 Poster: A snowHead
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We are heading off to Wengen in December, the last leg of our journey will be by funicular to the resort, we won't reach the base station until late afternoon.
I was wondering what we would do if the line was closed due to heavy snow ? Would we be spending the night in the station ?
As you can see , I always like to look on the bright side 
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It is not a funicular, but more like a cog train that a widely used in Switzerland. It would have to be a very bad snowfall to stop it from going.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Shaun, i've never heard of it closing. It would shut the village off. (May have happened of course)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pretty sure they have a plough train they can use to clear the line.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks Guys , I'm feeling better already 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In 45 years it's been closed a couple of times, usually in the spring, on one occasion when I was there a mud slide covered the line but the had it fixed in 3 or 4 hours, on another occasion I believe an avalanche took out the power lines, again fixed in a few hours and I think I remember hearing of it being damaged once due to a stream bursting its banks, more likely is the line between Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken being shut due to avalanche risk, this olny happens after really massive snowfall so unlikely to occur before February, should the line be shut it may still be possible to get to Wengen, either by walking up (not recommended even without luggage) or going round via Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg, however as I said earlier, it would be a once in a hundred year storm to do that to you in December.
For Regular snowfall they have both snowblower and a couple of different sized snow ploughs to fit to the front of a train and clear tracks, these will work even with 5 to 6 feet of lying snow in Wengen I know because I've been there with this much snow 
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The snow blower of course having feature colourfully in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"...
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Oh DGO - what is wrong with walking up - excellent exercise for the cardiovascular system - tried it once on a really warm day when all the pistes were slushy and had to have an ice cream at the top!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Walking up without luggage is a nice activity. With luggage I wouldn't want to!
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Walking up in ski boots a really bad idea, I mentioned the tracks being blocked by a mudslide, I was in Lauterbrunnen at the time seeing a friend off, had to walk back up, passed one poor child crying her eyes out with bleeding feet sat with her mum not even halfway up .... Skiboots are not good for walking up a mountain !
Once upon a time there was a local who would race the trains up from the bottom, this was when they used slower trains on the old track but he got plenty of free drinks at the Eiger hotel from people who bet he couldn't do so, nearly 1600 feet vertical in about 20 mins is pretty impressive I'm not sure there are many who could manage that 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I assume he did not go via the regular paths but I have no idea how he did go, there is a more direct route down, this I know because my father and a number of others I've spoken to since he passed away have told me that in the 50's (perhaps early 60's) they occasionally skied down to Lauterbrunnen from the Wengen side, I know this was not down the path but I'm not sure what route they took, perhaps the local ran up that same route in the summer I have no idea, walking up the path from memory took maybe 2 hours or a bit less, I remember leaving somewhat after 5pm from Lauterbrunnen and getting back to the hotel Alpenrose a little after 7pm though I was with my mother who had a shorter stride than I do.
Bear in mind the old trains took much longer than the current 15mins probably at least 25 mins up the old track maybe longer if this was from the steam days but still impressive
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