no. 21/06 - GstaadLife print edition

GSTAADLIFE 

No. 21 December 29 2006 www.gstaadlife.com 

What’s new on the mountains 

A November 2006 Cash Daily article reported 

that Swiss ski resorts invested record amounts 

of cash in their winter tourism projects, with 

SFr 210m being invested in each of the last 

two years. Furthermore, these resorts plan to 

invest SFr. 1.2b over the next few years. The 

article ranked Gstaad, with its SFr 30m budget, 

as having one of the eight largest winter 

tourism projects in Switzerland. Projects in 

Gstaad included ski lift infrastructure and 

snow making equipment. 

More specifically, in the Saanenland area, there 

has been a lot of investment in the area of snowmaking 

with the Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad 

(BDG) investing SFr 3.2m on both the Eggli and 

Wispile mountains. Fifty-four snow making machines 

were installed this year on the Eggli; these 

canons have the capability of covering the Eggli’s 

2.5 km Saanen run in just 50 hours. Similarly, 

snow machines on the Wispile can cover the 1.6 

km Rütti run in just 70 hours. A new feature this 

year is the new floodlights at the Wispile’s Rütti 

lift, enabling skiers to practice their sport at night. 

Finally, thanks to a new SFr 150,000 investment, 

the run between the Rinderberg and 

the Lengebrand ski area (up from St. Stefan), 

skiers can now access the beautiful area of 

Lengenbrand-Parwegen without having to ski 

the same piste twice. Dubbed the "Rinderberg 

Ronda", this new run enables skiers to head from 

the Rinderberg down to Lengebrand (direction 

St Stephan), back up to Parwengesattel, over to 

Saanerslochgrat, down to Oeschseite, and back 

over to Eggweid, from where they can go and 

ride back up to Rinderberg, completing the circle. 

The entire circuit takes approximately two 

hours to complete. 

Area mountain restaurants offer novelties 

Skiers should also notice improvements at the 

area’s eight mountain restaurants. Instead of 

selling them as had been discussed in March, the 

Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad (BDG) invested 

IN THIS ISSUE 

Veterinary practice opens in Saanen PAGE 3 

Car washing in Saanenland PAGE 5 

Editorial: Suicidal Switzerland PAGE 7 

New emergency service PAGES 9 

SFr 1.5m in renovating these restaurants and 

purchasing new furniture. Each restaurant now 

features a special theme and signature dish. Here 

is a preview: 

■ Eggli (Theme: pleasure) – Managed by Martin 

Gerritsen, Gstaad’s “home mountain” features 

a large sunny terrace with reclining patio 

chairs. The kitchen caters for a wide range of 

culinary tastes, including the signature dish: 

‘Medaillon-duo on pepper sauce with rice”. 

Every Sunday afternoon, there will be Swiss 

folkloric music. 

■ Wispile (Theme: family friendly) – Managed 

by Roland Beer, Saanenland’s family mountain 

offers a sun terrace with amazing views and a 

balanced cuisine with an emphasis on cheese. 

The signature dish is a self-proclaimed best 

Wienerschnitzel in Saanenland! 

■ Rellerli (Theme: sunny) – Managed by 

Christian Oberson, this restaurant features a new 

Crèperie, and sunny views from the terrace. The 

completely renovated restaurant has new stonefloors 

and rustic wooden furniture. 

■ Horneggli (Theme: ski piste-Grotto) – Managed 

by tenants Luca Mogliazzi and Peter 

Schwaighofer, this softly renovated restaurant 

offers specialties from Ticino, and the signature 

dish is Polenta with boletus. 

■ Saanerslochgrat (Theme: the snow sporting 

bar) – Managed by the Bergbahnen Destination 

NEW 

READY TO SERVE YOU, managers of the eight mountain restaurants, back row from left: 

Luca Mogliazzi, Horneggli; Ernst Zeller, Videmanette; Christian Oberson, Rellerli; Ruth Ziörjen, 

Rinderberg; front row from left: «Märchenonkel» Roland Beer, Wispile; Martin Gerritsen, Eggli; 

Tamara Matti, Group Accommodations St. Stephan; Pierre Koch, Saanerslochgrat, and 

Adrian Günter, Iglu hotelier. Missing from the photograph: Hans Wagner, Gobeli-Rinderberg. 

