It's a concern, certainly. I hope our resort(s) will look carefully at them and put better processes in place when they open next week.

I expect it will be so bad that the resorts will be severely limited by mid/late-January.

Which will coincide with the country cutting back many of the liberties we currently "enjoy"......and having no choice of going to lockdown.

Today in the local https://www.thelocal.ch/20201207/pho...ncites-outrage

I don't know why they don't hire enough private security guards. You see these guys and gals at any large gathering of people in city centers (markets, fairs, etc).

Once I met a guy who worked as security guard, I forgot the number he mentioned but if you have a party of more than X people you need to hire guards. Of course, never had a party with that many people, so don't know the number

Went skiing in Stoos yesterday, very impressed with how they have everything set up. Segregated lines for queuing, lifts stopped people kicked off the lifts for not complying with rules. No flouting of the rules tolerated at all.

For what reasons were people kicked off the lifts for? There's only chair lifts there aren't there? (Apart from the train up from the valley)?

Not wearing masks probably.

I thought that but it doesn't sound logical, chair lifts there are for 4 people and open to the elements (when not using bubble canopy). Majority of people would be using them in their social bubble

airolo yesterday was pretty empty. season ticket holders only. unfortunately they hadn't opened the main lift which is the only way to the sunny side of the mountain so I didn't stay long. a lot of the places down here have delayed opening despite plenty of snow. frustrating. I can see myself having to brave the wild north and go to andermatt if this continues much longer.

Doesn’t matter. Masks on all lifts (even if you’re alone ridiculously).

Yes but you are on them for quite a while, potentially breathing on the bar or the hood, and then the next person is touching this.

Unfortunately here the cold works against us, as the virus could survive a long time.

Oh well, if that's the price for going skiing, just wear a buff and pull it over your nose and the problem is solved.

Ur right only chair lifts beyond the funicular, there were some getting on the chair lifts without masks covering mouth and nose so the operator stopped the lift and kicked them off. I guess they went to back to queue and rejoined with masks properly fitted.

In the end I was happy to see that people generally were respectful of the rules not that going skiing is a big spreader in the abscence of busy restaurants and apres ski.

Following the rules just hopefully keeps a ski resort functional and the guys working there get paid.

Clearly not. Please don't try to derail this thread with such discussions, which clearly belong in one of the other Covid threads, if anywhere. This thread is about the actual and expected skiing situation.

Flying to ZH today, my ski season starts later in the week, touring & heliskiing for those who want to social distance.

Well unless you already live here.

Here is the full text of the new rules from the Swiss government web site:

“UK nationals will qualify as third country nationals from 1 January 2021 and be subject to COVID-19 related entry restrictions given the end of the Brexit transition period and the end of the Free Movement of Persons Agreement (AFMP).

These restrictions for non-essential travel to Switzerland apply to third-country nationals coming from high-risk countries and have been in place since June 2020.

Therefore, if you are a UK national you may not enter Switzerland for non-essential travel (e.g. for the purpose of tourism) from 1 January 2021 for as long as the UK is categorized as a high-risk country by Switzerland and these restrictions for non-essential travel remain applicable in the Schengen area, of which Switzerland is a member.

Do you have a link to that please?

It’s because of the travel restrictions due to COVID.

https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/u...rexit-faq.html

I thought no skiing....for everybody in the next month or so? Did I get that wrong?

Surely they wouldn't be able to anyway, even if they were still EU. As far as I understand it, only locals, i.e. people who live in Switzerland, can go ski-ing here.

All this assumes no deal. It appears all concerned feel there is still plenty of time and little urgency...