In action for your perfect ski day
Great teamwork
The smell of coffee fills your room, a ray of sunshine tickles your nose, it snowed during the night. You jump out of bed full of anticipation - just as our team did hours before you to offer you a perfect skiing experience.
Snow clearance
Andri Huonder's alarm clock rings at 4.00 am. The weather forecast is perfect and there is 15 centimetres of fresh snow, so we are expecting a real rush to the ski area. To ensure that all guests can arrive safely, Andri and his colleagues in Disentis and Sedrun are up early to clear the snow. At the same time, a locomotive of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn drives over the Oberalp Pass with a snow blower. The first train stops at the top of the pass at 7.45 a.m., by which time the tracks must be free of snow. Many skiers travel from the Ticino, for whom the Lukmanier must also be passable.
Piste grooming
Our snow groomers were on the road even earlier. Immediately after yesterday's piste check, the first vehicles set off. Because snow was forecast, they didn't have to worry about the technical snowmaking, but could fully concentrate on preparing the pistes. With our 14 snow groomers, we need a total of about 200 hours just to get the 120 kilometres of pistes of the SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun and the toboggan runs and the Audi Mini Cross in shape.
Avalanche blasting
As soon as it gets light, our experts from the piste and rescue service are also out and about. They know exactly where there could be avalanche danger and check where avalanches need to be triggered with blasting. We have several permanently installed remote blasting systems in Andermatt, Sedrun and Disentis that they can activate from the valley. Most of the safety measures, however, are carried out by hand blasting. In addition, avalanche barriers were built around Andermatt as early as the 1950s and protective forest was afforested.
Piste Patrol
The staff gondolas, which leave the valley station an hour before opening time, not only take the employees of the various mountain restaurants up to the ski area, but also the piste patrollers. They check that all the barriers are still there, that no markings are missing, that the rescue equipment is ready, etc. They are rewarded for getting up so early: they are the first to be allowed to ski down the freshly prepared slopes. While the employees who monitor, check and operate the technical facilities go to their equipment.
Mountain restaurants
At the same time, the kitchens of the mountain inns are already bustling. The kitchen teams are already preparing everything for lunch, while the croissants and cakes are baking in the ovens. What a smell! On the terraces, tables and chairs are being cleared of snow so that the first guests can sit down comfortably for their morning coffee.
Welcome
Now get on the boards and go! The many people who make sure you have a safe, enjoyable day in Andermatt, Sedrun and Disentis are looking forward to seeing you.
