Swiss mountain air selling for £200

A barmy Brit is selling fresh mountain air from Switzerland ... for a breathtaking £200 a bottle.
Swiss mountain air pictured near The MatterhornSwiss mountain air pictured near The Matterhorn
Swiss mountain air pictured near The Matterhorn

John Green, 64, captures it fresh 10,000 foot up the Alps - known for its pristine atmosphere - and ships it across the world to those fed up with sniffing diesel fumes.

His company 'Mountain Air From Switzerland' promises customers will 'Feel the freshness and vitality!' in the sealed bottles of magic air taken directly from a 'secret location.

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London born John said: "I actually go 3,000 metres up to fetch it. I don't go into a car park to get it, honest.

Swiss mountain air pictured near The MatterhornSwiss mountain air pictured near The Matterhorn
Swiss mountain air pictured near The Matterhorn

"I have lived here for 20 years, and the Swiss don't know what they've got. The air really is something special.

"When I go up the mountains I really do feel better, I am not imagining it. I seriously feel almost reborn."

The air comes in three sizes - £200 for a jeroboam (three litres), £135 for a magnum (one litre) and £78 for a pint.

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John, an IT consultant, moved from Tunbridge Wells to Basel twenty years ago, mainly because of the skiing and the healthy lifestyle.

Swiss mountain air pictured near The MatterhornSwiss mountain air pictured near The Matterhorn
Swiss mountain air pictured near The Matterhorn

He said: "I haven't sold any of the air yet as the company was only launched at the weekend, but the Swiss and German media has gone mad about it.

"A lot of them think I am nuts, but in a nice sort of way."

The air comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and the GPS coordinates of exactly where it was collected.

On a promotional video on the website, he says: "If you're sitting in some polluted town, which you probably are, gasping with diesel fumes, we're at 3,000 metres, and we've just got new supplies of mountain air...so get yours."

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By feeding the GPS coordinates into Google maps the buyer can view the exact secret location.

John explained: "Only purchasers will know where their jar of air was collected. We keep the extraction location a secret to protect supplies.

"All I can say is it is collected near a babbling mountain stream, fed by melt water from a famous glacier, near a very famous mountain."

He recommends chilling the air in the freezer for full effect before flicking the latch open.

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John added: "There's a quick pfsst and you can take a breath of genuine mountain air from Switzerland.

"But you don't have to open it. You can just keep it as a collectors item or to remind you of the good life and open at a later date or celebration."

John has already donated about £800 of his own money to the Worldvision Clean Water Initiative in Africa, and 25 percent of any future profits will be sent to the charity.

His girlfriend Sabina, 46, is a supporter and got him interested.

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He said: "She thinks the idea is hilarious. The air makes a fun gift for birthdays and you know and you know your money is going to a good cause.

"If sales take off I will send even more. I just really want to cover my costs.

"Hopefully with the interest across Europe things are looking up."

He admitted: "Of course, people won't feel better by opening the jar and sniffing it, but it is an attractive bottle and a nice thing to have, and will make you feel better about yourself.

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