Life on the lift
From the ski slope to the stable and back again
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Where winter tourism learned to walk
Winter tourists first began coming to Gstaad when the first hotels were built there at the beginning of the 20th century. Back then there were no ski lifts, just horse-drawn sleighs that took guests up the mountains. This all changed in 1936, when the first funi was erected on the Wispile. The funi, a kind of cable pull, easily hoisted winter sports enthusiasts up the mountain on sledges, gliding through Gstaad’s winter wonderland. Gstaad’s reputation for luxury was born!
The T-bar lift from Rüebeldorf to Eggli was built in 1958, when Willi Bach was two years old. By this time, his father had taken over his own father’s farm, which was located right next to the lift. Willi and his wife Christine live there to this day. ‘The whole world comes to us, so we get to hear so many stories,’ says Willi over coffee in his kitchen. He and his family are perfectly at home in the Gstaad region, and Willi feels little need to go on holiday himself.
Upholding the family tradition
Back in the 1970s, Willi worked as a ski patroller, keeping a watchful eye on the local mountains to ensure safety. Skiing has been a passion since early childhood. In 1979, he obtained his cantonal licence as a ski instructor. It was his ticket to the wider world: every winter since then, he has taken visitors – including the occasional celebrity – out and about in the mountains. But fame has never mattered to Willi – he treats all his customers the same. Locals in the Gstaad holiday region are discreet, which is greatly appreciated by regular visitors. Even today, a Greek family regularly visits Willi for trips together through the wintry Gstaad landscape.
From the Alp to the stable
It’s all change in summer. Willi spends May to September at Alp Beust with his 18 Simmental dairy cows. He also likes to make a pit-stop here with his guests in winter for a quick snack. As soon as milking time arrives, Willi races on his skis to the stable in the valley. Every day in winter, he delivers 200–250 litres of organic milk to the dairy. In the summer, he and Christine make the milk into excellent Alpine cheese on Alp Beust. Over recent years, Willi has often had schoolchildren to stay and help out at the mountain farm during the holidays. Even busy event managers have taken a break from major happenings at the EU Parliament in Brussels, ditching their mobile phones and laptops and spending a week recharging in the Alpine air. Everyone loves the Alpine authenticity of this place, including Willi and his wife Christine.
The village of Gstaad has become a cosmopolitan success story. Over the last 100 years, the Gstaad area has developed into a buzzing ski region for winter sports enthusiasts, with charming hotels in every price category. At heart, this lovely mountain region has always remained a down-to-earth place where locals and guests appreciate and respect one another. For Willi, Gstaad will always be the most beautiful spot on Earth. He wants to grow old here. Happily, his nephew has just completed his agricultural training and will soon be taking over the farm. This means that Willi is less tied to his little patch, but his roots in Rüebeldorf are so deep that he won’t be going far.
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