 Poster: A snowHead
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The final link in connecting Zermatt's three ski sectors - a gondola between Furi and Riffelberg - will be built this summer.
The 8-seat cabins will provide a significant two-way connection, particularly for those beginning their ski day on the Schwarzsee/Klein Matterhorn and wanting to transfer to the Gornergrat sector. Until now, that transfer has involved returning to town and catching the ski bus to the Gornergrat base station ... or using a little-known road (sometimes skiable, unofficially) to get to Findelbach station on the Gornergrat railway.
The new Furi-Riffelberg connection is shown (dotted line) on this Zermatt piste map [pdf file, zoomable] which shows the planned mid-station at Schweigmatten, which means skiers descending from Riffelalp won't need to hike to Furi, which has been the situation up to now.
Also planned for Zermatt is a highly ambitious 'extension' to the Klein Matterhorn peak by local architect and radical designer Heinz Julen, which will provide Europe's first 4000m viewing platform. The 90m pyramid spire will contain two panoramic levels and a new restaurant. Preparations of the construction start this summer. There is also talk of a future hotel incorporating pressurised air to counteract altitude sickness.
Further information in this news release from Zermatt tourist office. [also a pdf file]
Skied Zermatt recently? What do you reckon to these schemes?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 28-04-06 16:17; edited 1 time in total
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brian
brian
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I skied Zermatt last year, that new gondola looks an excellent strategic addition.
Not so sure about the spire though 
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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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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| There is also talk of a future hotel incorporating pressurised air to counteract altitude sickness. |
 You'd have to spend several minutes at least in a decompression chamber on the way out! The compressors would presumably use (i.e. waste) a load of energy too. This is a mad idea, isn't it?
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laundryman, would you? The pressure difference isn't that great, surely. It is indeed a mad idea.
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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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| Quote: |
| This is a mad idea, isn't it? |
Could be! The architect involved, Heinz Julen, is definitely 'un-Swiss' in terms of conservatism. He built the Vernissage cinema in town, with its travelling chandeliers, transparent projection chamber and art gallery. Everyone seems to love that place.
He got into a lot of trouble, though, with a project called 'Into the Hotel' - a very expensively-constructed building on a cliff, entered via an artificial cave, round the back of the Monte Rosa Hotel (where Edward Whymper stayed before he conquered the Matterhorn).
'Into the Hotel' - which I think had a penthouse roof out of which the bed could be propelled (for great views of the Matterhorn) - folded with building and financial problems. It's been turned into an appartment block, I believe.
The story is that the Zermatt lift company won't carry the risk of building the Klein Matterhorn hotel - air pressure or no air pressure - and the scheme will need a pretty brave backer.
As you say, it's a bit dubious environmentally.
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richmond, aircraft cabins are pressurised at 7,000 - 8,000 ft for a long cruise I believe. If the hotel's at 13,000 ft, and it's pressurised like an aircraft cabin, then the difference is going to be 5,000 - 6,000 ft, which is not a lot less than the difference between cruising and landing at sea-level in a plane, which is usually accomplished in 30-40 mins. Even in the cabin of a modern plane, which is brought up to pressure smoothly, the effect is noticeable. I'm old enough to remember when it was distinctly uncomfortable, when it was more of a manual process. I certainly wouldn't want it happening all at once. Anyway, you'd need to pass through a decompression chamber just to be able to open/shut the door!
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Footnote: pressure vs altitude is not a linear relationship of course, so the effect compared to the aircraft example will be less than I've made it seem, but the case still stands, I think!
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| Quote: |
an 'extension' to the Klein Matterhorn peak
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Whatever next? A floodlit fairy castle on top of Mont Blanc? Some people want shooting. I would hope Swiss planners would turn this down flat.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I know the locals regard the Matterhorn itself as sacrosanct - there's very litle interference, apart from some fixed ropes and old structures like the Hornli Hut. There were schemes to floodlight the peak for special events - turned down. And there was a scheme, early in the 20th century, to build an underground railway through it, like the one which goes through the Eiger.
The Klein Matterhorn seems to be less sensitive to controversy.
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| Quote: |
| an 'extension' to the Klein Matterhorn peak |
While at first hearing this is a completely mad idea, I've lost count of the number of times I've sad/stood in Chamonix looking up in awe at the lift station/spire on the Aiguille du Midi - quite beautiful.
