Reindeer? No, postmen on skis!

The Swiss Post may soon be using drones to deliver Christmas packages in isolated areas, but 60 years ago, postmen used a good old analogue method: skis.

Modern postmen have more to fear from aggressive dogs than sporting injuries. But last century, postmen in mountain areas of Switzerland risked breaking their necks to get the Christmas packages to their destinations on time. 

In this footage from the archives of Swiss Public Television, RTS, you can see how the post office in Einsiedeln came to terms with heavy snow fall affecting the village of Oberiberg (canton Schwyz) at Christmas in 1957. The postal bus was driven as far as possible, but then the postman had to strap on his skis in order to get through the heavy snow. The village is located at 1125 metres above sea level and receives quite a lot of the white stuff in winter.

This is traditionally an agricultural area but many people now commute to Einsiedeln or Zurich for work. Tourism is important for the local economy. The nearby ski area of Hoch-Ybrig attracts many skiers from the Zurich area.