FROM THE BEGINNINGS OF PÉZ D'ARTGAS SA
On December 9, 1972, there wasn't much snow when the two chairlifts in Brigels and Waltensburg and the ski lift from Spinatsch to Crest Ault opened for the first time. The only remaining witness to the early days of the Péz d'Artgas SA transport facilities is the abandoned valley station of the Spinatsch ski lift. The lift itself was dismantled in 2007, other facilities were replaced and many new ones have been added over the last 50 years or more; signs of the impressive development of the mountain lift company. The challenges of managing and developing such a company have remained the same.
FIRST EFFORTS
In January 1969, the first efforts were made to boost winter sports in Brigels, Waltensburg and Andiast. At that time, various representatives of the three municipalities met to set up a project for tourist transport facilities. The driving force behind this first meeting on January 4, 1969 in the teachers' room of the Waltensburg school was the president of the Waltensburg tourist office, Gieri Pfister. Concrete ideas emerged. At the beginning of 1970, the population of the three municipalities and other groups were invited to subscribe for shares in the company, which was about to be founded, as can be seen from the subscription prospectus. The invitation to subscribe for shares contained information on the planned transportation facilities and the further development of the company, supplemented by specific details on financing and the expected return. From the outset, the idea was to open up the ski area at the foot of the Péz d'Artgas from two sides. With a chairlift from Brigels to Burleun and a chairlift from Waltensburg/Curtginet to Parli. There will also be a ski lift from Spinatsch to Crest Ault. The land for the parking lots at the valley stations was secured. The drawing prospectus outlined a ski area with an altitude difference of 1200 to 1300 meters and around 25 to 30 kilometers of pistes. The intention was to expand the ski area in stages: "With a ski lift from Alp Dado to Fernata and a second one from Miret to Fil." As a third expansion stage, the initiators envisaged a chairlift or gondola lift from Burleun to Las Fuortgas. The expansion stages were ultimately realized with a few adjustments. The initiators were cautious with regard to gastronomy; only a few temporary restaurants were planned.
STARTING CAPITAL OF THREE MILLION
The aim was to raise share capital of two million francs, which, together with one million in borrowed capital, would be enough to build the three transportation facilities. The initiators expected income of around 500,000 francs and a modest profit of 40,000 francs. The sum of 60,000 francs that had to be paid annually for interest is striking. From today's perspective, the planned prices of 15 francs for a day ticket and 180 francs for a season ticket were modest. Children and members of the military were granted a 50% price reduction.
RESTAURATIONS
Only 100,000 francs were earmarked for the various restaurant provisions. The restaurant issue was raised at the inaugural meeting. The question came from the middle of the meeting as to whether it would not make sense to build a restaurant at each of the chairlift mountain stations, also to generate more income. According to the minutes, the head of the technical committee, Alexi Cahannes, replied that the initiative committee had looked into this question intensively. "In view of the financial situation, we have to do without it at the moment." However, Cahannes pointed out that the share capital is already oversubscribed and there is therefore a chance that a restaurant can still be built. The Burleun restaurant went into operation in its first year and a temporary facility was built in an existing mountain hut at the Parli mountain station. Two years later, this hut was ravaged by flames and they moved provisionally to the Alp Dado alpine hut.
The INITIATIVE COMMITTEE
The subscription prospectus also reveals who was behind the efforts to realize a ski area in the three municipalities. The invitation to subscribe for shares introduced the members of the initiative committee. They were the then municipal presidents of Andiast, Martin Antoni Derungs, Eusebius Friberg from Brigels and Gion Gabriel from Waltensburg. Also present were Councillor of States Gion Clau Vincenz from Andiast and former Councillor of States Gion Darms. The district presidents Peter Janki (Cumin Rueun) and Leo Friberg (Cumin dalla Cadi), the tourist association presidents Aluis Livers from Brigels, Gieri Pfister and local councillor Peter Cadonau from Waltensburg. From Brigels, engineer Fritz Pfister and building contractor Faustin Carigiet, as well as Alfred Müller and Alexi Cahannes. Heini Caduff, head of the Flims ski school, from Andiast Balzer Spescha, Casper Vincenz and Maurus Vincenz, as well as the lawyer Merens Cahannes and the technical director of the Grisons Ski Association, Hans Danuser, from Arosa, also supported the construction project. One of the initiators at the time, Marcus Vincenz from Andiast, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the mountain railroads. Marcus Vincenz was not even 20 years old 50 years ago and can remember one or two meetings of the initiative committee. "At the time, I was treasurer of Uniun Sportiva Andiast." And together with Casper Vincenz, Marcus Vincenz represented the sporting interests of the Andiast sports club on the initiative committee. In his memories, Gion Clau Vincenz and Fritz Pfister were the driving forces behind the new ski area. Fritz Pfister was unanimously elected as the first Chairman of the Board of Directors at the founding meeting of Péz d'Artgas SA on December 18, 1971; Gion Clau Vincenz later held this office for many years. According to the minutes of the inaugural meeting, there were no major discussions. Among the many people present, Gion Clau Vincenz thanked the three municipal presidents in particular for their idea of setting up a regional project together. "I am convinced that the new company can look to the future with confidence." Gion Clau Vincenz sees good opportunities for the local construction industry and gastronomy to benefit from the mountain railroads and winter tourism. "To stop the exodus in the three municipalities."
STARTING WITH A PISTEN MACHINE
The Board of Directors elected David Spescha from Andiast as the first Managing Director of Bergbahnen Péz d'Artgas SA. The trained machine mechanic took on his new role in May 1972. He first had to familiarize himself with cable car technology at the Städeli cable car company in Oetwil am See before he could help with the installation of the systems and devote himself to preparations for the first ski season. He still remembers the challenging task very clearly today. "I didn't have a vehicle and had to use my own car for any transportation." His first employee joined him during the summer. It was Bruno Cadonau from Waltensburg, who was also appointed as the first slope manager. With a snow groomer that he and David Spescha drove together. One during the day and the other at night. Ludivic Maissen from Brigels, probably the most loyal employee of the mountain railroads, who has carried out his rescue duties for 30 years, with an estimated one thousand rescue missions. Ludivic Maissen worked for the mountain railroads for a total of 40 years. For David Spescha, communication was a problem in the first year of operation. The respective valley and mountain stations were connected via a separate telephone line. "Otherwise, we only had three radios at our disposal."
LATE SNOW
And the snow came late, after mid-January 1973. "Until then, we were busy all the time pouring snow into the lift line of the Spinatschlift so that skiers could reach Crest Ault. They had to figure out how to get down themselves," remembers David Spescha. "Stanislaus Cathomas' mule provided us with valuable services during this time." At some point, the snow came anyway, and with it the guests. After ten years, Gion Clau Vincenz, the then Chairman of the Board of Directors of the mountain railroads, drew a positive balance in the anniversary publication, even if the first few years proved to be difficult. Nevertheless, he was convinced that the goals set when the company was founded had been achieved. The Managing Director at the time, Stefan Grisch, addressed the large investments made in the first ten years, which led to liquidity problems due to the recession in 1975/76. "Those were years with little snow and the banks were quite restrictive with lending." But there were also better years, which brought the mountain railroads large profits.
A more detailed report on the anniversary of Bergbahnen Brigels /Waltensburg/Andiast AG appeared in Calender per mintga gi 2023. Andreas Cadonau
