Perched at 2,110 metres on the Grand Chamossaire peak above the Villars ski resort in the Swiss canton of Vaud, a new attraction offers visitors a chance to experience the Alps from a distinctly airborne perspective. The giant swing, which opened earlier this month, catapults riders out over a steep valley with the Dents du Midi and Mont Blanc massif stretching across the horizon.
The V-shaped steel structure, 12 metres high, can accommodate three people at a time. Each rider straddles a saddle attached to a frame shaped like an Alpine ibex, grips handlebars, and is strapped in securely. A system of cables and pulleys then hoists them backward to a 90-degree angle, leaving them suspended face-down before a sudden release sends them plunging forward over the drop. The sensation, according to early testers, is exhilarating.
“The feeling of hanging up there, and then being released, it’s an amazing sensation,” Yannick Boudouin, 38, told AFP. Alexandra Henchoz, 37, who tried the swing with her husband and 10-year-old daughter, admitted to nerves beforehand. “But once it is happening, it is just incredible. You feel like a bird flying,” she said.
Adapting to a warming climate
The swing is part of a broader strategy by Alpine resorts to diversify their offerings as climate change makes winter snow less predictable. Martin Deburaux, head of the Villars-Gryon-Diableret ski area, told AFP that the resort saw record skier numbers in the past two seasons as visitors from lower-altitude slopes sought higher ground. “But we know we are facing climate change,” he said. “We are looking for substitutes to conserve jobs, the dynamism and the tourist economy built up around our ski lift facilities.”
Currently, the resort attracts more than 700,000 visitors during the winter season but only about 100,000 in summer. Deburaux aims to triple that summer figure within a few years by offering a range of activities. The swing is accessible to anyone with a ski lift ticket, making use of existing infrastructure when snow is scarce.
Nearby, hikers traverse grassy paths, and mountain bikers in helmets and protective gear speed down steep dirt trails. An ephemeral land art fresco by French artist Saype, depicting a child drawing, covers an entire hillside. The resort’s push for year-round appeal mirrors efforts across the Alps, from Austria’s Stubai Glacier to Italy’s Cervinia, where summer tourism is increasingly seen as an economic necessity.
For those seeking a less vertiginous experience, the region offers plenty of alternatives. But for adrenaline seekers, the Grand Chamossaire swing provides a unique vantage point—one that, for a few seconds, truly feels like flight.
