Swiss Review 4/2021

Swiss Review / August 2021 / No.4 17 particularly as most of them are now equipped to carrymountain bikes. At the same time, Arnold is aware that the road network will increasingly encroach on the traditional cable car routes in themedium term. Although “the road is not better than the cable car in every way”, as Arnold notes. Nonetheless, access by road is more convenient and less complicated. Then again, cable cars are preferable during the winter when the roads are icy. Furthermore, their limited capac- ity acts as a barrier against mass in- cursions and ensures gentle, ecologi- cal tourism, which is currently in demand. The cable cars are especially useful in winter as they can take Left: The Amsteg– Arnisee cable car covers 790 metres in altitude. Right: Cable cars on the Hofstet- ten–Wilerli line are open to the elements. Photos: Uri Tourismus touring skiers to off-piste slopes when there is an increased avalanche risk higher up. Farmer Martin Gisler is not a tour- ist; however, he is still against build- ing a road in the area. He is in charge of operating the cable car fromWitter- schwanden to Eggenbergli that pro- vides a valuable service as a public transport option. All five pylons are also stops at the press of a button. Five families live on the slope below the ca- ble car all year round and each stop serves a house. Gisler lives at the fifth pylon. He particularly values the aerial transport during the snowy winter, when it takes the whole day just to clear the path to his house. The local business development association recently discussed build- ing a road to replace the old cable car, but decided against it. Andnot only for cost reasons. The inhabitants of Eggenbergli just cannot imagine liv- ing without a cable car. The Schächental (Schächental valley) in the canton of Uri has a plethora of ca- ble cars. These are marked as red lines on the map. © Swisstopo