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International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Skiing in Europe...off to a bad start
- Thread starter Dakine
- Start date
works for me...ugly!
So sad to see. Hope we can be a little more respectful of things this winter. But who knows, we have always thought of ourselves as a little bulletproof.
This is at the base gondola that takes you from the parking lot to the Alpin Center (base of the glacier resort). Base lifts open at 8 AM I believe, from 7.45 there is this line (it's always there), and it's gone once the lift starts... at 8.10 AM let's say.
Also, this week (and the next two weeks) is extra busy because of school holidays. Lots of European and local (!) ski clubs have their on-snow training weeks for school kids. So I guess this is what high season looks like at a glacier resort (one of the few that was - until yesterday - in a non-restricted part of Austria). All Tyrolean resorts have restrictions and quarantine measure for people from most EU countries. The Kitzsteinhorn (or rather: Salzburgerland) did not, until today.
Also, this week (and the next two weeks) is extra busy because of school holidays. Lots of European and local (!) ski clubs have their on-snow training weeks for school kids. So I guess this is what high season looks like at a glacier resort (one of the few that was - until yesterday - in a non-restricted part of Austria). All Tyrolean resorts have restrictions and quarantine measure for people from most EU countries. The Kitzsteinhorn (or rather: Salzburgerland) did not, until today.
Ah yes, it's the Hintertuxer Glacier (not the Kitz). In that case, only my (local) school holiday argument applies. Not the Salzburgerland argument.
But still: familiar scenes just before the lift opens in the morning. Lines are gonde 15 minutes later. Still no social distancing though. But that isn't much of a surprise for me, to be honest. In most cases, face masks are use in stead of actual distancing. Eventhough studies have shown that these masks don't really protect people equally effective...
But still: familiar scenes just before the lift opens in the morning. Lines are gonde 15 minutes later. Still no social distancing though. But that isn't much of a surprise for me, to be honest. In most cases, face masks are use in stead of actual distancing. Eventhough studies have shown that these masks don't really protect people equally effective...
- Joined
- May 19, 2018
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- 760
Not really that much different looking than boarding an airplane these days.
Lifts are running quite the same way in Tignes this past week. French school are on their Autumn Toussaint holiday. Our kid's team is training there for 2 weeks, but unfortunately we can't make it since we are stateside right now. We just see the pictures.
Lifts are running quite the same way in Tignes this past week. French school are on their Autumn Toussaint holiday. Our kid's team is training there for 2 weeks, but unfortunately we can't make it since we are stateside right now. We just see the pictures.
was supposed to be there in 2 weeks..
In Austria, a few incidents have been reported today. On the Stubaier Glacier, the police was called to enforce social distancing. They were called by officials of the ski resort. What they are most afraid of - especially in Austria, is that situations like this lead to cancellations this season. Since most of their local economies are heavily dependent on skiing, they want to nip this kind of behavior in the bud.
If it helps... who knows.
If it helps... who knows.
Pretty sure all the people at the airport are wearing masks here in the US..
- Joined
- May 19, 2018
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yes they are...
Hard to see, but I don't see anyone in the posted lift queue video not wearing a mask. The subsequent post by @Cheizz also states masks in lieu of distancing seems to be happening.
- Joined
- May 19, 2018
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The use of police is probably easier in Austria since the ski lifts are considered a regulated public transport like railways etc.
I'm not really familiar with case numbers where this took place or where these people are traveling from, but at least here the aim really needs to be masks and distancing. Masks in lieu of distancing isn't really a thing, as far as I'm aware.
Personally, if this was the scene when I got to a resort, I'd probably just drive home. Not worth the risk, and even if the line dissipates quickly, this just sets the scene for people ignoring distancing elsewhere on the hill.
Just wait until a legit powder day..
@Cheizz ,
your explanation covers why it is busy. That’s not the issue with this picture. The problem is tons of people crowded close together.
I thinkresorts can really do a better job to reduce that, by building better liftline mazes.
It wont cure everything, but it will allow the people who want to keep their distance to do so.
If the maze is poor, everyone is afraid they’ll lose their spot if they keep too much space.
your explanation covers why it is busy. That’s not the issue with this picture. The problem is tons of people crowded close together.
I thinkresorts can really do a better job to reduce that, by building better liftline mazes.
It wont cure everything, but it will allow the people who want to keep their distance to do so.
If the maze is poor, everyone is afraid they’ll lose their spot if they keep too much space.
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Fair enough. The amount of people there seems to line up with another trend that we see in Austria. The Austrian economy is more dependent on winter sports and tourism than in other alpine countries (France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland - they all have a much bigger proportion of their national economy not based on winter sports and tourism). There have been suggestions by Austrian politicians and tourism lobby groups to ease the corona measures in favor of tourism. Money over health, basically. We've seen that in Ischgl in March, we see is on a national level right now. They won't get the majority in parliament I think, but they will inspire local protests and maybe local policymakers too.
I have the idea that especially in Austria, the sentiment is changing. My theory is that that has something to do with winter sports being a bigger proportion of their economy than in other countries.
Probably like driving in traffic. Leave a gap and someone will cut in front of you and take it. You would never get to the front of the line up.
