Sportbahnen Atzmännig AG To Replace Existing Chairlift

Sportbahnen Atzmännig AG intends to replace the existing chairlift due to the upcoming concession extension. It is also necessary to find a replacement for the toboggan run, which is well-known throughout the company and is now showing its age. This generational project will ensure long-term security of operations. The focus is primarily on year-round operation, regardless of the snow situation.

Up to the high plateau at 1,200 meters - for over 50 years, the chairlift has been taking young and old comfortably to the mountain station. Since 1977, it has not only been a rapid climb, but also a steep descent thanks to the first toboggan run in Switzerland, starting at the middle station. Atzmännig already offers a range of leisure activities all year round. In the future, year-round operation is to be guaranteed so that the offer can continue to meet the needs of guests. With this generational project, "Sportbahnen Atzmännig AG" wants to set the course for the future.

The new cable car is designed as a detachable gondola lift and will replace the existing chairlift and ski lift. In order to make the best possible use of the existing structure and to integrate it into the environment, the planned system will run from the valley station of the current chairlift to the mountain station of the ski lift to be demolished.

The cable car system is designed as a combination cable car, which allows guests to choose between a gondola and a chair as a means of transport. This provides greater flexibility and safety for transporting people with different needs (toboggans, small children, strollers, skiers, etc.).

In order to avoid the need for a complex middle station, the toboggan run route will start from the cable car system's mountain station. The toboggan run is designed as a monorail system and therefore looks aesthetically more elegant than today's metal tub. The guide rail is anchored into the terrain using pegs, which means that complex foundations are not required. The start and finish are located directly at the designated cable car stations. The toboggan is transported back up the mountain using an automated hitch on the backrest of the chair.

The generation project is the sustainable solution for "Sportbahnen Atzmännig AG" to continue to guarantee year-round operation with quick and flexible changeover for winter operation with and/or without snow, which can no longer be calculated. The capacity of both systems (chairlift and ski lift) is to be compressed into one track. Likewise, the various groups of users and equipment such as "small children", "families", "sledders", "hikers", "snow sports enthusiasts", "sleds", "sledges", "goods transport" and much more are to be transported optimally, safely and comfortably.

The generational project envisages a slightly corrected route for the transport cable car. The existing ski lift will be dismantled, creating just one instead of two. In addition, the current middle station, which serves as the starting point of the toboggan run, will be removed. The newly planned detachable gondola from Bartholet Flums combines 8-seater gondolas and 4-seater chairs. The ultra-modern system will also ensure the automated attachment and detachment of the new toboggan coaster. The new cable car will provide passengers with significantly more comfort and will also make it easier to transport children, elderly people, leisure equipment and goods. The 1175-meter-long cable car transports guests to the mountain station much faster.

• Vehicles: Final configuration 18 8-seater gondolas and 36 4-seater chairs
• Track length: approx. 1,175 m
• Difference in altitude: approx. 340 m
• Speed: 5.0 m/s
• Drive station: Valley
• Tension station: Valley
• Garage Vehicles: Valley

The new forced-guided toboggan run not only guarantees a high standard of safety, but also has a minimal impact on the landscape thanks to the monorail system. A maximum of one adult and one child can whizz down the mountain per toboggan. With integrated magnetic and eddy current brakes, the system guarantees a safe ride with distance so that a collision is no longer possible. As soon as the rails are free of ice, the toboggan run can be put into operation, which promotes the focus on year-round operation.

• Track length: 1525 m (to the end of the roundabout)
• Difference in altitude: 340 m
• Average gradient: 22%

From the region for the region - the generation project will be implemented primarily with local partners wherever possible. The project management will be carried out by "tytec" from Glarus, the architecture will be outsourced to a regional office and the cable car construction will be carried out by the Swiss cable car builder "Bartholet" in Flums. Local and regional specialist planners (electrical planning, construction, etc.) will also be involved. "Sportbahnen Atzmännig AG" is not only driving the local economy as an employer and client. A study with Hanser Consulting shows the following added value:

• Indirect value creation through sales of CHF 5.5 million.
• Direct added value of 8-10 million francs per year (including work and investment orders to regional suppliers, service providers, craftsmen and subcontractors)
• Induced added value of 12-15 million Swiss francs per year due to predominantly local employees. (This takes into account the fact that, thanks to their jobs and the resulting income, they pay rent, taxes and make purchases locally.

In recent years, the number of operating days in the traditional winter months has been declining more and more. This is the fifth winter in a row, which has been extremely difficult from December to March, producing just 15 to 20 days of snow sports out of a potential 120 days.

One day of Atzmännig costs (full cost calculation) between CHF 8,000.00 and CHF 10,000.00 (infrastructure, maintenance, depreciation, personnel, energy, insurance, etc.). The company and the region cannot afford to keep the plants down for 90 days for much longer.
The generation project secures future year-round operation and thus 30 - 40 year-round jobs

• A project that secures the added value listed above for the region
• A project that will ensure future delivery, service and other orders for retailers, craftsmen and tradespeople
• A project in which craftsmen and specialist planners from the region receive exciting and large orders
• A project that ensures that countless clubs, institutions, events and cultural events can continue to be supported in the future
• A project that ensures that local schools can continue to be supported in the future
• A project that ensures the operation of the surrounding mountain restaurants all year round
• A project that is planned to compensate for the lost operating days and to offer a secure service