Data published this week by the Swiss insurance company Suva, show a rise in the number of people over 40 involved in ski accidents. Every year, around 35,000 people are injured while skiing in Switzerland. Accidents are often due to poor physical condition, fatigue or over confidence. These injuries are costly. Suva estimates that around […]
International Olympic Committee drops Swiss bid
The Winter Olympics will not take place in Switzerland in 2030, decided the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week, reported SRF. The IOC said it is refusing to allow the Swiss project to enter the next application phase, known as targeted dialogue. This means France will almost certainly be awarded the games for 2030, with […]
Record number of recreation-related accidents in Switzerland in 2022
Accident insurer Suva recorded a record number of recreation-related accidents in 2022, reported RTS. Suva, a not-for-profit insurance company in Switzerland, insures around 2 million individuals in Switzerland every year. In 2022, it recorded around 290,000 non-work related accidents, a record figure, 14% higher than in 2021 and 4% higher than before the pandemic in […]
Roger Federer bows out of tennis competition
Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, announced on 15 September 2022 that he would retire after competing in the Laver Cup later this month. Only Spain’s Nadal (22 titles) and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (21 titles) have more men’s Grand Slam singles titles than 41-year-old Federer. Federer, who was born in Basel, […]
Hiking and biking gain popularity in Switzerland
In 2019, residents of Switzerland spent 200 million hours hiking and 2.4 millions went on an average of 15 bike rides, according to recently published data from Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). In 2019, around 57% of residents aged over 15 went hiking, a figure 20 percentage points higher than in 2007. The steepest rise […]
Swiss summer avalanche risk highest in decades
Summer doesn’t feel like the season for avalanches, however, Alpine snow can be dangerous at any time of the year. On Sunday 13 June 2021, an avalanche near the Mauvoisin dam in the municipality of Val de Bagnes which contains Verbier, buried someone. The avalanche occurred at 5pm at an altitude of around 3,400 metres, […]
Surfing comes to the Swiss Alps
In landlocked Switzerland there is no access to the sea and no waves. Until now. A surfer decided to bring waves to Switzerland and created Alaïa Bay wave garden near Sion in the Swiss canton of Valais not far from Verbier and other action Swiss towns. The operation is so new it doesn’t yet show […]
Residents asked to limit movement after Swiss avalanche risk reaches highest level
On 28 January 2021, the avalanche risk reached level 5, the highest rating, in parts of the Switzerland. The authorities in the canton of Valais have advised residents to limit their movement. WSL, the research institute that monitors avalanche risk in Switzerland, warned on 28 January 2021 that some parts of the Swiss Alps were […]
Swiss mountain passes to be reserved for cyclists this summer
This summer some of Switzerland’s mountain passes will be temporarily closed to cars. This will allow cyclists to ride more safely and breathe more easily. The passes will be closed to cars over a series of weekends for an event called Coop Ride the Alps. Ten passes will be car free this summer starting with […]
