arrives from Interlaken Ost, which allows direct interchange with the public transport network to allow everyone to arrive at the ski areas without moving the cars, a must for sustainability which is so dear to the Swiss.

Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr stated: “With dedication and unbelievable commitment, with a great deal of thought for sustainability and a love of detail, a great cableway has been created along the mountain.”

Now, virus allowing, the season is on, so we do hope everything will be alright!