ZERMATT IN FOCUS: NEW INNOVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES
Editor Nicola Iseard heads to Zermatt to check out Switzerland's first remote-controlled cable car and to find out what new experiences will be on offer this summer
The mid-station of the new CHF30 million Kumme gondola
If there is one resort that is known for not standing still, it is Zermatt. The Swiss ski mecca is constantly upgrading and developing, and boasts the most advanced lift technology in the world.
In November 2018, Zermatt launched the world’s highest and most advanced cableway, the 3S, which whisks skiers from the Trockener Steg station to the Matterhorn glacier paradise (3,821m) in just nine minutes (with jaw-dropping glacial views en route).
Proving that not even a global pandemic can halt the resort's drive to evolve, this winter it launched Switzerland's first fully automated ski lift.
A cool CHF30 million went into the construction of the new gondola, which replaces the old three-man Kumme chairlift on the Rothorn sector. It sees 56 cabins carry 1,500 people per hour on a 3.2km route from Tufternkehr, via the mid-station in Wyss Gufer, to the top of Rothorn.
When I did my ski season in Zermatt back in 2000 (teaching for Stoked Ski and Snowboard School), I would often head to the Kumme chair when skiing Rothorn. It wasn't the fastest of lifts, or the longest, but it accessed a sector of Rothorn that was always blissfully quiet. However in 2018, the base station was sadly destroyed by an avalanche and the chairlift was put out of action.
Plans were swiftly put in place for a new, and improved, lift, with a significantly lower base station, extending the run.
Inside one of the new Kumme gondola cabins
Boarding the new Kumme gondola, did I notice anything different to a ‘standard' fully-staffed lift? Actually yes – it is funny how accustomed I am to catching the eye of a liftie for a swift 'Hallo', waiting for their reassuring you-can-go-ahead-and-board nod. What if I did something silly upon boarding, like dropped a ski pole, and it got stuck in the door? Where was my trusty liftie with his big red 'stop the lift' button?
Reassuringly, the lift is controlled autonomously via 'sensitive monitoring technology’ – it automatically identifies situations that deviate from 'normal operation'. So, if a ski pole did get stuck in the door, it would react immediately and shut down the lift. It would then be restarted by a staff member, who keeps the cableway under continual surveillance from a control room at the mid-station. It's all very clever.
Something else that is clever are the slots that have been cut out of the cabin floors, for passengers’ skis to stand up in. And the graphics that are displayed on the outside of each cabin, detailing the heights of the local peaks, so you can read them all as they pass you en route.
In addition to the gondola, the project also includes provision of a 4.5km snow-making system with 63 new snow lances, and five avalanche control towers to ensure that visitors can always enjoy excellent snow conditions in safety. The lift accesses a red and blue piste, as well as an off-piste itinerary (marked orange on the piste map).
NEW ZERMATT EXPERIENCES
ZOOOM THE MATTERHORN
A new CHF9 million multimedia experience has opened in the old Hohtälli cable car building, offering incredible views of the 29 surrounding ‘four-thousander’ mountains, and a chance to get close to the Matterhorn in three ‘Zooom’ levels.
Level one gives sees visitors don 3D glasses for a virtual paragliding experience – choose from a relaxed, chilled-out panoramic flight, or a thrilling, fast-paced flight. With suspended seats that swing around, the experience is one to remember.
Level two uses light projections to take visitors on a journey through the seasons, from the frozen, snowy landscapes of winter, to spring meadows, balmy summer evenings and finally into wild autumn storms.
Level three is all about the Matterhorn – periscopes allow visitors to get very close to this majestic peak.
HAUTE ROUTE BY E-BIKE
The iconic Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, which passes through beautiful Alpine landscapes, can now be completed as part of a seven-day e-bike tour with an e-Alps guide. Ride the longest ‘bisse’ in the Swiss Alps; stay in a historical mountain hotel on a 4,000m panorama; bike close to the iconic Matterhorn; and sit in a hot tub with a cold beer after a day of singletrack exploration. There is also a shorter route from Sion to Zermatt that only takes three days by e-bike.
MEET THE SHEEP
The famous Zermatt Blacknose sheep spend their summers in the mountain pastures. From 19 June 2021, it will be easy to find the animals up at Gornergrat, as their neck collars are fitted with a GPS tracker. Guests can track the sheep’s signal on gornergrat.ch, follow the route and meet the sheep in the mountains. The animals are accompanied by the shepherdess Deborah, who provides fascinating information about the sheep breed from the Upper Valais from Tuesday to Sunday between 13:30 and 14:30. Every Saturday in July and August, the Gornergrat Bahn also offers a guided hike to see the Blacknose sheep.