Gstaad AG (P. Koch), this restaurant is located in 

the center of the ski region and represents a 

meeting place for freestylers and snow boarders. 

Enjoy a three-cheese fondue in the new Stübli. 

The terrace has been renovated and the furniture 

is new. The kitchen is fast and affordable. 

■ La Videmanette (Theme: Alpine) – Managed 

by tenant Ernst Zeller, this restaurant is special 

for its spectacular location in the “Gstaad 

Dolomites”. Its renovated cozy interior is a wonderful 

setting for the kitchen’s simple fare. Enjoy 

a good homemade chili and goulash. 

■ Rinderberg Spitz (Theme: Doorway to the 

Rinderberg Ronda) – Managed by tenant Ruth 

Ziörjen, this restaurant is child-friendly, and its 

signature dish is chicken and fish sticks in a basket. 

■ Restaurant Gobeli (large piste terrace) – 

Managed by tenant Hans Wagner, this restaurant 

is on the Rinderberg piste and features a large 

sunny terrace. Other features are night skiing, 

fondue parties and descent by torchlight. 

In addition to allowing children until the age of 

nine (birth year 1997 and younger) to ski free on 

all area mountains, these eight restaurants offer 

children until the age 16 years of age the chance 

to eat and drink for only SFr 10. 

continued on page 3 – with Info on Glacier 3000 

Photo: Ernst Hodel

Your florist 

For all events! 

Our new address 

Kirchenfeld 

3780 Gstaad 

Tel. 033 748 99 11 

Fax 033 748 99 10 

www.wittwer-fl eurs.ch 

info@wittwer-fl eurs.ch 

The Power of Flowers

continued from page 1 

Glacier3000 

Gstaad 3000 AG is the company that recently 

purchased the Diablerets Glacier and has spent 

18 million Swiss francs in the infrastructure 

there. Behind the corporate veil are Gstaad 

developer Marcel Bach, Formula 1 Chief Bernie 

Ecclestone and sugar cane industrialist Jean- 

Claude Mimran. As part of their investment, they 

have dug tunnels through the Gstellihorn mountain, 

through which pipes run that carry water 

from the Sanetsch Lake to the Oldensattel to 

Marcel Bach and Formula 1 chef Bernie 

Ecclestone at the glacier’s opening 

After the retirement of both veterinarians 

Hannes Moor and Hans Kurt Hauswirth, a new 

veterinary practice has opened its doors in 

Saanen. The two new veterinarians in charge 

are Silke Frohloff and Felix Neff, whose professions 

both brought them to Saanenland. Neff 

was born and raised in Appenzell, but has already 

acquired extensive experience in Meiringen 

and Saanenland. In 2003, he started to 

work part time at Hans Kurt Hauswirth’s practice 

and also helped out Hannes Moor before 

settling down in Saanenland in 2004. He was 

then employed full time by Dr. Hauswirth. 

Frohloff is new to the region and specializes in 

small animals. Together, the new team is supported 

by Neff’s wife Karin, the two veterinary 

assistants Gisela von Grünigen and Gasparde 

Grundisch, as well as Isabelle von Grünigen, 

who is responsible for the accounting. 

The renovated practice is located in the Thomethuus 

in Saanen and has been equipped with several 

new instruments. For the first time, x-raying 

can be done in Saanenland, yet blood samples still 

have to be sent to Berne for the time being. Within 

the practice, there are two cages for stationary 

treatment for small animals; the acquisition of 

further cages for bigger animals is still under way. 

Veterinarian – a highly rewarding job 

After decades of dedicated service, the two veterinarians 

Hannes Moor and Hans Kurt 

Not for those with weak nerves: the 

glacier’s new one-kilometer long toboggan 

run features a 520-degree loop and jumps 

feed more than 50 snow cannons. Thanks to 

their investment, the public will now be able to 

ski the “Combe D’Audon” from the beginning of 

November to the end April. In addition, much 

work has gone into improving the pistes, hiking 

signage, and the Botta restaurant. The wildest 

idea they are bringing to fruition is the installation 

of the world's highest altitude toboggan run. 

