A Wild Golfer on the Green

The dévaloir—a Swiss term referring to a chute for disposing of household waste—was a common feature in luxury chalets during the 1960s and 70s. These shafts, accessible on every floor, funneled trash to metal containers in the basement. From there, it fell to concierges or service staff to empty these bins—a grim task. Before incineration, they had to sort through the nauseating jumble, transfer the contents into bags, and haul them to small garbage collection huts. Yet, there was a silver lining to this unpleasant chore. Returning empty bottles, then worth a deposit of 50 cents each, provided a lucrative side hustle. Some industrious staff managed to supplement their income significantly, with one concierge admitting that the bottle trade—roughly 3,000 per year—funded his vacations! However, this era of dévaloirs came to an abrupt end when they were deemed fire hazards and sealed off, disappearing into obscurity.

Marko Shapiro knows all too well the power of a single moment where everything changes. One day, Pascal Burri, owner of the restaurant Le Fer à Cheval, was contacted by Authier, a leading ski brand. They asked Pascal for promotional photos and he immediately thought of the perfect person for the job—his employee Marko who had a passion for photography. The setup was simple: a bathrobe belt emblazoned with the ski brand's name, which Pascal, the chosen model, tied around his head as a headband. The result? A jackpot of images that would launch Marko’s future career.

Verbier’s ambitious future has long sparked the imagination of developers and engineers with big dreams—ranging from a retreat for pulmonary patients, to whimsical neighborhoods (one even with a zoo), to funiculars set to conquer the mountains and even a metro system. While the boldness of these visionaries was impressive, their grand plans ultimately crumbled like houses of cards. For the full story behind these extraordinary, unrealized projects, you can find the details in the pages of Verbier Chronicles.