Lenzerheide – “Luckily nobody hit the slopes!”

On Friday morning, news scout Edi Gämperli (47) sat on the chairlift Stätzertäliwhen it suddenly stopped in the lower third. “Somebody probably had problems getting out of the car,” suspects the Zurich Oberlander. “The chair began to sway and then there was a bang.” A spring then fell onto his snowboard, then onto his knee and finally onto the slope, which at the time was full of snow sports enthusiasts. “Fortunately, it didn’t hit anyone on the slopes!”

Once upstairs, Gämperli reported the incident to the staff immediately. He also went to other ski lifts, but nowhere was he taken seriously. “On the contrary. They said that could happen. When I insisted that it was dangerous and that a child could be hit in the head, for example, I was only told that the skiers wear helmets. ” Then the staff became insulting and said that if he continued to complain, the ticket could be withdrawn from him. “That is not how it works. I am a customer and expect different treatment, ”said the 47-year-old. The reaction of the employees surprised him. He is a regular in the ski area and the staff is otherwise friendly.

Thomas Küng, CEO the Bergbahnen Lenzerheide AG, gives the all-clear. “The spring is a part that is not relevant to safety.” The spring makes it easier to open the striker of the chairlift. “The flight distance of half a spring can have been a maximum of one and a half meters,” says Küng. It is always possible to prevent something from falling down onto the ski slope. The spring was also secured against falling with a plastic part. “Why it fell down anyway, is the subject of clarification,” said Küng. In principle, objects can fall off a chairlift. “Unfortunately, every now and then, ski poles or drinks bottles fall onto the slopes.” In this case, the potential for injury was rather low.

Regarding the accusation that the employees of the lifts were offensive to the snowboarder, Küng says: “I always perceive my employees as helpful and friendly.” Küng is certain that if there had been an injury or property damage, the customer would have been looked after. It is good that the snowboarder reported the disappearance of the spring. The fact that he apparently took the broken spring with him is less good for determining the cause. It is possible that they did not take enough time to speak to the customer, as there is a lot going on in the ski area due to the festive season and the staff member was alone at the valley station. “The guest is welcome to contact me, we will apologize to them for the horror and find a solution that is satisfactory for them,” continues Küng. In addition: A complaining guest has never withdrawn a ticket.