I’ve learned that Adelboden’s lift company is working with an energy management company on various technical innovations to make the ski experience ‘greener’ on its slopes.

Top of their list is public education, and along the sides of the piste from Sillerenbühl to Oey, guests will find seven information panels on all things environmental.  If skiers and boarders study as they have fun they can then enter a daily competition, based on testing their newly acquired knowledge, with prizes awarded daily.

The lift company is also buying in green power – in this case hydropower - to runs its Aebi chairlift and every guest can make a contribution towards clean power too as at the Silleren base station, by using their key card to make a donation of SFR 5.- towards energy from renewable sources.

Adelboden’s lift company has also invested in a new piste maintenance vehicle. This is equipped with the latest engine emission technology (EUROMOT III - Regulation B) to ensure that even fewer particles and environmentally harmful substances are produced as it smooths the slopes.

It’s good see these innovations – the one that particularly appeals to me is the education – if it’s done well, it can be both fun and informative – and give people information to take home with them.  

I hope Adelboden will convert all of its lifts over to renewable energy – not just the one, and whilst it’s a clever ploy by the lift company – personally, I’m not sure why guests would want to contribute to paying the energy bill of the lift company!

Again the new piste maintenance vehicle with increased environmental credentials shows how important technology solutions are to reducing the impact of ski operations.