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Download the Northern Region OTH Standard Operating Procedure .pdf here

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Standard Operating Procedures
On-the-Hill (OTH) Training
for Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
POC:  Mr Mike “Ski Dog” Staszewski - mikeskidog@gmail.com
as of 7 December 2020

1.  Patrol Directors or their appointed Patrol On-The-Hill Coordinators are the point of contact for all coordination efforts between the Region OTH Coordinator and OTH Training participants.  The preference is to have one point of contact for each patrol’s information rather than receiving “reservations” from individual patrollers.  Individual information can be sent directly to the Region OTH Coordinator in an “emergency”.

2.  Registration notification:

a.  Email the information to the Northern Region OTH Coordinator NO LATER THAN 19:00, TUESDAY NIGHT before the training weekend.  Provide the following information:

Name:
NSP Member ID:
Patrol:
Cell Phone:
Discipline (Ski/SB/Nordic):
Status (Candidate, Patroller, Alpine Patroller, Senior, etc):
Attendance Intent (Screening, OTH training, Refreshing, OEC only, Free Ski, etc):
Where your anticipated lodging is located:
Number of bed spaces needed (attendee/spouse/children, etc…):
Roommate name (if applicable):
Saturday evening dinner-YES or NO (Lauterbrunnen OTH only):
All Lift Pass needs (1 or 2 day / Adult/Child):
Expected Arrival time:
Traveling with:
Any special needs:

b.  Accommodations:  Cabin accommodations are dependent upon total availability. The loft is always the fall back in the event we run out of cabin space.  The loft has no real bedding or towels available.  Some of the cabins are with bedding and some are without.   ALL ATTENDEES NEED TO BRING THEIR OWN PILLOW, SLEEPING BAG/BLANKET/PILLOW AND A TOWEL.  WE DON’T KNOW IF ANY CABINS WITH BEDDING WILL BE AVAILABLE, SO PLAN FOR NO BEDDING OR TOWELS.

c.  If someone makes their own arrangements to stay at the campground, they are on their own as far as costs go, and please tell them not to confuse the issue by saying that they are with the ski patrol group.

d.  The campground does not allow dogs or other pets in the cabins or other accommodations.  The campground had too many bad experiences and so they have banned all animals from the cabins, rooms and loft.

3.  How much to pay?  Prices are estimates only based on past experience.  Again, expenses are rounded to the nearest five francs (estimating up only!!!).

•  Around CHF 40 for two nights in the loft or a non-bedding cabin;
•  CHF 50 for two nights in a cabin with bedding.
•  Lift tickets for two days should run around CHF 105 + CHF 5 deposit for the magnetic card.
•  The meal (menu selections to be determined) shouldn’t be more than around CHF 20 - CHF 35 up at the Winteregg.

NOTE:  ALL payments are in Swiss Francs (CHF). There are a couple of ATMs in town that you can use to get local currency if necessary.  Based upon the charges for the campground, lift tickets and meal costs, costs will be rounded up to the nearest 5 CHF.  This avoids the need for small change.

DON’T FORGET: 1/2 franc pieces are required for the hot water in the showers at the campground.

a.  IMPORTANT:  Remember to buy your Swiss Vignette for driving on the Swiss autobahn.  Vignettes can be purchased at ADAC for around 27 Euro, or at the border for 40 CHF.

b.  NOTE:  The Swiss police are cracking down drastically on seat belt use. If you are caught without your seatbelts on, it will cost you a minimum of 60 CHF!  Remember too that the max speed limit in Switzerland is 120 kmh, and they like to take pictures along the motorways/autobahns, so remain aware.

4.  Friday Night Arrival/Check-in.  Check in Friday night at the Campground Schutzenbach’s “Stump” Bar.  There should be someone there ready to check you in starting at 18:30.  Check-in will be open until around 23:30, because the OTH coordinator needs their BEAUTY SLEEP.   Therefore, if someone is going to be later than 23:30, please annotate so on the registration info that they will be a late arrival.  For late comers, room assignment information is posted on the door of the Stump Bar (keys will be in the open cabin) when we give up the ghost Friday night.

5.  Transportation to the Lift Station.  We normally take the free city bus to the Gruschalp gondola station where we catch the train to Winteregg, we will let you know Friday night what time the bus will pick us up at the campground at Saturday morning.  Last year there was a public bus at 0720.  Until we hear differently, plan on taking the 0720 bus and we can adjust if schedules are different.  All participants should do their very best to be on the early bus to be able to catch the early lift to Gruschalp and the train to Winteregg.

6.  Lift Passes. Lift passes are purchased at the Gondola station.  There should be adequate time for breakfast for anyone that wants it up at Winteregg before training begins between 0900 and 0915.  Check with your instructor for the time that your particular group will start.

7.  Breakfast is available on a pay as you go basis Saturday and Sunday morning at the Winteregg restaurant.  An optional Saturday evening ala carte dinner meal (usually around 17:30) is arranged at the Winteregg for the all attendees.  You’ll provide your dinner choice from the menu before the beginning of Saturday 09:00 training.

8.  Normally, training is conducted on Saturday (9:00-17:30) and Sunday (09:00-15:00).

a.  Class groupings and training schedules will be put out Saturday morning at the Winteregg breakfast.  Candidates that have not yet screened will be placed in a screening class initially to determine if they have the requisite skills to continue on to OTH training.

b.  The certainty of Senior training depends on basic candidate to instructors ratios in attendance. Senior training is typically scheduled where/when basic training is held.

c.  Same timing drill for Sunday OTH.  All equipment should be stowed in the lift station locker room NLT 15:00 on Sunday.  Typically we want to have all candidate feedback finished and headed down NLT 15:30 (train schedule dependent) so folks can get on the road.