Poster: A snowHead
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We spent some time in the Alps this summer in Chatel and decided to complete a nice (long) loop over several cols and 3 countries in the day including the Montets, Saisies, Cormet de Roseland, the Pt St Bernard and the Grand St Bernard.
On the way down from the Gd St Bernard is a mini station called Super st Bernard which looks like it was frozen in time from years gone by. Curious, we got out and went for a wander, initially to look through the windows of the now deserted day-lodge/bottom station of the gondola.
I have to say it was fascinating, literally looked like someone had just opened the door and kept walking, left in the main untouched for years. Oddly in the lift station, despite the cabins being scattered around, the engine and control room were open, paperwork and logs left laying about and keys in the panels.
A quick google after the visit suggested that operations of the 60's era lift were ceased some time back due to essential maintenance being required and no funding to complete. Plans appear to have been attempted to update and relaunch the place as recently as a couple of years ago but so far there is nothing suggesting imminent activity.
Thought I'd share the pics
Up on the Grand Ste Bernard in the sleet in August!
You can find more details on its struggle to stay afloat here
http://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/2590737-la-station-valaisanne-du-super-st-bernard-a-l-arret.html
http://www.lesuper.ch/
David
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Super St Bernard was a very good place to ski.
Like a mini La Grave : 1 main lift, 2 valleys, mainly off piste skiing.
At the end of the day you could ski a 10km off piste route over the back to Etroubles in Italy and get the bus back through the tunnel.
Spent some very good times at SSB when I have been in CH over the years.
They closed down in 2010 : I think they basically couldn't afford to replace the old telecabin which didn't pass a safety certificate.
Surprised, and sad, someone didn't bail them out given the history of skiing in the area and amount of money in Valais canton.
The top station is at 2800m and the resort got almost twice as much snowfall as Verbier. Though its position on the border was *very* windy for the alps and you had to drive past lots of other ski areas to get there so skier numbers were always low.
I hope they sort something out....
Pics from 2008 here
http://www.haggistrap.co.uk/verbier/VerbierRoadTripStBernard.shtml
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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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skinutter, Great photos...really interesting.
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skinutter, and Haggis_Trap, thanks for the pics, they make my heart bleed.
I loved that place, the remoteness, the quality of the skiing, the frontier feel and the wonderful descent down into Etroubles, which we always combined with a slap up lunch in the Hotel Croix Blanche. It's a real loss to the Verbier St Bernard region, but I hear nothing on the grapevine about plans to bring it back. Looking at the pics, it looks like it's gone beyond refurb and it's now in replacement territory.
I have wondered how long it would take to skin up to the frontier, but I reckon it's a pretty big hike.......
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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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skinutter, I see the ghost of one of the old lift operators in one of those photos. Uncanny. Must be specially sad for people who knew the place to see it all dilapidated and deserted like that.
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Wow. How many places are there like this in the alps that are closed down but still have the infrastructure there? At an elevation of 2800m, I'm very surprised this ace hasn't been snapped up by someone!
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Haggis_Trap, Looks like you had a SUPER day out!
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