By Diana Oehrli 

Hauswirth have retired. Both decided early on in 

their lives to become veterinarians and have never 

regretted their decision since. Even though 

they each had an officially designated service 

area within Saanenland, both doctors cooperated 

well with one another and never stepped on the 

other’s feet. They divided up their on-call times 

and replaced each other on vacation. Although 

both doctors had a rewarding career, they share 

doubts about the future prospects of the profession. 

“Veterinary practices such as ours were be- 

LOCAL NEWS 

Spa Chakra is 

Switzerland’s best 

New veterinary practice in Saanen 

Grand Hotel Park’s Spa Chakra has won the Spa 

Finder’s 2006 Reader’s Choice Award for best 

spa in Switzerland. According to the readers, 

“comfort and elegance merge seamlessly” and 

the spa’s individualized services are unparalleled 

anywhere else. The hotel’s spa program is indeed 

highly intriguing and offers such exclusivities as 

Vichy showers, a footbath lounge, beauty and 

well-being therapies and also Chakra Health and 

Naturopathy programs. Another asset, as mentioned 

by the voters, is the hotel’s welcoming 

chalet-style appearance, 

enticing 

guests to take 

hikes in the 

Bernese Alps in 

the summer, and 

to go skiing and 

sleigh riding in the 

winter. By G. Zwygart 

The veterinary team – Middle back row: Karin and Felix Neff, front from left to right: 

Silke Frohloff (veterinarian), Gasparde Grundisch (veterinary assistant), 

Isabelle von Grünigen (bookkeeper) und Gisela von Grünigen (veterinary assistant). 

coming obsolete,” says Hauswirth. Luckily, they 

have found worthy successors and hope that they 

will comfortable in Saanenland. 

There have been many memorable moments in 

the careers of the two veterinarians. Hauswirth 

remembers having to help Richard Burton lure 

out Elizabeth Taylor’s Pekinese from under the 

bed. Another resident called him out on New 

Year’s Eve to examine a suppurating ulcer on her 

dog. It turned out to be a sticky Christmas cookie 

that got stuck in the dog’s fur. By Gregory Zwygart 

MASTHEAD Editorial: Diana Oehrli diana.oehrli@gstaadlife.ch; Gregory Zwygart gregory.zwygart@gstaadlife.ch; Antoinette de Scheel antoinette.descheel@gstaadlife.ch; Xavier Ferguson 

xavier.ferguson@gstaadlife.ch; Frank Müller frank.mueller@gstaadlife.ch; Peter Kuntze-Schneider (Advertising) peter.kuntze@gstaadlife.ch 

Publishing, Conception, Printing: Müller Marketing & Druck AG, Gstaad. Subscriptions: Tel. 033 748 88 74, Elsbeth Wyss 

Photos: Anita Moser 

FYI 

3 

Photo: made available

Exposition 

du 19 décembre 2006 

au 3 février 2007 

Michèle Pittet, 

peintures 

Jacques Gutknecht, 

sculptures 

Galerie Paltenghi 

1660 Château-d’Œx 

Ouvert de mardi à vendredi de 14h à 18h30 

samedi de 11h à 12h et de 14h à 17h 

Tél. 026 924 68 01 

Apéritif de fin d’année, 30.12.2006 17 h - 19 h 

Müller 

�� 

Rougemont – Gstaad 

Panoramic view on the village and the mountains 

Magnificent 9 roomed chalet, 10 minutes by car from Gstaad. This 

chalet has just been completely renovated blending tradition and 

modernity. It has a very warm atmosphere with a living surface of 400 m 2 , 

on grounds of 1500 m 2 , in a quiet setting near shops and the town centre. 

Lift and two garages. Maximum sunshine. Garden with trees, very pleasant 

setting. Price on request. 

CF Immobilier – Compagnie Foncière SA 

Tél. +41 (0)26 925 10 00 

info@cfimmobilier.ch – www.cfimmobilier.ch 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

��

Photo: Christian Heimann 

Car washing in Saanenland 

Since last February’s closing of the automatic 

car wash at the former Tamoil gas station, 

some readers have expressed anxiety over a 

perceived lack of car washing possibilities in 

the area. To bring such readers holiday cheer, 

we at GstaadLife have conducted a little research 

to provide some peace of mind over the 

holidays. 

