Ski heil! The winter magic has started

The local ski areas of Raten, Nollen and Lindenberg in Oberaegeri are ready for the coming winter season, and have been (successfully!) praying for lots of snow and cool temperatures. The Raten ski area started operations on Saturday, 2nd December, for the first time with the beautiful, spacious new wooden cabin with kiosk and lounge.

The two main people responsible for the Raten ski area, Jürg and Alex Rogenmoser, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Head of Construction at Skilift Raten AG, respectively, were in a good mood the day before the start of the season, scheduled for Saturday, 2nd December.

“Everything is ready: the ski carousel, the Mega-Star and Pinocchio lifts, all the slopes and the new utility building,” announced Alex Rogenmoser almost solemnly, and pointed to the new building with its light-coloured wooden facade. In addition, the “piste bully” has processed the recent snowfall into a solid base for the first ski enthusiasts to have fun here.

Only the weather situation was a bit unstable over the past week. “The temperature fluctuations worried us,” admits Alex Rogenmoser. It rained again and again in the middle of the white splendour. But on Friday at 4 p.m., with the snow falling, it was finally clear: “We’re opening!”

All under one roof
The crowning achievement of this year's season is the new utility building, an impressive wooden building on the edge of the parking lot. Alex Rogenmoser leads the way through the spacious, comfortably furnished rooms with a light wood decor, which include a kiosk with a kitchen, which he also manages, a ticket booth, a fully equipped, unheated lounge for skiers, and an equipment room, in which a snowshoe rental facility is also housed, a storage area in the attic and a lockable shelter for the piste bully, as well as a quad vehicle with which smaller piste work can be carried out.

“Our offering has not become more comprehensive than before and does not represent any competition to that of the Rates restaurant,” says Alex Rogenmoser. You can quickly buy something to drink or eat at the kiosk and eat it at one of the table and bench sets in the wind-protected lounge, without having to take off all your snow equipment. This is different to a restaurant, where you sit down for a longer break, and can enjoy a fine meal, and even have a game of cards.

Alex (left) and Jürg Rogenmoser during the final preparations for this year's ski season on the Raten
The pearl of the Raten ski area: the new wooden ski cabin.
Spacious and cozy: the new lounge in the utility building             
Jürg Rogenmoser climbs onto the piste bully one last time and consolidates the base for the first ski enthusiasts         
After many hours of volunteer work, the time has come and winter sports enthusiasts are once again populating the slopes                             Photos: Stefan Kaiser

Special winter recreation area
“We used to have our camp in the corporation’s shelter on the other side of the street,” says the construction boss. It was very difficult to have to keep moving the material across the street. “In the new utility building, we now have everything under one roof. It’s super practical and looks nice too.” The barracks in which the kiosk had been run for the past ten years always seemed to be somewhat improvised.

The creation of the new building was preceded by a lengthy process, said Alex Rogenmoser. The Oberägeri corporation, the municipality and the canton worked very well with Skilift Raten AG and the restaurant operators in developing the “Raten concept” and ultimately in the construction of the utility building, which they financially supported very generously. “There was great appreciation for our work and what we offer the people of Zug in the very special winter recreation area of Raten.”

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 1st May and the finishing ceremony on 15th September. “The members and friends of Skilift Raten AG contributed more than 800 hours of volunteer work during the construction.”

50 people are on duty
The ski lift operation only works thanks to a lot of volunteer work. “We set up the ski lift in mid-November with around 25 to 30 helpers and also set up the Gottschalkenberg snowshoe trail.” A training session then took place for employees, in which the ski lift and kiosk operations were discussed, with all the safety regulations. “We’ll be ready to go at the beginning of December.”

A team of over 50 people work during the approximately 120-day season, 90% of whom are volunteers. The ski operations are open until ‘Seppi Day’ on 19th March, and the offers are aimed primarily at families and beginners.

Last year, the lifts ran on 39 days. “We don’t have any snow cannons, of course, but we do our best to be able to open, even when there is little snow. If necessary, we repair the slopes ourselves with snow shovels.” If they register, school classes from Oberägeri can ski for free in the morning, and even get a snack, sponsored by the St. Jost Ski Club and Skilift Raten AG.

There are two flags fluttering on a pole between the house and the lifts, one Swiss and one yellow-black, which you can't quite place at first glance. “It bears our own coat of arms,” reveals Jürg Rogenmoser.

His son Alex and Jürg Rogenmoser happily take a final look over the facility. Yes, everything is ready, the skiers can come!

Zug's three ski areas are ready
Ski fans in Menzingen can look forward to skiing on the Lindenberg area, but there wasn't enough snow there yet to open on 2nd December. If there is sufficient support, the lift will be open on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and during the holidays on all working days from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are also night operations from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The facility will be opened specifically for school classes upon registration. Information is available on the website www.skilift-menzingen.ch.

When there is snow and good weather, the two ski lifts in the Nollen area are open on Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays and during the holidays from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Information can be found on the website www.nollenaegeri.ch.

The Raten ski area is open from Monday to Friday from 1:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., and on Saturdays, Sundays and during the holidays from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Further information at www.skilift-raten.ch.