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SpotCheck | Working in the freeride mecca of Engelberg-Titlis

Safety as a job

by Eliane Droemer 12/21/2021
They ensure the safety of winter sports enthusiasts every day - one for around 8 guests a day in an unsecured area with all the dangers of the Alps, the other for up to 8,000 people on secured slopes. We are talking about ski and mountain guide Christian Räss from "Engelberg Mountain Guides" and Christoph Bissig, head of the Titlis piste and rescue service for 20 years.

For one day, Eliane Droemer accompanied the two Swiss, who offer safety as a service in an area where there is no such thing as 100% safety - even though angels, who gave the place its name, are said to have led to the founding of Engelberg Abbey over 900 years ago with their voices from the mountains. In any case, the range of off-piste runs around the mighty Titlis mountain, which attracts freeride fans from all over the world, is heavenly.

Big 5 and High 5

Why Engelberg is known for its off-piste qualities becomes clear as soon as you take the first gondola from the valley towards Trübsee. Accompanied by Christoph Bissig, we have the privilege of being able to use the service ride at 7 o'clock in the morning. A late start to work for the piste and rescue manager, who is on his feet from 4 a.m. when there is fresh snow in the night to carry out blowing up operations with his team. The avalanches, which are triggered in a controlled manner before operations open, can then no longer endanger the ski slopes.

I look out of the gondola to my left with shining eyes at a particularly wide and long slope with a fantastically even gradient of up to 40 degrees. "This is the foliage, one of the Big 5," explains Bissig. Big 5 are five freeride gems in Engelberg, all of which can be reached directly from the lift without an ascent and offer exceptionally long descents of up to 2,000 vertical meters. Incidentally, "Laub" means "avalanche", as we learn from Christian a day later. Using designated freeride routes does not mean relinquishing responsibility. Here, alpine dangers must be respected just as much as the wildlife rest zones.

High 5, on the other hand, are the delicacies for tourers from the Engelberg ski resort, such as the alpine classic "Titlis Rundtour", which is a highlight with climbing passages, abseils and long descents during the seven-hour tour, for which you are well advised to hire a mountain guide.

Despite the special challenges that a ski resort faces when it welcomes freeriders and ski tourers, Engelberg holds on to its clientele - which is particularly delicate with the Titlis glacier area. There is no shortage of alpine dangers. In addition to avalanches, crevasses and very rocky, steep terrain also call for caution.

People, the group

Despite all the alpine dangers - the human component is an extremely important factor for both - for the piste manager as well as the mountain guide. Christoph Bissig goes so far as to say: "If you do the job, you have to like people". What he means by this becomes clear when he talks about accidents or when you leave the Klein Titlis mountain station at an altitude of 3028 meters, where there is a lot of hype shortly before the corona lockdown in March 2020. With a glance over his shoulder, he grins: "Imagine that in June with around 4000 Indians." Indians? Marketing Manager Katrin Benz confirms that Engelberg is very international. In addition to freeride fans from Europe, Scandinavia and the USA, group tours from India and other Asian countries come in early summer, for whom the mountains are an experience in themselves as a photo opportunity. We didn't know at the time that everything would be different this year.

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Minimizing risk

One day after the ski resort tour with Christoph Bissig, we are out and about with mountain guide Christian Räss. For Christian Räss, who has 15 years of experience as a mountain guide, the guests are an important element of his tour planning: "We are booked to take on the safety risk, of course also to get beautiful lines, preferably with powder, but first of all a guest trusts us." As we plan the descents together, leaning over the area map, he gives us an insight into his strategy: "Only one of three factors may be orange, i.e. not optimal, in order to continue a tour as planned: Snow conditions, weather conditions including visibility and - the group." Avalanche warning level 2 is issued for that day, everyone in the group is fit and follows the guide's rules, but visibility is zero - so two green lights, one orange. "If the avalanche situation worsens due to snowfall or one of you is not in good shape, then off-piste skiing would no longer be possible." But so we venture off-piste with small distances and visibility of around 10 meters. Christian skilfully guides us with the help of recognizable rock faces - the only contours in the whiteout - and precise instructions. Trust and attention are required here.

Office above the clouds

The day before, Bissig swaps his skis at the middle station for his second pair, which are waiting for him there, greets the staff here and there and everyone smiles back in a friendly manner. The 60-year-old Swiss has been involved with skiing from an early age. His father ran a lift in the valley next door to Engelberg and at the age of 21, Bissig moved to New Zealand as a ski instructor. Now, shortly before retirement, his experience is palpable.

With his calm, focused manner, he explains that his team of up to 8 patrollers is already out and about, skiing all the slopes. Before the ski area opens, the groomed slopes are checked to see if there are any dangerous bumps. Signage, nets and barriers are also checked. Whenever a slope has been fully checked, the patroller informs the control center, and only when the entire marked area with all slopes and additional services such as the speed measuring track have been released are the first guests allowed to ride up.

The course of a working day for the piste and rescue service:

  • Sprinkling if necessary.

  • The patrollers check all pistes and additional services.

  • They gradually release them.

  • The avalanche danger is communicated to the guests: The bulletin is posted and updated on the internet and from level 3, the warning lights on the signs are illuminated. There are no special markings off-piste.

  • The snow depth is measured daily at the Trübsee station, the weight of the snow and other data is recorded. Snow profiles are also repeatedly dug for this purpose. The team acts as an observer for the SLF Davos and provides valuable data for the preparation of the bulletin - known in Germany as the “Lawinen Lagebericht”.

  • After a complete check, the ski resort is opened and the first guests are allowed to ride up.

  • The patrollers create a report and note down what they have noticed.

  • The rescue and transport equipment is checked and prepared.

.