If you are looking for an automatic car wash in 

Gstaad, the most central location is Rütti 

Garage. According to Hans-Ruedi Kübli, you do 

not need a reservation to wash your car there and 

operations are on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

If you can’t stand the wait (10-15 minutes per 

car), drop off your car, and the washing will be 

Important Numbers 

Medical emergency number 0900 57 67 47 

Police 117 · Saanen Hospital 033 748 02 00 

Hospital in Château-d’Œx 026 923 43 43 

Ambulance 144 · Fire-brigade 118 

Car accident service 033 744 88 80 

Veterinary 033 744 35 31 

For additional useful numbers please visit 

www.gstaadlife.ch/usefulnumbers 

RELIABLE 

WEATHER 

Don’t forget to check 

page 2 of your 

Anzeiger von Saanen. 

CHURCH SERVICES St Peter’s English-speaking 

Anglican Church, Château-d’Œx 

Sunday December 31: 17h30 Rev. John Dickson 

Roman Catholic Church St Josef, Gstaad 

Saturday Dec. 30: 18h00 Holy Mass. Sunday Dec. 31: 11h00 Holy Mass, 16h00 Santa 

Misa (esp), 18h00 Sainte Messe (f). Monday Jan. 1: 11h00 Holy Mass, 16h00 Santa 

Messa (it), 18h00 Holy Mass. Wednesday Jan. 3: 16h30 Rosary, 17h00 Holy Mass 

For your next stay in Gstaad: 

***** Gstaad Palace: Le Restaurant, La Grande Terrasse, La Fromagerie, Le Grill, 

Gildo’s Ristorante, The Lobby Bar, Le Bar du Grill & GreenGo Nightclub, Beauty & Spa 

and Squash. Tel: 033 748 50 00, Fax 033 748 50 01, info@palace.ch, www.palace.ch 

***** Grand Hotel Park, Gstaad: 99 luxurious rooms, exclusive Guerlain-Spa Chakra, 

Restaurants & bars: “Marco Polo”, “Le Grand Restaurant”, “Greenhouse”, “Chalet 

Waldhuus”, “Le Bar” and “Marco Polo Bar”. Tel: 033 748 98 00, www.grandhotelpark.ch 

***** Grand Hotel Bellevue, Gstaad: GaultMillau Hotel of Year 2003, 114 beds, 2,500 m 2 

SPA, “Restaurant Prado”, Restaurant “Coelho” with sun-terrace, “Bellevue-Bar”, 

“Porsche 911 Club”, “Carnotzet”. Tel: 033 748 00 00, www.bellevue-gstaad.ch 

done for you. The price range is SFr 15-21; 

high-temp chemical protection against salt corrosion 

is available. Kübli’s garage also offers 

complete interior cleaning service with prices beginning 

at SFr 55. Opening hours: Monday – 

Thursday 07h30 – 12h00 and 13h30 – 18h00; 

Friday closing at 17h00; Saturday 08h00 – 

12h00, 13h30 – 17h00. Closed Sundays and December 

31, but open most holidays. Rutti- 

Garage, Gsteigstr., Gstaad. 033 748 74 74 

If you don’t mind the 20-minute drive, the Autohaus 

Iseli (Volvo Ford Garage) in Zweisimmen is 

for you. This automatic car wash is coin-operated. 

Make sure you bring change, especially if you 

decide to wash your car outside of normal business 

hours. Normal wash time takes 6 –10 min- 

A car goes through 

the car wash at Rütti 

Garage, Gstaad. 

