Benjamin Bayard - Technical Manager at the service of the Moosalp region

During the winter season, around 40 employees ensure the smooth and safe operation of the slopes and ski facilities in the Moosalp region. Benjamin Bayard from Eischoll has been working as technical manager for Moosalp Bergbahnen AG for several years. This important position entails a high level of responsibility and requires a great deal of technical know-how as well as weather resistance and stamina as fundamental prerequisites.

From piste rider to technical manager

Benjamin Bayard (33) is a trained mechanic in the commercial vehicle sector. After his initial training, he worked as an agricultural machinery mechanic for several years. He always harbored the desire to one day drive one of the over 400 hp snow groomers. Benjamin made this dream come true in the winter of 2014/2015, the first season in which he worked for Moosalp Bergbahnen as a snow groomer operator. In September 2016, the opportunity arose to take on a year-round position as a technical employee. Benjamin successfully applied for the position and has been working in the Moosalp region all year round ever since. He also completed further training as a cable car specialist and technical manager. He currently manages a team consisting of three year-round permanent employees in the technical area and around 30 seasonal employees during the winter season. In addition, around 15 retirees volunteer for the mountain railroads every year and support the operation of the ski lifts. Among other things, the manager is responsible for work planning and the time management of his employees.

Moosalp Bergbahnen currently operates a purely winter business. One of the most important tasks of Benjamin and his team in the summer before the start of the season is the proper execution of the periodic maintenance and inspection work on the various facilities and vehicles. This includes, for example, the maintenance of the three piste machines. Lubrication work is regularly carried out on the roller bearings of the chairlift and the eight ski lifts, and cables and gears are replaced. Compliance with the legal regulations for the installations is tightened from time to time. The challenge is to keep all the lifts in as good a condition as possible in order to stay one step ahead of the latest regulations. Safety is always a top priority for Benjamin and his team.

"The best and most exciting time is between November and March every year"

From November, the team of annual employees is mainly occupied with artificial snowmaking in order to be able to prepare optimal slopes for ski guests during the season. The mountain railroads have ten snow guns that can be used at various points in the ski area. The snow guns often run overnight. They have to be checked and repositioned early in the morning. There is also work such as replacing pumps and pipes. Artificial snowmaking in ski resorts is a challenging task due to ever decreasing amounts of natural snow and fluctuating water supplies. Snow often has to be produced in the temperature limit range. The use of the most modern snow guns possible is therefore of great importance. A snow gun of the latest generation produces up to a third more snow with the same amount of water than an older model from a previous decade.

Although the work in winter is always intensive and doesn't always run one hundred percent smoothly, Benjamin is looking forward to the coming winter season. For him, winter is the most exciting and best time of the year with the daily operation of the cable car. He awaits all guests with anticipation and invites them to enjoy their free time in the Moosalpregion ski area.