What’s it like to open these remote, high huts for the season? We will briefly take you through the 2021 opening day flown by Air-Glaciers, a Swiss helicopter company founded in 1965 and based in Sion.
The company’s crews and its helicopters with emblematic decals are
famed for mountain operations rescue
operations, as well as aerial sulphating vineyards.
over Swiss
Air-Glaciers is contracted to resupply the huts by the overseeing club, but the relationship goes beyond
strictly business as crews develop friendships with hut guardians and are happy to give a helping hand – or flight – whenever needed.
Our opening-day journey begins at a 6 a.m. preflight briefing on Friday, June 25, 2021. The helicopter is scheduled to take off at 8 a.m. from the Arolla Glacier helipad in the Swiss Valley. The helipad is located at the beginning of the glacier, a strategic place that allows the rotorcraft to make its rotations as quickly as possible for three different huts.
This day will be devoted to supplying those three huts: the Cabane des Vignettes located at 3,157 meters (approx. 10,400 feet) above sea level, the Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges at 2,810 meters (approx. 9,200 feet), and the Cabane des Dix at 2,928 meters (approx. 9,600 feet).
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Nov/Dec 2021
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