Friday December 29 2006 until 

Thursday January 4 2007 

Friday December 29 

20h30 Yodelling Evening Info: 033 765 30 12 

Venue: Hotel Wildhorn, Lauenen 


Venue: Bären, Gsteig 

20h30 Concert Hommage to Maria Callas Info: 021 864 31 70 

Venue: Lauenen Church, Lauenen. Music of Purcell, 

Handel, Mozart, Atterberg, Paganini and Wieniawski 

00h00 Junction Party Info: 033 748 79 79 

Venue: Dancing Chlösterli, Grund bei Gstaad 

For more information: www.chlosterli.com 

Saturday December 30 

17h15 Werner Frey Zither Concert Info: 033 748 76 76 

Venue: Kapelle Gstaad, Gstaad 

Organized by Hotel Le Grand Chalet, Gstaad 



Sunday December 31 

11h00 Zither Concert Info: 033 748 76 76 

Venue: Roman Catholic Church, Gstaad 

00h00 New Year’s Eve open air party 

Venue: Promenade, Gstaad 

18h00 New Year’s Eve celebration Info: 033 755 10 33 



Venue: Eggli Mountain Restaurant, Gstaad 


Venue: Rellerli Mountain Restaurant, Schönried 

13h00 Folkloric Sunday afternoon Info: 033 765 30 22 

Venue: Hotel Geltenhorn, Lauenen 

Monday January 1 

19h30 Folkloric evening in Lauenen Info: 033 765 91 34 

Venue: Hotel Alpenland, Lauenen 

17h00 Werner Frey Zither Concert Info: 033 748 76 76 

Venue: Kapelle Gstaad, Gstaad 

17h00 Concert by candlelight Info: 033 765 91 81 

Venue: Lauenen Church, Lauenen 

FYI 

utes, and operations are one a first-come, firstserve 

basis. Price range is SFr 11-25, the higher 

price representing a wax-polish program. There 

is a self-serve, coin-operated vacuum cleaner 

outside. Interior cleaning is offered at SFr 10-25. 

Opening hours are Monday through Friday 

07h00 – 21h00; weekends and holidays 08h00 – 

18h00. Autohaus Iseli, Thunstr., Zweisimmen. 

033 722 20 10 

There are also four manual (“do-it-yourself”) 

car washes that are self-service, coin-operated 

systems. There you will find soap/warm water 

sprayer and a scrub brush. They are open 24 

hours, are lit, and are equipped with separate 

vacuum stations. They are: Mettlen Garage 

Moratti (across from the riding hall); Peter Zingre 

Land Machinenen (on the road to Turbach); 

and Carrosserie Sarina, mainstreet in Feutersoey, 

and in the protected washing bay in the UG 1 

underground parking garage in Schönried 

(owned by Bahnhofgarage). By Diana Oehrli 

events 

5

Some think 

far from home. 

We think 

close to 

private banking. 

Since 1856, we have focused on bringing new perspectives to our clients. 

Always looking at opportunities and challenges from a visionary point of 

view. Experience private banking at high altitudes. 

Promenade, 3780 Gstaad, tel. 033 748 97 01 

www.credit-suisse.com/privatebanking 

Thinking New Perspectives. 

Investment Banking • Private Banking • Asset Management 

12771_206x139_GstaadLi_tou_e.ind1 1 12.12.2006 14:36:14 Uhr

Suicidal Switzerland 

There are nearly 1,500 suicides committed in 

Switzerland a year. We have one of the highest 

rates in the world and suicides are five times 

more common than the total number of deaths 

resulting from car accidents, drug abuse and 

AIDS combined. In Gstaad, we are no 

strangers to this unfortunate phenomenon, 

and have certainly suffered our share of losses 

as a result. Switzerland is clean, relatively 

safe, diverse, and beautiful and has a good 

standard of living. So why is the suicide rate 

the second highest in the world? 

There have been many studies conducted recently, 

all of which seem to circle around the theory 

that tighter restrictions on gun ownership in 

Switzerland would decrease suicide rates. This is 

the summary of these studies presented by antigun 

lobbyists. This is not the whole story, the 

only thing results have shown has been that 

countries with more guns have increased 

amounts of gun related suicides. Well of course 

they do. If a gun is easier to find than any one of 

the other hundreds of methods available to the 

suicidal then the rate of those using guns for this 

act will be higher. But if someone wants to kill 

himself taking away one method will do nothing 

to curb his plans. 

Problems such as high suicide rates should not 

be used to push political agendas, like gun-control, 

and should instead be taken as serious issues 

in need of immediate solutions. The press 

cannot report individual suicides, most do not 

like to talk about such depressing matters; 

helplines and psychologists in rural areas are 

hard to find and not publicized. If no one talks 

about a problem, how can one expect solve it? 

Perhaps we should spend less time focusing on 

the methods by which people commit suicide, 

and take a look at the reason they are committing 

it in the first place (such as depression). 

