Well, in mid Nov 2009 me & my wife also took the cable car up to Klein Matterhorn and got to wait for the last one down which was delayed due to a very strong wind. I guess the temperature could have been close to what you experienced esp with the chilling factor. People were trying to ski down from there and the 1st picture below shows what they were going thru.

Having spent half an hour in the freezing tunnel we finally got on the cable car, once they found the wind was slowing down. At first, the car was descending real fast but at some point not far from the top station we had just left it started swaying as hell so the operator was forced to put it to a halt immediately.

I must say the several minutes we spent in the car, which at first was swaying seemingly out of control, crowded, immersed in a thick mist (2nd picture) and pretty much stuck in midair over the glacier at the mercy of the wind which was picking up speed again , will stay in my memory. Finally, once the car got steady the operator started it and took us down at a very very slow and almost imperceptible speed.

Kudos to the cable car operator for his calmness and professionalism - he seemed perfectly at ease and relaxed with sunglasses only preventing us may be from seeing his emotions...

It surely wasn't so dramatic, but such things happen there, while the trip is highly recommendable

Yeah I had thought it seemed like the person was basically giving permission and even asking for the story to be published. I thought the one who took it to the newspaper was doing her a favor. That's the impression the earlier posts had seemed to give to me. Now all of a sudden she doesn't like that it was posted. Yeah you have to make those things clear early on when someone first mentions if it's on the news anywhere that you prefer if it wasn't reported anywhere.

You are absolutely right, I was on a bit of a high when typing the story, and I'm sorry for appearing to contradict myself. My brother posted the video on youtube, and I was really excited to have the footage to show everyone, I *did* want to see a story out somewhere, but don't think, as you pointed out, I made it very clear at all that I wanted to find the story independently of mine. ie. I didn't want to be the one who told the story, then find my own story in the papers... But you are right, I hadn't made that clear, and I am not blaming you for telling the papers at all. From now on though, I would like everyone to know that I know where to find the papers, and if I choose to take it to them then I'd like that to be my choice.

This is true, but they kept their cool because they didn't want to panic everyone in the cable car - which I think was brilliant of them. However, they would NEVER risk people's lives intentionally - so if it was dangerous, they would never continue to run it - no way would they ever risk people's lives, let alone their own. 500% sure they will fix whatever the problem was in a meticulous Swiss fashion - and it will never happen again.

I don't see why you are so worried - it is clear that this kind of thing is SUCH a rare occurrence. I have been on the cable car about 5 times now, and that's the ONLY time this has ever happened. I would happily go back on it tomorrow without thinking twice, as I know it's been fixed - and I am the one it happened to!

As I said before, they would *NEVER* continue to run a cable car if it wasn't safe. If anything, it's probably safer now than it has ever been! - they couldn't have it happen again!! If you are really that worried about it, why not phone them up and speak to them personally? - I'm sure they could reassure you more than a newspaper could, and as they are the ones who work on it every day, and they are the ones who had it fixed, they should be able to offer you more reassurance than anyone.

Perhaps it happens more often than we thought...not here but in Germany

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-...0113-m51o.html

scary! glad you're ok.

be glad it wasn't swinging like these...skip ahead to about 4:30m



anyone remember the big christmas storm in 1999? i got stuck on the lift at flumserberg in 160kph winds, just about 50m from the end of the line. no heli rescue but that was a long nervous 30 minute wait bobbing around.

A friend of a friend works for Zermatt Bergbahnen who runs the cable car. He was asked casually about what happened - why it stopped/had to be evacuated. He couldn't say for fear of losing his job.

That is the most discomfiting thing that I have read so far in this thread.

I suddenly have no worry for the concerns of the Management and Board of the Zermatt Bergbahnen.

Brian.

Hi

Firstly glad to hear that you and your family are ok and that nobody got hurt!

With regards to the incident going unreported. This doesn't surprise me as from my personal experience where there are foreigners/tourists involved with Switzerlands beloved transport system, these incidents are kept quiet about and out of the press and that even includes if a person is seriously hurt.

I haven't travelled in this lift before, but i generally find the lifts in parts of the Valais ski region old and dangerous. Health and Safety seems to be generally lacking here.