2009 - D T Price - the DHO

Downhill only Journal 2009
Tuesday December 30th 2008 will, in future years, be remembered as one of the most important dates in the history
of the Downhill Only Club, perhaps ranking only just below February 7th 1925.
On December 30th the Club President, on behalf of all the members, signed the document which purchased from the Fuchs family,
the freehold of a substantial part of the ground floor of the old Eiger Hotel. That evening, the D.H.O Club Room held it’s first social
event attended by upwards of 80 people. We were proud to be there!
You will all agree the Eiger is the most prominent building visitors to Wengen see on their arrival at the railway station. To purchase
and secure a permanent home for the club was a ‘once in lifetime’ opportunity. There was, in the current vernacular, “no way” the
purchase was not going to be made since subsequent generations would never have forgiven us.
Whilst recognising the generosity of the members who made the purchase possible, it is now time for all of us to dig deep and pay off
the bank loan by whatever means are required. As with the purchase of the Breithorn apartment, fund-raising events will no doubt
be held in the immediate future. A modest increase in annual subscriptions is entirely justified in view of the marvellous facility the
club now has. You will have recently received the new leaflet and letter from the President and we trust all members will contribute
whatever they can.
A dinner party to celebrate the clubs 85th anniversary will be held on Thursday February 4th during Macmillan week. Although the
venue (a village hotel) is yet to be confirmed, it would be appreciated if those interested in attending would complete the tear off slip
on page 5 and return it to the Hon Secretary.
Lastly, this coming season a new chairlift from the Arvengarten to the top of Salzegg will replace one of the last ‘T-Bar’ lifts in the
Scheidegg area. Whilst many will welcome the change, the great advantage of T-Bar’s were that having elbowed-out any competition,
one had plenty of time en-route, to chat up the attractive lady one had seen ahead in the lift queue. They also provided a perfectly
justifiable excuse to put ones arm around the said person if the going got steep! Not only has the superior uphill speed of a chair-lift
dramatically reduced the ‘ACUT’ quotient (Available Chat-Up Time), on a six-person chair she can shuffle out of arms reach! An
absolutely dreadful state of affairs! It is surely not too much to ask the new Director of the Jungfraubahn to ensure the Tschuggen
T-bar is left to provide an opportunity for old-fashioned romance down in the sunlit wooded glades!
Good skiing – and enjoy the Club Room.
David Price
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