While melancholy and malaise are caused by 

certain circumstances occurring in a person’s life, 

depression is a medical condition, a chemical imbalance 

that is not necessarily brought on by a specific 

event and cannot be controlled by the individual 

any more than a physical disability could be. 

Trying to understand the state of mind which 

leads to suicide would be more beneficial. If people 

were at least informed, they could look out 

for warning signs in those they love and do 

something before it’s too late. It can a hard concept 

for most to grasp, as the majority of us 

knows that better times always come along if you 

wait out the bad ones. This is how we view life 

with a rational, or perhaps a self-preserving, 

mind. Unless we have experienced the level of 

depression necessary to take one’s life, we cannot 

fathom how someone could be so short-sighted 

or selfish. Suicide is a selfish crime. It effectively 

ends one person’s pain and brings pain to everyone 

around them. This is why we tend to look 

down upon those who kill themselves, and a reason 

even those desperate enough often don’t 

commit it. There is certainly a stigma surrounding 

suicide, both a social and religious one. Be- 

fore the Roman empire 

came to power, people 

viewed suicide as the 

most humane way to 

escape insufferable 

circumstances, until 

New Classical Piano Festival in Rougemont 

From February 20 – 25 2007, Saanenland will 

have the pleasure of welcoming a new festival of 

classical piano to the region. After initiating several 

piano festivals at Coppet’s castle near Nyon, 

acclaimed concert pianist and composer Michel 

Sogny chose the old church in Rougemont to host 

the first edition of his piano concerts in the Alps. 

During a “musical rendez-vous” every evening at 

20h00, young pianists from Russia, Finland, 

Georgia and Cyprus will take turns to showcase 

their talent and perform classical masterpieces 

from composers such as W.A. Mozart, Liszt, 

Chopin, Beethoven, J.S. Bach and Schubert. On 

Sunday February 25, Aldo Ciccolini – a close 

friend of Sogny – will conclude the festival with a 

series of nocturnes, mazurkas, a tarentelle and a 

polonaise by Chopin in a tribute to Sogny and 

the audience. 

The series of festivals brought about by Sogny 

aims to bring young pianists from all over Europe 

to the stage and to foster their talent on a 

broader scale. In pursuit of this philosophy, 

Sogny created the “Fondation SOS Talents” and 

has attracted young pianists from Switzerland, 

France, Russia, Serbia and Lithuania. Supported 

by this foundation, Sogny organizes international 

concerts and festivals, which he sees as a platform 

for emerging artists to be heard and discovered. 

Sogny’s musical career not only consists of his 

work as a pianist and composer, but also that of 

a certified psychologist and pedagogue, which 

revolutionized theories of teaching music to children 

and young adults. For his life work, Sogny 

was been awarded the UN peace prize in 1986. 

The Académie Michel Sogny in Geneva and Arzier 

VD follows Sogny’s teaching principles and 

educates pianists of all levels and all ages. The 

director of the academy, Danielle Echevarria, is 

also responsible for the organization of the festival. 

by Gregory Zwygart 

EDITORIAL 

Alexandra de Scheel 

slave owners realized they were loosing money 

this way and outlawed suicide. Since Roman emperors 

at the time were thought to be gods, this 

law was not only a secular one, but a religious 

one as well. As with many Roman laws, this was 

integrated into various religions surviving the 

Roman empire, including Judaism and Christianity, 

which threatened suicidal civilians and 

slaves with eternal punishment. This fear has far 

outlasted its original purpose and continues to 

strike fear in the hearts of practitioners to this 

day. 

Suicide, however, is not always an act of defiance, 

selfishness, or giving up on the idea that 

life will ever improve. Many who commit suicide, 

or attempt it, do not really want to die. They just 

want their pain to end. Their depression has become 

so great, and overwhelmed them so completely, 

that they would do anything to escape it. 

Suicide is the last resort of the desperate. If we 

understood that, or tried to understand the people 

on the verge of this terrible act, then perhaps 

we could do something for them before they need 

to resort to this. Try as they might, the government 

cannot solve this problem on the largescale. 

by Alexandra de Scheel 

Send your feedback and comments to talkingpoint@gstaad.ch 

LOCAL NEWS 

Founder of the piano festival, concert 

pianist and composer Michel Sogny with 

his student Tamara Beraiak from Georgia. 

