Published14. February 2024, 10:40
Les Diablerets: Skiers flock to the slopes of Glacier 3000
The lack of snow at lower altitudes is causing record attendance in the Vaud ski area.
Nearly 8 meters of snow have fallen on the summit of Glacier 3000 since November.
Glacier 3000
While low and mid-altitude resorts face a lack of snow, mountains of white gold are accumulating this winter at the summit of Glacier 3000. With cumulative precipitation close to 8 meters since November, the ski area is beating currently records attendance.
2.72 meters of snow depth at the SLF measuring station in Tsanfleuron at 2569m. This figure may be surprising, but reflects a reality at altitude: it snowed a lot this season above 2000 m. At the top of the Diablerets resort, the cumulative precipitation in the form of snow is 40% higher than last year on the same date, while the snow cover displays a thickness 65% greater, is delighted to communicate today Glacier 3000.
A quarter of visitors by bus
With the current situation at low and medium altitude, skiers do not hesitate to take the Glacier 3000 cable car to climb the 1500m which separate the Col du Pillon from the summit of the slopes at 3000m and take advantage of excellent snow conditions. “We actually had an excellent day yesterday, Tuesday February 13, and the number of skiers transported by the postal buses linking Les Diablerets and Gstaad from our facilities reached an unprecedented level!” rejoices Bernhard Tschannen, director of the ski lifts.
This is the means of transport that a quarter of customers chose to get to the slopes, mainly from Villars, Diablerets and Gstaad.
People over the next few days
If these conditions make operators smile today, they have also given the company’s staff a hard time in recent months. Indeed, with 4.5 meters of snow falling in the month of November alone, snow removal from the infrastructure required a significant human effort, in particular access to the suspension bridge, whose staircase steps now rub shoulders with an impressive wall of 3 meters in height.
Glacier 3000 still expects significant attendance in the coming days, in a context where the cantons of Vaud, Friborg and Valais, which have the holidays at the same time, represent a significant proportion of subscription holders.
(Comm/M.P.)