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On the weekend, many went to the mountains. No wonder: conditions were perfect. Blue sky, sun. The rush was great. This was demonstrated, for example, in Zermatt VS. On Saturday morning there were already a lot of people. The images showed how tightly packed winter sports enthusiasts were waiting for the first gondolas. Distance? Nothing! “Welcome to the Corona hotspot,” commented a reader at the scene location in VIEW.
The mountain railway now defends itself. There are no problems with the concept of crown protection. “On Saturday morning when the lifts in the valley station in Zermatt opened, there was, as usual, a crowd for the first half hour,” explained Mathias Imoberdorf, media spokesman for Zermatt Bergbahnen, on Monday on request. . The pictures showing how winter sports enthusiasts are together are just snapshots.
Valais police had to verify
During the day and on Sunday, according to Imoberdorf, winter sports enthusiasts in Zermatt do very well on the slopes and the facilities. Since the railway employees were busy monitoring the facilities and also had to remind them to respect the distance rules, Zermatt Bergbahnen turned to the community police for help. Then, officials were to ensure on Saturday during the day and also on Sunday that the required intervals were observed.
And anyway, the waiting area at the valley station of the Zermatt mountain railways is relatively short, according to Imoberdorf. It is also not possible to extend this waiting area, otherwise winter sports fans would have to queue on the street. Zermatt Bergbahnen withdrew from the matter on Saturday. The concept of crown protection only makes sense if the guests stick to it. “In the end, you have to implement it. And everyone is asked. It’s about personal responsibility, ”Markus Hasler, director of Zermatt Bergbahnen, told BLICK.
Two additional employees are deployed to Saas-Fee
There was only a crowd in Saas-Fee on Saturday afternoon when snow sports enthusiasts returned to the village, Simon Bumann, head of Saastal Bergbahnen, said Monday at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency.
In Saas-Fee, they also reacted to the experiences on Saturday. On Sunday, two more employees were deployed to the waiting area for the return trip to the valley “for psychological reasons.” The queues were structurally organized on Saturday in such a way that there were no crowds.
Last weekend, with perfect weather, the rush was not particularly strong, it was said in both Saas-Fee and Zermatt. The Zermatt ski area with its glaciers is open all year round. The official start of the season is December 5. Saas-Fee also has a summer ski area that is open all summer and fall. The tracks to the intermediate stations are in operation from October 17.
A little note about the mask requirement is enough
However, so far there have been no issues with the mask requirement. This is observed by 99.9 percent of ski tourists, it is said both in Zermatt and in Saas-Fee. However, if it ever happens that someone forgets to put on the mask when coming from the track to a facility, a little hint from a railroad employee is usually enough and the problem is solved, Bumann stressed.
Zermatt Bergbahnen adheres to the Seilbahnen Schweiz concept of protection. Additionally, there is a mask requirement at all facilities and in all areas where you must queue.
When it comes to the Saastal mountain railways, it is said to rely on that of public transportation. Although there are no capacity restrictions, they voluntarily refrain from filling the cabins, for example. To cope with a greater number of guests safely, additional corridors with barriers were created. Also, the longest travel time in a well-ventilated gondola is eight minutes. (SDA / jmh)