Tickets are available at www.festival-michel-sogny.com and 

also at Rougemont Tourisme, Tel. 026 925 11 66. Tickets may 

also be purchased on site during the festival. 

7 

Photo: Antoinette de Scheel 


New emergency service organization 

Starting January 1 2007, the ambulance and 

emergency service will run under new management. 

The hospital Simmenland-Thun-Saanenland 

(STS) will be responsible for the organization 

and operation of the emergency 

service. Hospital Saanen continues to have 

ambulances readily available – two during the 

day and one at night. Together with local doctors, 

the new management of the emergency 

service is mainly concerned in giving the population 

of Saanenland the sense that it is receiving 

professional medical care in an emergency. 

The main reason for the restructuring of the 

emergency service lies in a contractual agreement 

with the canton, which provides that the 

organization of emergency and rescue services 

has to be delegated and maintained from within 

local hospital centers. This agreement also entails 

a set of quality guidelines, which stipulate 

the equipment of the rescue team and the emergency 

vehicles. Besides having two ambulances 

stationed during the day at hospital Saanen and 

one at night, there is an additional vehicle available 

over 24 hours for Obersimmental and Saanenland. 

Hospital Zweisimmen will also have 

two vehicles available during the day and one at 

night. “That means we have five possibilities: 

two ambulances in Saanen, two in Zweisimmen 

and the additional vehicle on call,” says Silvio 

Streiff, head of the rescue service STS. The hospitals 

Zweisimmen and Saanen will be working 

together closely and support each other in their 

rescue missions. 

Well-trained professionals 

“Two people will be in charge of one vehicle, one 

rescue medic and a transport assistant,” says 

Streiff, “For certain operations, a mission supervisor 

will be made available.” That means that 

there will be at least five people on duty during 

the day and three at night who can be made 

readily available in case of an emergency. A 

branch manager will be responsible for 

coordinating the staff, rescue maneuvers, and the 

management of the emergency service station in 

Saanen. During one year, there are about 600 

rescue missions within Saanenland. 70% are 

made up of medical cases, i.e. the transport of 

patients, and 30% are accidents. The busiest 

months for the emergency service are January, 

February and March. “In these months it is possible 

that we are called up to twelve times daily,” 

says Streiff, “but our work is spread out during 

the day so we can always guarantee covering the 

region properly in case of an emergency.” While 

Streiff is in charge of managerial tasks of the 

STS hospitals, Dr. Renata Raaflaub oversees the 

medical aspect and regularly reports to the medical 

director of the hospital. 

All emergency calls will be redirected to the new 

emergency number 144 from January 1, ensuring 

that the rescue team in Saanen will be notified 

immediately. 

New service without Ryter 

The management of the hospitals STS has made 

several efforts to collaborate with Albert Ryter, 

the former supervisor of the emergency service, 

yet without success. Ryter turned down a contract, 

which would have guaranteed his position 

within the emergency service. “He would have 

been an employee and no longer self-employed. 

Secondly, he would have been available over the 

new emergency number 144 and not his direct 

number. He would have had no financial shortfall 

- on the contrary,” regrets Beat Straubhaar, 

chairman of STS. Albert Ryter and his wife re- 

LOCAL ????????? NEWS 

The team responsible for the new emergency service: (from left) Marc Stiller, representative of 

the STS emergency service’s management, Silvio Streiff, head of the rescue service STS, 

Dr. med. Renata Raaflaub, medical management, Beat Straubhaar, chairman of the hospital STS 

and Dr. Niklaus Perreten, delegate of local house doctors. 

New suspension 

bridge open! 

On October 31 the new suspension bridge over 

the Saane was inaugurated with a festive Pot-aufeu 

meal at the grill site in the Oey. When the old 

bridge collapsed last spring, Gstaad Saanenland 

Tourism (GST) decided not to rebuild it, as “it 

served no purpose in attracting tourists”. Local 

residents and vacation guests alike protested 

GST’s decision, as the bridge was highly popular 

among hikers and connected to “the most beautiful 

grill site in Saanenland.” The bridge was 

also indispensable for proprietors to reach their 

land on the other side of the Saane. The 

Gemeinde Saanen took notice of the protests and 

built a new bridge during the summer. “We were 

frained from commenting to the press. 


