Here, the glass cabin hovers towards the Espace Weisshorn. Image: Grimentz-Zinal
No, it’s not a joke. Since this summer, Grimentz (VS) has welcomed a gondola that promises a 360-degree view. And it’s not just the walls that are made of glass, but also the ceiling and – watch out! – the ground. I ventured into the machine.
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At first, the floor of the gondola is white and opaque. But after a few meters, a “zack!” sounds and you float on transparent glass above the rooftops of Grimentz. An all-glass gondola? Yes, it exists. Of course, there’s also some steel to hold all the pieces together. But in principle, you find yourself in a cabin made entirely of glass.
The walls are naturally glazed, but it doesn’t stop there: the ceiling and floor are also transparent. Yes, that perhaps takes a little courage for some of us. But I can say it’s worth it.
Since June 29, the glass gondola has transported up to 2,000 visitors per hour from the village of Grimentz (1,600 m) to the Espace Weisshorn, at an altitude of 2,700 meters. Depending on the time you go there, there is a good chance that you will see chamois. In my case, who went there early in the morning, there were around sixty.
The Switzerland of records
In La Suisse des records, we present records from Switzerland. Preferably world and European records, maybe also “only” a national record. From the purest gold in the world to the world’s first cable car operated in an environmentally neutral way to Europe’s highest hiking peak, there is room for many things. Ideally, these records are linked to an outdoor experience.
If you also know of such records, write to me at reto.fehr@watson.ch.
This trip was made at the invitation of Grimentz-Zinal.
You can also observe them on the two balconies which are installed on either side of the gondola, well secured by high guardrails. Here you can also feel the wind blowing at a speed of up to 36 kilometers per hour.
This is how you soar above the treetops.Image: Reto Fehr
The ski lifts paid 1.6 million francs for this new attraction. It should help transform the ski resort into a four-season tourist destination. In fact, the exclusive gondola is only in service in summer, until October 20. For the winter months, two normal cabins are operated – only the upper part of the walls are glazed, everything else is opaque. In winter, it would be too complicated to protect the glass floor, even with the slippers that everyone receives before boarding.
The development of the “Alpine Top” required 3000 hours of engineering. The project started in 2021. The most difficult part was – unsurprisingly – manufacturing the glass floor. This was produced in Finland and, due to a production problem, the pod could only be opened to the public a month later than planned. But you can rest assured: one square meter can support 450 kilos. To test, I jumped on the glass several times. It holds.
At the top, the glass becomes opaque again just before the upper station. The journey is over. On the other hand, a magnificent view and the new panoramic restaurant Espace Weisshorn await you.
I recommend the short but somewhat steep hike on the Corne de Sorebois at 2895 meters. From up there, you will have a magnificent view of the Val d’Anniviers, the majestic mountains and Lake Moiry. It is also possible to go down to the latter, then return to Grimentz by post bus from the dam. If you have even more time, you can also walk around the lake at around 2500 meters above sea level.
Translated and adapted from German by Léa Krejci
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