Villars ski resort builds summer swing to counter snow loss
A Swiss ski resort has opened a giant thrill swing to attract summer visitors and protect the local tourist economy from the financial threat of declining winter snowfall.
Villars-Gryon-Diableret has opened a 12-metre-high swing on the 2,110-metre Grand Chamossaire peak, catapulting riders out over an Alpine valley. The structure, which holds three people at a time, became operational earlier this month.
The attraction represents a strategic pivot for European mountain economies facing an existential threat from climate change. As rising temperatures render low-altitude snowfall increasingly unreliable, destinations heavily dependent on winter sports revenue are being forced to rethink their business models.
For Villars, the economic stakes are clearly quantified. The resort draws more than 700,000 people during the winter months, but summer visitation collapses to just 100,000. This seasonal imbalance leaves expensive infrastructure, primarily ski lifts, sitting idle for large portions of the year.
Martin Deburaux, head of the Villars-Gryon-Diableret ski area, said the resort's objective is to triple its summer numbers in the next couple of years. "We are really trying to diversify our offering," he said. The swing "provides us with a source of attraction that can function independently of snow conditions."
The immediate impact of warming winters has actually boosted recent winter traffic at higher-altitude resorts like Villars. Deburaux noted the area saw record visitor numbers over the past two ski seasons. This influx was driven by skiers abandoning lower-lying, snow-starved slopes for the more reliable conditions found at higher elevations.
However, this short-term demographic shift does not alter the long-term economic reality. "We know we are facing climate change," Deburaux said. "We are looking for substitutes to conserve jobs, the dynamism and the tourist economy built up around our ski lift facilities."
To that end, the resort is attempting to build a comprehensive summer economy around its existing lift network. The swing is accessible to anyone who purchases a standard ski lift ticket, ensuring a direct revenue stream to support the transport infrastructure.
Riders are strapped into saddles affixed to a metal structure shaped like an Alpine Ibex. A system of cables pulls them back to a perpendicular 90-degree angle before they are released, dropping face-first toward the valley floor.
"The feeling of hanging up there, and then being released, it's an amazing sensation," said Yannick Boudouin, 38. Fellow rider Alexandra Henchoz, 37, admitted to having "a bit of a pit in my stomach" before the drop, but concluded: "once it is happening, it is just incredible. You feel like a bird flying."
The swing is deliberately positioned in a zone already bustling with summer traffic to avoid disturbing visitors seeking quiet. Nearby, hikers use grassy paths and mountain bikers navigate steep dirt trails, passing a large hillside land art fresco painted by French artist Saype depicting a child drawing.
