From the Mountain Top

Alan Norris

Alan Norris visited the Alpine Ski World Cup Championship in the Swiss resort of Wengen, and flew up the Lauterhorn with Air Glaciers.

Once a year the small Swiss alpine village of Wengen becomes the focus for one of the ten downhill and slalom competitions which form part of the World FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Championship. The FIS Ski Grand prix is held at a combination of locations ranging from Japan to Switzerland and the event in Switzerland takes place over three days and is made up of three disciplines: Super Combined, Downhill and Slalom. All of the races finish at Wengen with the downhill starting at the top of Lauberhorn Mountain.

The downhill race starts at 2,315 Metres and is only accessible by train (the highest in Europe) or ski lift, so everything required to stage the event has to be transported to the top, helicopters are the quickest and most efficient method to move everything from the TV crew's equipment to temporary toilets. Three days before the competitors arrive, a fleet of trucks transport the equipment to a small heliport owned and operated by Air Glaciers. This small heliport is located 800 metres above sea level and is shadowed by the famous Eiger mountain; it is also set in the middle of the valley at Lauterbrunnen, known as the Valley...