GstaadLife

 

Here are the cable car closing dates for the 2010/11 winter season in Gstaad-Saanenland:

Glacier 3000 Pillon, May 8
Glacier 3000 Reusch, already closed March 20 except for weekends in April
Rinderberg, April 3
Saanerslochgrat/Hornberg, April 25
Horneggli, April 25
Rellerli, closed back on February 27 (was it actually open this was season?)
Wispile Gondelbahn, already closed on March 6 
Eggli-Videmanette, March 27

 

closed La Braye
closed Skilift Lauenen
closed Skilift Gsteig
closed Lengebrand / Parwengesattel
closed Wispile Rütti and Zückerli
closed Wasserngrat

We hope you enjoyed your season and if empty slopes are your thing, now is the time!

 
Tuesday March 1 2011 around midday a group of three heliskiers was surprised by an avalanche on the Gstellihorn above Gsteig. The ski guide and one of the men were able to dig themselves out, but the third, Philippe Giesbrecht, was struck by falling debris and was buried. He was found and dug out with the help of the avalanche transeiver he was wearing, and was flown to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. GstaadLife.com offers its deepest condolences to his family and friends. The funeral will take place on Monday March 7 2011 in Saanen at 12h00.

 
In Sunday's nationwide vote regarding new measures for tighter gun control, 20 of 26 cantons and 56.3% of voters rejected the proposal to no longer allow current and former military personnel to keep their weapons at home.  The table above shows how gun-mad Saanenland is, with over 77% of local residents in favor the keeping of weapons at home. Interestingly Geneva was one of the few cantons which voted in favor of the plan. There are an estimated 2 to 3 million guns in Switzerland (nobody knows exactly how many because there is no national registry of fire arms), and soldiers have been allowed to keep their weapons at home since World War II. This vote ensures that this militia tradition will continue, and will probably also mean Switzerland will maintain its place at the top of another less desirable ranking: the number one country in Europe for gun-related suicide.

The time has come and the snow is here in abundance. Here are the opening dates for the skilifts in and around Gstaad-Saanenland:

1.12.10 Saanerslochgrat-Hornberg-Horneggli
11.12.10 Gstaad-Wasserngrat
11.12.10 Château-d‘Oex-La Braye
18.12.10 Zweisimmen-Rinderberg
18.12.10 St. Stephan-Parwengesattel
18.12.10 Gstaad-Eggli
18.12.10 Lauenen
22.12.10 Schönried-Rellerli
22.12.10 Gstaad-Wispile (Skilift Rütti from 18.12.10)
22.12.10 Gsteig
23.12.10 Rougemont-La Videmanette (could change)

Check the maps and webcams before you go as these things are subject to change in the early-season.

 

Here are the closing dates for the ski lifts in and around Gstaad: 
21.3. Gstaad–Wasserngrat
21.3. Gsteig
28.3. Château-d‘Oex–La Braye
05.4. St Stephan–Parwengesattel
05.4. Zweisimmen–Rinderberg
05.4. Gstaad–Eggli–Saanen–Rougemont
11.4. Saanenmöser–Saanerslochgrat
11.4. Saanenmöser–Hornberg
11.4. Schönried–Horneggli
11.4. Reusch–Glacier 3000
02.5. Col du Pillon–Glacier 3000

Already closed:
Schönried–Rellerli
Gstaad–Wispile
Lauenen

So not too much time left. It's been an odd year weather-wise but the ski conditions throughout have been surprisingly good. Kudos to the piste prep crews who seem to have surpassed themselves this season.  So get out there over the next couple weeks and enjoy some seriously good (if rather warm -- 17 degrees in Gstaad today) spring skiing conditions.

Click here for the holiday opening hours for last minute food shoppers. 

The season has started - Saanenmöser-Saanerslochgrat-Hornberg and Schönried-Horneggli are already open and here are the opening times of the other ski areas in our region: Zweisimmen-Rinderberg, Gstaad-Wasserngrat, Château-d'Oex-La Braye will all open next weekend December 12. Gsteig will open on December 14, St Stephan-Parwengesattel, Gstaad-Eggli, Schönried-Rellerli, Gstaad-Höhi-Wispile and Rougemont-La Videmanette all open on December 18 and Lauenen is up on December 19. All of that said, it's all very weather dependent right now, and as we write rain is falling again. Check the map in the right column of this page for the latest. Enjoy!

This Saturday sees the second edition of the Glacier 3000 Run. Last year the winner, one Martin Cox of Great Britain, needed 2 hours 20 minutes to run the 26 kilometers starting from the Promenade in Gstaad at 1,050 meters above sea level climbing 1,900 meters to the finish at Glacier 3000. Definitely a spectacular challange and worth seeing.

Did you know that there are 18 public places where you can barbecue in Gstaad-Saanenland? They are run by Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus, don't cost anything, and you do not have to sign up for them in advance. You just have to be the first there. So pack your Bratwurst and head out to one of these beautiful spots: GL.com recommends the ones around Arnensee and Lauenensee.

Looking out of the window we can hardly believe that some of the ski lifts have already closed and that others are preparing to do so very soon. The slopes are still supreme and supremely still, and there are no crowds even on the sunniest of days. So why does it have to end? Well, because it's time for spring, dammit. Most people here are quietly fed up of the white stuff, and even the clocks are springing into summer this weekend. And if we do have to deal with the white stuff for five months (yes it's been five months since we've seen the grass on the lawn here at GL.com central), then at least let us do the one thing -- ok one of the few things -- winter is good for... skiing. Click here for the detailed closing times.