Skiing is at a standstill, but there are plenty of winter sports enthusiasts on the Mittenwald Kranzberg.
It is not uncommon for chaotic parking conditions to prevail along the valley station.
Mittenwald
- Klaus Wurmer reads the newspaper every day.
Then he turns on the television.
Finally he goes to his cell phone.
He analyzes, forecasts, waits.
Hopes that one crucial piece of news will come at some point.
That he can finally put his lifts in the Mittenwald Kranzberg ski area into operation.
Or at least a realistic date tells when the time comes.
But one thought gives the operator sleepless nights: What if he can't open the ski area at all this season?
The day trippers don't seem to care.
Despite the lifts being closed, countless visitors storm the unprepared slopes every day.
On everything that winter sports have to offer: with touring skis, bobsleighs or snowshoes.
Almost all of them have only one thing in common: They travel to the area with their own vehicle.
Numerous cars line the two parking spaces in the Luttensee area.
According to the license plates, the visitors come from all over Germany.
Cars from Dresden stand next to hamburgers.
Düsseldorfers next to Berliners.
Parking fee is eight euros per day
This is why Wurmer, similar to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, introduced a parking fee for the first time at the end of December.
He charges a flat rate of eight euros per day.
Because waiting for the unknown day X of the opening costs not only time and nerves, but also money.
The running costs have not disappeared, even when the lifts are idle.
He has to pay rent to the numerous property owners on the Kranzberg.
The ski watch has recently been in use.
Two employees work for worms.
Among other things, he runs a small "to-go station" in the party umbrella at Luttensee.
There are hot and cold drinks and small snacks on hand.
In addition, Wurmer unlocked the public toilet in order to at least curb urgency in the open air.
"About 97 percent understand absolutely the parking fees," confirms Wurmer.
But there are also those three percent who grumble - and simply park their vehicle on the edge of the road to Luttensee or in the forest area to save a few euros.
“It's going to be crazy,” Wurmer sums up angrily.
Since some cars even block escape routes, the community intervened.
"We want to support Mr. Wurmer wherever we can," says Mayor Enrico Corongiu (SPD).
The flow of visitors cannot be controlled
The commune came to an understanding with the police.
But it was powerless for the time being.
The signs on the road bike are out of date and no longer sufficient to be able to punish.
An on-site meeting with the police and community workers has now been improved.
Wormer hopes that new traffic signs will ensure peace and quiet: "Now the police can also distribute traffic tickets to the wildlife parkers."
He keeps the parking fees even when the ski area is back in operation.
“Only cardholders will then be reimbursed the eight euros.” Hikers, tobogganists or ski tourers are not.
Slope preparation discontinued
At least this problem is solved.
But the storm on the Kranzberg is a paradoxical situation for the ski lift operator: in autumn he worked out a meticulous hygiene concept for the ski area together with the ski watch.
He could have steered the skiers and snowboarders perfectly while the business was running.
Especially since there are only drag lifts and a single chair lift.
"There are no points of contact." But it was all a wasted effort.
The government remains tough.
Nevertheless, the ski areas are closed until at least January 31st.
The result: Wurmer cannot control the flow of visitors on the Kranzberg.
That is why he had barriers erected at the edge of the slope to ensure safety.
After a long hesitation, he stopped snowmaking and slope preparation.
It is too expensive for him in view of a completely uncertain future.
He wrote down January 25th as the deadline.
Then the Merkel government will explain the next steps to fight the corona pandemic.
Wurmer will then meticulously follow the news again.
Maybe the green light will finally come.
"Hope dies last."