Fondue is one of the Swiss national dishes.

In winter sports resorts, the hot cheese pot is on almost every menu.

A number of mountain railways also invite you into their gondolas with special evening trips for fondue fun.

The fun doesn't come cheap, as a look at Saas-Fee shows.

There, the Saastal mountain railways charge 70 francs per person for an hour in their "fondue gondola".

The lucrative opportunity to make better use of the capital-intensive facilities was in danger of being lost due to a new EU standard for fire prevention and firefighting.

This standard, which also applies to Switzerland, would have meant a de facto ban on previous fondue rides.

John Knight

Correspondent for politics and economy in Switzerland.

  • Follow I follow

However, the "Federal Law on Cable Cars for Passenger Transport" allows exceptions to the applicable EU rules under certain circumstances.

To do this, it must be proven that the deviation from the norm does not lead to an increased risk of fire, writes the Association of Swiss Cable Cars in a press release.

The lobby organization now believes that it can provide precisely this proof by means of a carefully worked out "industry solution".

Fondue Adjustments

The association has formulated its safety concept "for the implementation of fondue and raclette rides in cable car cabins" on six pages (plus appendix).

This includes first of all naming the risks that actually exist with razor sharpness: “The flame is the most efficient heat source for preparing the fondue and is therefore indispensable.

However, it lies at the origin of the risk of fire.” In order to reduce this, the tables in the gondolas must from now on be firmly installed and fireproof.

The rechaud must be sturdy, heavy and have a recess into which the pot (cast iron or clay caquelon) fits snugly.

A fire blanket (according to DIN EN 1869) must be available in each gondola.

The safest material in the fondue gondolas is of course of no use if the passengers do not behave properly.

Under the heading "Human risk element", the cable car association warns that careless behavior by guests could cause or worsen a fire.

And: "The clothing of the guests is the most combustible material." So what to do?

One answer is: "Checking the guests' fitness to drive." Exactly what this check should look like (alcohol tests?) is not specified.

In addition, the fondue chatters are to be given a multilingual information and emergency sheet before boarding, which contains, among other things, an emergency number and instructions for use for the fire blanket.

In order to reduce the risks in the cabins, the cable car operators are not allowed to fill their cheese gondolas to full capacity.

In addition, they have to adjust the driving speed in view of the fact that the gondolas could start oscillating in the event of an emergency stop.

In the event of an emergency, there is a tough requirement: "In the event of an incident, the train will be emptied at maximum speed."

According to the head of the association, Berno Stoffel, the Swiss Federal Office of Transport has already accepted the "industry solution".