Meet a Zurich customer helping alpinists to reach new heights

Planning to drop in on Switzerland? In a country where 60 percent of the surface area is mountains, while visiting, you might be anticipating doing some hiking, or rock-climbing, considering a high-mountain tour or even a summit attempt. Or, maybe you just want to post selfies of yourself with the Matterhorn as a backdrop. Whatever it is, consider the advantages of being well-equipped for your next alpine adventure. It could save you from the experience of one tourist from California, who just stepped off a trail for a moment, wearing sneakers, only to find themselves a short time later dangling from a helicopter winch cable, strapped to a rescue professional. Lucky for the U.S. visitor, they survived, and later shared rave reviews of Swiss hospital care.

It needn’t come to that. We visited Bächli Bergsport, a Swiss family-owned business – and a customer of Zurich Insurance Group (‘Zurich’) since Bächli was founded nearly half a century ago – to learn a little more about how you can best prepare for your next hike or climb. We might add that on the day of the visit to Bächli’s headquarters, with a weekend approaching, the alpine peaks in the distance showed fresh white against a blue sky, and seemed to be calling to anyone who loves to spend time in the mountains.

The mountain theme is made clear in Bächli’s corporate headquarters, where the décor is one of awe-inspiring alpine vistas. Wall-sized photos of mountains dominate nearly every room and seem to beckon you to challenge their toughest routes.

“At Bächli, mountaineering and climbing, and everything related to that, is at the heart of what we do,” says Thomas Morand, a passionate mountaineer and Bächli’s Chief Executive Officer since 2018. He pauses before a large photo showing a row of jagged black peaks surrounding a lonely looking white glacier. “That’s a serious tour. You wouldn’t do that one unless you had some experience,” Morand says. The photo in question is of the Bregaglia range on the Swiss-Italian border. From a non-climber’s perspective, it appears to be an impossible set of cliffs that rise above fields of loose scree. The only things missing, perhaps, are dragons circling overhead, and a couple of Orcs lurking down below.

But, in fact, the same region on the border between Switzerland and Italy also offers inviting walks for those not planning on ascending the challenging summits. “In Switzerland, we have opportunities for all levels. Whether you’re a dedicated alpinist, or a beginner, you can do fantastic tours,” says Morand. “No matter what level you are at, we are keen to help you. Our goal is to make sure every individual customer has the right equipment.”

For anyone heading into the mountains, even if only for a day, it's important to know what to expect and keep an eye on the weather. In the mountains, a cloudless sky can quickly change into a nasty storm. Just ask the 99 German school kids, and eight teachers, who set off on a June morning in the Austrian Alps for what seemed to be an easy hike, based on the information they found online. But when the rain started, the party found they could no longer negotiate what had become wet, slippery trails. The cost of the rescue, including 60 trained helpers and two helicopters, was substantial. But who’s counting, as long as everyone got down safely?

World class

Specializing in mountaineering for nearly 50 years, the people at Bächli can and do outfit expeditions to the world’s highest mountains. That includes several large expeditions, including one in 2013 with climbers and Swiss and German doctors to Himlung Himal in the Himalayas to research altitude sickness. If you’re in the mood for a challenge, Bächli can also introduce you to licensed guides. Its people can even advise you on where to go in Switzerland if you want to take lessons to improve your mountaineering and rock-climbing skills.

Bächli also sponsors some world-class alpinists. These include Swiss climber and certified mountain guide Jonas Schild, who was the first, with a party of three, to ascend the bare rock face in India’s Garhwal region, which the trio christened the ‘Kirti Nose.’ The daunting formation resembles the famous (and once thought unclimbable) overhanging rock ‘Nose’ on Yosemite’s El Capitan.

“Climbers are individualists. They must decide what’s best for them. We can learn a lot from them, also about what gear works best for their individual needs,” Morand says. Today, climbers can, for example, choose from dozens of different climbing ropes on the market. But that wasn’t always the case, and the evolution of alpine gear is a major reason why the Bächli business came into being.

Bächli’s business origins

The idea that mountaineers in Switzerland, a country with 48 mountain peaks over 4,000 meters (over 13,000 feet), once struggled to get quality climbing gear, seems hard to believe. But in fact, that was a big reason why Heinz and Margrit Bächli, both mountaineers, decided to found the Bächli company. Heinz might be best known for summiting the more-or-less perpendicular Aiguille du Triolet on the Mont Blanc massif with two others, along the intimidating north wall fall line in August 1967. It was a time when climbing was undergoing a revolution. Synthetic materials were just coming onto the market. That allowed for light-weight alternatives to wool clothing, and made ropes lighter, safer, and more elastic than the old-fashioned hemp ropes. Even standard gear like ice axes and crampons were being modernized.

The Bächlis founded their business in 1974 to allow Swiss climbers to have access to the best mountaineering equipment from all over the world. Nearly 50 years later, it has grown. Besides outfitting for demanding alpine expeditions, it also stocks a full range of clothing, boots and rucksacks for hobby hikers. Its some 300 staff support customers in 13 retail shops and an extensive online business that offers articles selected, if customers so desire, by weight, recycled content, etc.

The business is now in the hands of the second generation – the son of the founders and his wife are on the board as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. So Bächli is still a family-run business. And still mountain-focused, which seems like the case, even when the discussion turns to business development. “We have very direct routes when it comes to making important decisions,” Morand says. Spoken like a true alpinist.

Where Zurich comes in

Zurich’s Swiss business has provided Bächli with its main insurance needs ever since the mountaineering company was founded. “We have a high degree of trust in Zurich. We value long-term stability,” says Morand.

Like Zurich, Bächli also believes in sustainability. “It’s important for us that the materials we offer can be used sustainably. That includes our recycling program, through which we take back used items.”

Mentally in the mountains

Our visit is at an end. The sun is shining, and the weekend is near. Morand pauses by another large photo, this one showing a glowing white formation of snow-covered peaks. It is the Bernina massif, known for the summits of Bernina and Piz Palü. “I might be doing another climb there soon,” says Morand.

And we are done. The writer of this says good-bye, and goes on her way, also considering the possibilities of a weekend hike. Nothing terribly difficult. With luck, it will reward the effort, depending on the weather, with an astounding vista of white peaks, craggy cliffs, and perhaps a blue lake seen from high above. Risks might include negotiating a meadow of curious cows. Of course, nothing, including the weather, is certain. That’s the beauty of being in the mountains. You never know what might be waiting for you on the next trail.