Please note that Urs Hodler, president of the Eagle Club, is stepping down from his board position at the Wasserngrat 2000 AG operating company. His position as president of the Eagle Ski Club is unaffected. We apologize for the misleading presentation of the headline and photo.

Wasserngrat 2000 AG is officially the only low-lying cable car company in Saanenland that was able to avert a revenue collapse during last winter season's diabolical ski conditions. Whilst passenger numbers did fall, the company’s turnover remained steady at SFr 700,000,and a one-off real-estate sale will enable significant investment over the next few years. Although the company reported its worst results in the last five years with respect to the number of people transported, revenues were in line with previous years. This is partly because other cable car companies in Saanenland fared even worse given poor snow conditions, thus boosting the Wasserngrat’s allotment of pooled ski lift income. Numerous ski-club meetings as well as events in the restaurant and the Eagle Club also helped the company stabilize its operating turnover.

Above: the building on the right, the former Wasserngrat middle station, is now well on the way through its transformation into a luxury chalet.

Despite this, profits dropped from SFr 125,000 to SFr 94,000, and operating costs increased because of the lack of natural snow. Artificial snow production, piste preparation, and reparation payments to farmers all had an adverse cost effect. A first-time salary bonus also impacted the accounts.

Significantly the sale of Wasserngrat's former middle station has propped up the balance sheet and provided an investment fund for the near future. The accumulated losses of the past years have been eliminated, and sufficient liquid assets for the next four years have been set aside. This solid financial situation has also enabled the board of governors to plan a host of capital investments. A blue run for weaker skiers and snowboarders will be opened (oh no - we liked it better when there was no money), and snow making facilities are to be extended in critical sections. The existing runs will be modified to enable recreational skiing and race-training side-by-side, and a much-needed solution for garaging the piste grooming machines will be found.

Oh, and the board also announced a further change: Urs Hodler, president of the Eagle Club, is stepping down from his board position at the Wasserngrat 2000 AG operating company (his position as president of the Eagle Ski Club is unaffected). Hodler was at the forefront of the struggle for the new chairlift several years ago.