MedPhone 

The phone number to reach doctors in an 

emergency has also undergone some restructuring. 

By dialing 0900 57 67 47, a local doctor 

on duty can be reached at any time. “A 

certified medical assistant will take the call, 

evaluate the patient’s situation and decide if it 

is necessary to contact the doctor on duty or 

not,” explains Dr. Niklaus Perreten. “In many 

cases, patients can be assisted through Med- 

Phone. It is, however, still possible to speak to 

a doctor at any time, should the patient ask 

for it.” The purpose of MedPhone is to alleviate 

the doctors’ workload on nights and 

weekends, so that they will not constantly be 

consulted – especially if it is not urgent. 

The new suspension bridge in the Oey 

(Saanen) has finally been reopened. 

never against the bridge,” says Michel Matti, 

GST vice director. The GST supported the project, 

although maintenance is now transferred to 

the Gemeinde, which also financed the project. 


9 

Photo: Anja Moosmann 


AUGUST LAUBE 

shows 

Swiss Romantic Views 

Rare Books and Drawings 

Old and Modern Master Prints 

Rembrandt Cabinet 

OPENING 

Wednesday, 3rd January 2007, 07:00 pm 

EXHIBITION 

Thursday, 4th January - Sunday, 7th January 2007 

11.00 a.m. - 01.00 p.m. / 06.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. 

AUGUST LAUBE 

Buch- und Kunstantiquariat 

Trittligasse 19 CH-8001 Zürich Tel. +41 (0) 44 256 88 99 Fax. +41 (0) 44 256 88 98 

Catalogue on request or www.augustlaube.ch 

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Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt (1606-1669). 

Die Landschaft mit dem Milchman. Radierung, 

Practice transfer 

After more than 30 years of working as a dentist in Gstaad, I will be 

retiring at the end of this year. I am delighted to recommend 

Dr. med. dent. Adar Tavor, Swiss certified dentist SSO, and 

Dr. med. dent. Marco Henze, oral surgeon BDO/AGKI, as my 

successors and am confident that I am leaving the practice in excellent 

hands. 

I would like to thank all my patients for the trust they have placed in 

me over the years. 

Dr. med. dent. Laszlo Toth 

Practice transfer 

We are very pleased to be taking over the dental practice of 

Dr. med. dent. Laszlo Toth with all members of staff as of 2 January 

2007. We can thus ensure first-class dental treatment in a renovated 

yet familiar environment with no interruption to service. 

The practice will be open as of 8 a.m. on 2 January 2007 and you can 

reach us round the clock by telephone on 033 744 15 45 

(24-hour tel. service). 

Dr. med. dent. Adar Tavor, Swiss certified dentist SSO 

Dr. med. dent. Marco Henze, oral surgeon BDO/AGKI 

Background 

Dr. med. dent. Adar Tavor, Swiss certified dentist SSO 

Studied dentistry at the University of Aix-Marseille II 

1980 Graduated as Doctor of Dental Surgery 

1981-1989 Private dental practice in Basel 

1990 Earned the Swiss federal dental diploma 

(«eidg. dipl. Zahnarzt») 

Since 1990 own practice in Basel, since April 2006 partnership with 

Dr. med. dent. Marco Henze 

Specialization areas: general dentistry and paediatric dentistry, 

aesthetic and reconstructive dentistry, implantology 

Dr. med. dent. Marco Henze, oral surgeon BDO/AGKI 

Studied dentistry at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in 

Frankfurt/Main, Germany 

2001 State examination 

2001-2002 Assistant in dental practice 

2002-2004 Specialist training in oral surgery in the depart 

ment for oral and maxillo-facial surgery at the 

Philipps University in Marburg, Germany 

2004 Graduated as Dr. med. dent. 

2004-2006 Specialist training in oral surgery in the depart 

ment for dental surgery and implantology at the 

Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/ 

Main, Germany 

2005 Qualified as specialist in oral surgery 

Since April 2006 partner in the practice of Dr. med. dent Adar Tavor 

Specialization areas: oral surgery, implantology, parodontal and 

dento-aleveolar microsurgery 

Dental practice 

Promenade 1 (UBS building) 

3780 Gstaad 

Tel. 033 744 15 45

no. 21/06 - GstaadLife print edition

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