[bvn11]

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20 May 2022 at 8:31:13 #827236

Hi

I am planning a winter trip to Switzerland and one of the places on my bucket list is First, Grindelwald. We are two persons, non skiers and wish to visit this mountain for :

Scenery

First flyer and First glider

Cliff walk

I am not able to locate any winter schedule on the websites except what appears to be for skiers. Therefore i want to know whether pedestrians are allowed to go to the mountain top in January and are First flyer and glider open during winter ?

Thanks and best regards

[Anna]

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Reply 1 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 9:09:01 #942084

Hi bvn11,

Grindelwald First is accessible to visitors almost all year round except during short periods in Nov/Dec and April/May for maintenance. In winter (mid Dec to Apr), you can find lots of winter activities on the mountain including the First Cliff Walk, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and winter hiking. Adventure-based activities including the First Flyer and First Glider are only available in summer. You can find more information about things to see and do on Grindelwald First here: http://www.myswissalps.com/grindelwaldfirst

Regards,

Anna

[bvn11]

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Reply 2 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 11:27:16 #942085

Thanks Anna for your precise response

[User]

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Reply 3 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 12:21:30 #942086

There is a difference between summer and winter activities in most high altitude resorts. Lifts which serve skiers in winter sometimes do not operate in summer and vice versa. In most cases, summer type attractions in resorts like Grindelwald and Zermatt have been developed in recent years to make the resorts year round destinations not just ski centres.

First is a ski area, so in winter that is given priority.

The First flyer and First glider come into the category I gave above, namely attractions that have been developed specifically for summer visitors.

[bvn11]

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Reply 4 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 12:50:21 #942087

Sure i understand that part very clearly. My doubt is, Skiing being a priority in the First area during winter,are non skiers ( Pedestrians ) allowed to go in the cable cars / Gondola ?. If yes, what time of the day is best to go up when there are relatively lesser number of skiers using cable car / gondola

Thanks

[Anna]

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Reply 5 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 13:57:13 #942088

Hi bvn11,

No worries. In winter you can access the gondolas and cable cars on all mountain destinations even if you are not skiing or snowboarding. Please check out our winter planning guide for more winter activity ideas.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Anna

[bvn11]

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Reply 6 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 16:09:26 #942089

Thanks a lot Anna but you still not answered my second part of the question, i.e what is the best time of the day to visit mountain tops when there are lesser no of skiers using the mountain transport

Best Regards

Bachhu

[Anna]

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Reply 7 of 10 • 20 May 2022 at 18:08:44 #942090

Hi again,

My preference is to go in the morning, maybe before 10 or 11. In winter, it gets dark early so starting out early gives you more time to enjoy the the daylight.

Regards,

Anna

[bvn11]

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Reply 8 of 10 • 21 May 2022 at 0:07:48 #942091

Thanks a lot

Bachhu

[andrew]

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Reply 9 of 10 • 21 May 2022 at 6:27:25 #942092

Hi,

I have seen both the First Flyer and the glider in use in winter and summer. There are also lots of non-skiers about in the winter but wear sensible clothing and especially suitable shoes. I’m not suggesting you would, but far too many people go up high wearing such things as high heels. It’s actually quite amusing to watch them in the snow as well as sympathise.

As for time of day – the gondola works well into the afternoon and in peak (pun intended) season in February gondolas and cable cars keep going to 17:00 or a little later. Most ski tows and chairs stop at about 16:30. There’s plenty of light and the sunsets can be spectacular. Be prepared for a queue for the First gondola although it moves quite quickly.

Andrew

[Arno]

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Reply 10 of 10 • 21 May 2022 at 11:23:50 #942093

Hi Bachhu,

No worries, Switzerland in winter is great for non-skiers too! The below pages can help you with your specific requests:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/activities/winter/nonski: tips for a non-ski winter stay in Switzerland
• http://www.myswissalps.com/activities/naturalsites/mountains/winter: the best Swiss mountains for a winter visit