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Skiing: Photo of crowds queuing at Swiss ski lift sparks outrage

A photograph posted on social media on Saturday has caused uproar given that it appears to show Switzerland's tight safety rules for skiers being broken.

Skiing: Photo of crowds queuing at Swiss ski lift sparks outrage
No crowds are allowed in front of ski lifts. Photo by AFP

The photo, posted on Facebook by a famed Valais chef, Didier de Courten, depicts a large, unorganised crowd swarming around the entrance to a ski lift near Verbier.

De Courten wrote that while restaurant owners in Valais had to close their establishments to curb the spread of coronavirus, “it is scandalous to destroy our efforts by inappropriate behaviour” at ski lifts.

 

In response to de Courten’s photo, Christophe Darbellay, president of Valais’ Council of State, told the media that “when the whole of Europe is watching us, it is unacceptable that Verbier was unable to organise correct queues, with barriers, markings on the ground and strict reminder of the rules”.

Laurent Vaucher, director of Verbier’s ski lift infrastructure admitted that on Saturday, the location’s capacity was exceeded “for about 30 minutes. We could no longer correct the situation at the time. The damage was done”.

Switzerland is the only country in Europe to allow skiing amid the pandemic, but authorities said resorts must rigorously apply strict protection plans and capacity limits.

“The aim is to prevent the spread of the virus in tourist areas”, Health Minister Alain Berset said on Friday.

At the end of November, the Swiss Ski Lift Association created a set of rules that must be followed in all resorts open to skiers. 

These measures include regulating queuing in such a way that it “runs in an orderly manner and without major clusters” — a rule that was broken in Verbier on Saturday.

READ MORE: 'Not another Ischgl': Switzerland unveils plans to make ski slopes safer this winter

Additionally, skiers must wear masks not only in closed spaces such as mountain trains and cable cars, but also on open-air chair lifts and T-bars, as well as in queues.

And on Friday Berset announced additional ski-related restrictions for Christmas holiday season. 

They include limiting the number of passengers in closed ski cabins to two thirds of the usual capacity.

And resorts can open to skiers only if authorised by cantons.

The federal government will grant this authorisation only if the epidemiological situation allows it, and depending on hospital capacities in a given canton, as well as the ability to undertake testing and contact tracing.

 

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HIKING

Swiss Alps deaths involving foreigners reach a ten-year high

The number of foreigners involved in fatal incidents in the Swiss Alps reached a ten year high in 2023, a new report from the Swiss Alpine Club reveals. 

Swiss Alps deaths involving foreigners reach a ten-year high

According to the report, 114 people died in accidents in Switzerland’s mountains over the previous year, with 71 of them foreigners either visiting or living in Switzerland. 

Germans constituted the largest group with fifteen fatalities, followed by Italians with twelve fatalities and the Dutch with six. 

Three Britons and two Americans were also killed in mountaineering accidents. 

Over three-quarters of those who died in mountaineering accidents were men – eighty-two, as opposed to thirty-two women.

Read More: Why have so many climbers and hikers died in the Swiss mountains this year?

Those between the ages of forty-one and seventy were most represented in the statistics, with fifty-one incidents involving a fatality. 

Individuals between twenty and forty comprised the second largest group, with forty-five fatalities. 

Four individuals between the ages of ten and twenty also died in mountaineering incidents in 2023. 

Hiking is the most dangerous activity

Most of the fatal incidents involved hiking or high-altitude trekking – that is to say, requiring oxygen –  with exhaustion or the inability to continue, resulting in death before rescuers could attend. 

Over a third of all fatalities occurred in the canton of Valais, with forty-five incidents. Bern followed, with fifteen incidents and Grisons with fourteen.

Valais’ relatively larger size, position along the French and Italian Alps, and over eight thousand kilometres of hiking trails could help explain the high number of fatalities as recorded in the report. 

Similarly, the size of Bern and Grisons and the popular alpine resorts found there could explain their statistical significance. 

Read More: How to keep safe and avoid problems when hiking in the Swiss Alps

Warmer weather to blame

A press release accompanying the article points to unseasonably warmer weather as one contributing factor: “The beautiful weather attracted many mountain sports enthusiasts to the mountains. 

“This is reflected in the number of mountain emergencies and fatal accidents, which have increased in the summer months.”

Indeed, July and August were the most dangerous months for those enjoying mountain sports, with twenty-one and twenty deaths, respectively. 

Keeping the mountains safe

The Swiss Alpine Club, founded in 1863, has kept records of mountain incidents since its inception and publishes a report yearly to promote responsible and safe use of Switzerland’s alpine environments. 

The annual report breaks down the location, cause and background of those involved in incidents and identifies whether a successful rescue was carried out. 

Read More: EXPLAINED: 8 rules nature lovers should follow in the Swiss countryside

It draws upon the operational data held by mountain rescue organisations REGA, the Swiss Alpine Rescue ARS, the Cantonal Valais Rescue Organization KWRO, Air-Glaciers Lauterbrunnen and other institutions working across the country.

The Swiss Alpine Club’s 111 sections also maintain huts and trails throughout the country’s twenty-six cantons, promote mountain sports, and teach basic outdoor safety and first aid skills.

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