The snow would be there, but whether the season will even start in the Garmisch Classic ski area is completely open.
The 2G-plus rules are not controllable, according to Bavaria's cable car operators.
Economy Minister Hubert Aiwanger (FW) gives the industry hope for relief.
Munich
- Strange situations arise on the summit of the Zugspitze these days. Skiers who are on the slopes via the Austrian side in accordance with the 2G rules are allowed to use the catering on the Bavarian side - but not the ski lifts. Because 2G-plus applies and a test certificate is required. “You have to explain that to people first,” moans Matthias Stauch, head of the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn.
While skiing on the Zugspitze has been running since mid-November, in the lower-lying Garmisch-Classic ski area it is completely unclear whether the ski season will even start this year - although the weather conditions could hardly be better at the moment. It looks similar in many Bavarian ski areas. The tenor: A skiing winter with the currently prescribed 2G-plus regulation is not feasible. “The plus makes us desperate,” says Stauch. Because in contrast to the Zugspitz ski area, there are many more entrances at the Garmisch-Classic, which would have to be checked everywhere.
At the Oberstdorf-Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen in Allgäu (these include the Nebelhorn and Fellhornbahn), the winter season in Bavaria begins on December 17th, with a three-day test run on the Söllereck at the weekend. According to spokesman Jörn Homburg, the experience with 2G-plus so far has been "disastrous - from an economic and hygienic point of view". In normal times, the skier ideally needs 30 seconds to go through the checkout. In the test run with the new rules, it took four to seven minutes per person. “Show and check test status, show and check vaccination card or certificates, compare with ID card.” That dragons and over time the queue behind the card buyer gets longer and longer. Homburg considers the experiences from the first three days to be "frightening".He hopes that the state government will see that they will switch from 2G-plus to 2G, "we are an open-air sport".
The cable car operators hope for a signal from the State Chancellery
The conditions for a start to the season would also be perfect in the AlpenPlus ski areas (Brauneck, Spitzingsee, Sudelfeld).
“But we don't know whether we'll get enough staff to check the 2G-plus rules at every boarding”, says spokeswoman Antonia Asenstorfer.
“Many season ticket holders also want to return their tickets because they say they'd rather go to Austria.” There is fun on the slopes there without a daily test.
For reasons of fairness alone, Asenstorfer hopes for a signal from the State Chancellery.
Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (FW) stirs up hope for relief. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on request that he will continue to work to ensure that the cable car companies in Bavaria can start the season with 2G. In the CSU one is quite annoyed by Aiwanger's advances. In the ski question, however, there are signs of movement. The CSU economic politician Walter Nussel confirms that there was a practical check with representatives from four ministries at the Zugspitzbahn last week. "My suggestion is 2G instead of 2G plus," says the MP. It cannot be conveyed that 3G applies nationwide for trips to the cable car, but then in Bavaria 2G plus applies from the gondola. The subject is now in the State Chancellery for the final vote, and the cabinet may already be dealing with it today.
In the Garmisch-Classic ski area, the decision on the start of the season should be made by December 15th at the latest.
Until then, preparation will only take place for competitive sport, the other preparations will run “with the handbrake on”.
Means: No permanent snow, just a few additional snow depots.
The situation is too uncertain for anything else.