Ready for winter?

When your gig is in the middle of ski slopes and an ice rink

I was just browsing through old videos on my ‘puter and I had to laugh out loud when I opened this one. It’s a short but hilarious clip from back in February 2014 up in the mountains in Tschiertschen / Switzerland. I played there in a cabin in the middle of ski slopes and an ice rink. The organiser told me to park my car down at the parking lot and someone will pick me up and bring me and my gear up to the cabin.

(photo from Tschiertschen in February 2022 when we were enjoying this winter wonderland)

When I drove up there from the Rhine valley the rain turned into snow and everything turned into a winter wonderland. But when you drive up a narrow dark road to that ski resort, you only hope that you don’t have to mount the chains on your winter tyres and screw up your fingers, which is really what you need right before a gig. So, I was glad that the road was not all covered with snow yet.

I arrived in Tschiertschen and I got my gear ready and double checked everything just to make sure all the cases & stands were set to go. (I once forgot some of my gear at a similar winter job in Arosa / Switzerland and I was close to going into panic mode) Then I heard a machine approaching with enough lights to make you ask for some Ray Bans.

After a quick hello I asked him where I can put my gear and he showed me the container he had on the front fork, I repeat: front fork! I thought, lucky me that all my gear is in weatherproof cases and bags and with my driver’s help it was quickly loaded.

When he got back on his driver’s seat I followed him and thought I could sit next to him or behind him. Nope! There’s only one seat in this cockpit. My seat was in the container with my gear. Did I mention that the snow was falling now pretty hefty.

(second photo from Tschiertschen in February 2022)

Well, with the only option besides walking up to the ice rink, I was happy that I wore my skiing outfit. Otherwise I would’ve been soaked to the bones until I’d arrive up there.

Okay, hold on to your butts and this monster started to move on the road. I was able to grab a handle with the one hand and with the other hand I made sure that my guitar would survive this rough ride.

After a few minutes on the road we turned into a field and there it got really steep and the terrain got rougher than your average urban SUV will ever experience.

HOLY COW! If you have back problems this ain’t the ride for you. But I could already see the cabin in the distance and this made me confident that we (my gear, my back, my butt, myself & I) will survive this rollercoaster ride without any permanent damages.

Opening the door to the cabin it felt like a finnish sauna and I prayed that my guitar’s neck wouldn’t perform his swan song. But everything went great and the ride back down was with more snow on the ground but less coming from the sky. My final task was to dig out my car, get my gear in the trunk and slowly but safely drive back down that narrow road again to make it back home without a dent.

And now you want to see that clip, don’t you?! Enjoy!