90 seconds

Of course, the topic of blowing up is particularly exciting and so Christoph Bissig takes us into the small bunker at one of the middle stations where the explosives are stored. He explains that explosives are detonated in three ways:

  • by remote triggering from permanently installed lances

  • from the helicopter

  • by hand on site

The bunker resembles a high-security wing with a locked key and special lock that can only be opened with insider knowledge. Christoph fetches a backpack, the explosives and the fuse from the rear storage area. This is the really dangerous part and must always be stored separately. He drives a screwdriver into the explosives and inserts the fuse. The device is later placed on a stick in the field so that it can be detonated above the snow cover. The tricky thing is that once you have lit the fuse, you have 90 seconds to ski far enough away to be safe. According to Bissig, it would be fatal if the ski pole accidentally got stuck or something was on the binding. He speaks from sad experience, having lost a friend in such a blow. Two people must always be present during blowing up work.

When it comes to cornices

Cornices are not only a danger off-piste but also for the "secured piste area". In the backcountry, however, you have to rely on your own experience. If you come from the windward side, a cornice is not easily recognizable. If you enter it unknowingly, it can break off and take you with it. Guides know where such cornices are and are also a good source of advice here. On our freeride day with Christian, we would have had no chance of recognizing a cornice in the poor visibility and so we are delighted that he confidently finds the way even in the featureless white.

The danger to slopes is prevented by blowing up risky cornices. Nevertheless, accidents do happen, which even the competent team from the piste and rescue service cannot prevent if guests do not take the warnings seriously, such as when a female guest on the Titlis went over a barrier to unknowingly make a snow angel on a cornice. Particularly tragic: the cornice broke and fell with her into the valley, with part of the "wing" remaining in the snow above. Overall, however, the number of non-natural fatalities has steadily decreased.

The all-clear can be given for the ski resort itself. Risky cornices are blown up before the area opens. This is because if a cornice were to fall uncontrollably with its heavy weight onto the snow cover, it could trigger an avalanche that could reach the ski resort. This is prevented by controlled blowing up.

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What can I do as a piste skier or freerider

Did you know? Ski resort operators and guests enter into a contract. This means that as a guest I also have obligations. This includes complying with the internationally applicable FIS rules as a code of conduct - yes, that's right, the 10 rains, which are displayed in comic book form on even the most remote "baby lift", prescribe a duty of mutual consideration, just like the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) on the road. For example, they contain rules on giving way and overtaking. In the event of a collision, anyone who does not adhere to these rules is very likely to be liable for compensation and damages for pain and suffering.

The operators of ski slopes have a so-called slope safety obligation to ensure that everyone can use the slopes as safely as possible. This includes the piste guidance system, which Christoph Bissig and his team "defuse" with markings, nets or slow-speed zones in narrow sections.

If I leave the secured piste area - even if I ski between marked pistes - the entire basics of the self-responsible risk check with regard to avalanches and other alpine dangers apply. Keywords: tour planning, avalanche bulletin, complete avalanche transceiver equipment and skills.

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Emergency call

The fastest emergency call is different in every country. If you are traveling in Switzerland, you can use the REGA app to make an emergency call and send the coordinates straight away. REGA is the Swiss Air-Rescue Service. In the mountains, if the situation is clearly life-threatening, 1414 is recommended for air rescue. The decisive factor as to whether air rescue is necessary or not: if the patient cannot be brought into a sledge without pain, in the event of injuries to the back, shoulder, legs or unconsciousness.

The 112 number is more likely to alert the ambulance in the hospitals, which takes a little longer. The fastest number in the Titlis ski resort is the one at the valley station: there are staff here who can quickly locate the injured person on +41 (0)41 639 50 61.

Conclusion

Safety for winter sports enthusiasts - not an easy job for the piste and rescue manager Christoph or the mountain guide Christian. And yet it is precisely the components of risk management, alpine dangers, people, the group and the team that make it so appealing for both of them, which they would not want to do without. There is no such thing as one hundred percent safety in the Alps. Consideration and attentiveness are required. And in the company of such competent professionals, you can not only learn a lot but also enjoy the potential of such a diverse and challenging area as Engelberg Titlis as a freerider and ski tourer.

// The author researched at the invitation of Engelberg-Titlis Tourismus AG. //

Engelberg Tips

Travel

Good connection by train from Zurich approx. 80 CHF return

Overnight stay

Favourable packages: Ask the tourist office for accommodation offers including ski pass. www.engelberg.ch

Naturally freeride: Do a Big 5

"Big 5" are five freeride gems in Engelberg, all of which can be reached directly from the lift without an ascent and offer exceptionally long descents of up to 2,000 vertical meters. The Steinberg from Klein-Titlis to Trübsee is particularly exciting with its impressive glacier breaks and the "Iceflyer Couloir". A mountain guide is therefore recommended.

Guides: www.engelbergmountainguide.ch/

Food: Brasserie Konrad @ Ski Lodge
Whether you want to stay overnight, dine or relax at the bar while enjoying live performances - the Ski Lodge, run by Swedish ski fanatics, is THE meeting place in the village. The Brasserie Konrad is particularly tempting:
Regional ingredients, Nordic roots - here you will be surprised by sophisticatedly prepared dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.

Recharge your batteries: Restaurant Lago Torbido in the Berghotel Trübsee
Directly at the Trübsee middle station, you can enjoy stylish service and pizza from the wood-fired oven or antipasti in a very "non-ski resort" style.

Shopping: Engelberg Abbey

It is said that angelic voices from the mountains led to the founding of Engelberg Abbey and gave the place its name. In any case, the Benedictine monastery has shaped the history of the valley since it was founded in 1120. And in addition to the spiritual nourishment, the products from the show dairy are highly recommended.

Video recommendation: If you want to know more about the work of Christoph Bissig, you can get a good impression here:

Photo gallery

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