Hmm,

Where is Switzerland on this.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55081476

I get a better solution, close the border, let business traffic thru only. No families, no couples, no groups of friends.

Switzerland is not in the EU & wants ski resorts to stay open, unlike other EU countries that have been closed for a month already.

Another brilliant idea. Let's restrict the sport activity to people who probably are the most resistant to the virus anyway

How naive can one be to strive for an EU deal, leaving one country geographically in the middle of the EU out? I find that really shocking.

This was the Italians idea. They want the Italian resorts shut, but for the Italians not to go elsewhere too! They also want Switzerland in on the agreement. So far Italy, France and Germany seem to be on board. Austria not ... can’t imagine Switzerland agreeing unless they absolutely have to.

Well, Germany is only seeking to close the mountains until January, so Christmas and new years. Skiing is either crap conditions and/or overcrowding at that time.

But regardless of what the EU does, I am going to avoid the slopes until February.

Fine for you. Not so fine for those of us who’s income depends on it being open.

Why don't they just keep the resorts open and close the après-ski bars doubt there's going to be much transmission on the slopes.

It's probably the stupid crush at the lifts that's the problem. I'm much closer to more people there than I am in the bars afterwards. At least in the bars it's kinda the same people you bump into each time.. At the lifts I am potentially bumping into hundreds of different people.

It's not beyond the wit of man to implement distance queueing for lifts? Or limited ticketing though if the area at the bottom of the slopes doesn't allow for this?

Distance queuing is something I quite like the idea of, would stop people pushing through and scratching my skis from personal experience, queuing for ski lifts seems a far more civilized affair in the States!

This is an easily-fixable problem if people choose to act responsibly and maintain a distance whilst queuing. Considering how appalling queuing etiquette is in Swiss ski resorts (compared to North America) people might take some time to adjust to not turning every queue into a scrum, but they can get there eventually. The only off-limits thing might have to be cable cars.


Am really hoping the resorts stay open. After all the problems caused by corona I don't think the Swiss economy can handle a winter without a ski season, and for mental health of the population I think a winter without skiing would really push a lot of people over the edge. For so many of us it's the one thing we have to look forward to in the months to come that are otherwise going to be very, very tough.


How much do you want to bet that the guy who suggested the shutdown isn't a skier.

My apologies, but my health comes first. I remember Ishgl.

And also at lifts, as it's outside, the separation probably doesn't need to be quite so strict.

Double-file without crossing skis would be adequate and not hard to do. With more than one line, separated by a metre or two, for chairs > 4 people.

As other people have said, I for one would be happy to see this all the time.

Then only bottleneck I've seen is the initial lift from the parking/train station to the point where the deep snow starts. They could sell tickets for this part with a 15 min time frame to avoid too many people at the same time.

Once you're above 1500-2000m in the chairlifts or T-bars, no problem at all with crowds.

Also, I guess no buses full of people who don't ski/board this winter. This will free a lot of space.

This isnt really the point. People who are skiing may be resistent to the serious effects of the virus, but they absolutely can get and carry it. At Ishgl, it wasnt a high number of deaths, it was that from there it travelled across europe as people went home. Young people dont die, they transmit it to old people, who do.

The pressure on switzerland may be too much if europe does close because the one thing you absolutely do not want is high levels of people travelling in and out and if CH is the only open place with ski slopes people will come here, potentially spreading the virus. If the EU agrees to close the slopes I would be surprised if switzerland didnt follow suit.

Question for me is: if this extends and they close until say march, will the thieving gets at MagicPass actually refund this year ? last year they played an incredibly swizerland-only line of "you should be happy to ski so cheaply with magicpass, of course you cannot have a refund". This year - after the drop in sales - they have a miserable, legal-speak clause saying they will refund to an extent if everything is shut.

You are correct in everything you say.

But closure of ski resorts won't protect the vulnerable and won't slow down the spread of the virus. People still will travel this winter and virus will go around.

Ishgl was bad, but it was also so early in the pandemic there were basically no measures in place to transmit the virus. Packed restaurants, crowded queues, no masks or distancing. I would like to think we can learn from what went wrong at Ishgl to try and create a safer ski season on 20-21. Resorts could:



-modify queuing protocols
-increase outdoor seating and modify menus so it's easier to grab something quick to eat outside to avoid crowded interiors at restaurants (e.g. instantly available picnic lunch bags in place of sausage and fries or alpen macaroni

-have no après-ski


Skiing is an activity that can be done relatively safely, I think it's the restaurants and bars that pose more of a problem. Doesn't mean shut them, just have good hygiene procedures in place.

It's not actually the skiing that worries me it is the apres-ski. Not that we are likely to partake, but many of those people sitting in the breakfast room will have. And I need my breakfast before a day's skiing.

No problem if people returning from CH to EU countries make a 10 day quarantine......wait, there's a 10 day quarantine in place if someone travels today from CH to Germany. What about the others?

As with most things this year, try new things and adapt. Take up x-country skiing, snowshoeing, or ski de randonnée. Even winter hiking is offered in some places.

Already been out on the randonnée skis in Sept. and if lifts get closed plan to continue all season. Look on the bright side, there are still ways to get out and enjoy that are corona safe to boot.