The idea of a hotel at that altitude does sound a bit mad though. Rather than pressurise (with associated discomfort on de/repressurisation), could they not just inject extra oxygen into the internal atmosphere as part of the air-conditioning process? May be a bit expensive, but I assume this is going to be a premium price affair anyway. There is of course no such flummery associated with the Cosmiques (3613m) or Gouter (3817m) huts, the two main approaches to Mt Blanc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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GrahamN, I think they should inject something else into the air. At altitude you laugh harder. 
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, absolutely.....FISH 
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laundryman, given that my ears can be uncomfortable losing altitude quickly in a car, once or twice in a descending cable car, you may well be right. They'll certainly need some kind of airlock just to prevent the air rushing out of the door every time it's opened, possibly carrying papers, luggage and at least the lighter guests with it.
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You know it makes sense.
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Having had a fab 4 days boarding ervinia/zermatt over the easter bank holiday, I reckon its a great spot for piste bashing and some interesting off-piste. I like the idea of the Furi, Riffelberg link - it will cetainly make it much quicker to come over from CV and onto the Riffelberg. Never having done a mountain railway the tourist train was good fun, but a very slow way of getting up the mountain.
As to the hotel, I reckon they are focusing on the wrong bit. Surely they need to sort out the 'return to cervnia options first?? on easter saturday we were having lunch outside in Furi then the weather turned nasty...we get to Trockener Stegg and guess what, the cable car to the kleine matterhorn is shut. So it's two T-bars to get high enough to get home. Never having managed a button successfully in my life on a board, I wouldn't of made it without some help from my mates!! Whilst I appreciate it might be difficult to put a chair on the glacier, surely it wouldn't be that hard to link up from the quad from Trock Steg (Furgshatel) and down the other side.
I ddn't fancy trying to find a room in one of Z's 118 hotels with no mates on an Easter Saturday night!!
Obviously it's all irrelevant for skiers given that buttons/t's are a walk in the park!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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bertie bassett, sorting that bit is not high on their list/ Just think about it, spending money to make it easier for the punters that are leaving 90% of their money in Cervinia? Maybe if Cervinia would pick up the tab, and even then they would have to work hard to get it approved
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't like the extention idea at all.
Never had a problem as such, crossing over from Furgg, just follow the rail track and keep an eye out for the train...
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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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| Quote: |
There is also talk of a future hotel incorporating pressurised air to counteract altitude sickness.
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Unbelievable. The Swiss are so far ahead of us with their engineering and simply the concepts of what may be possible. Surely no one would doubt that they COULD actually do it if they wanted to.
In this we country we are struggling with our attempts to replace the Cafe at the top of Snowdon !! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| sugardaddy wrote: |
| bertie bassett, sorting that bit is not high on their list/ Just think about it, spending money to make it easier for the punters that are leaving 90% of their money in Cervinia? Maybe if Cervinia would pick up the tab, and even then they would have to work hard to get it approved |
Sure I understand the appeal is possibly more to the CV side rather than the zermatt side, but I'm sure there's some people that go over to Cervinia for the day from the Zermatt side. Besides when we were there we ate on the Zermat side of the mountain 3 out of 4 times, so they were getting tourist dollars based on the good links.
Of course they can track all this based on the proximity cards, but that's so interesting to me (I'm a bit of a stats geek) that I think I'll post it as another message.
bb
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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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this pressurised hotel sounds like something out of total recall...
having been up the observation tower at the start of the vallee blanche even walking up n down the stair to the toilets is hard work..
though think of the benefits after a sleeping up there for a few nights.. you'd have enough red blood cells to keep a tour de france cyclist happy for a stage
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Zermatt's lift company has timetabled the new Furi-Riffelberg gondola to commence operations from 23 December 2006 (approx)
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Zermatt's lift company has timetabled the new Furi-Riffelberg gondola to commence operations from 23 December 2006 (approx) |
Do the Swiss do "approx"? 
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That's the exact word used on the timetable!
Interestingly, though, they say in the German version:
"Furi - Riffelberg: Inbetriebnahme nicht vor dem 23.12.2006", which I believe means:
"Furi - Riffelberg: Starting no earlier than 23.12.2006" ... which is also no guarantee. It's a substantial installation, involving new terminals at the base and top, so I guess there's a lot of weather-dependence.
[/anorak mode]
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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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A German once told me (only half-joking) that the saying "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it" could never exist in the German language, because no German would ever admit to such a lack of forward planning!
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