In the service of your safety
In the Moosalpregion ski area, a team of four piste patrollers is on duty every day to ensure the safety of guests. They are responsible for the piste and rescue service in Bürchen and Törbel. Marco Weidel (27) is a trained paramedic and is supporting the team as an assistant patroller for the first time this season.
The first and last on the mountain
During the daily ski operation, Marco and his colleagues always work together as a team of three. They are the first on the mountain and start the day at 8 a.m. with a comprehensive slope check. They check the snow conditions and signalization on every slope in the ski area. At exposed points, they check the padding that has been fitted to provide protection in the event of an impact. At the top stations of the ski lifts, they also check the overrun safety devices to ensure that they can stop the lift system in the event of an uncontrolled descent. The patrollers only give the go-ahead for daily operations once the slope checks have been completed.
During daytime operations, two patrollers are stationed in Bürchen and one in Törbel. They are always ready for action and, in the event of an accident, can be at the patient's side with their rescue sled within a few minutes. They secure the scene of the accident and provide first aid. In the case of more serious injuries, they prepare the patients for transport and take them down to the valley by sledge, from where onward transport to hospital is organized. In the event of serious accidents, they alert a rescue helicopter. "The most important thing is to make the patient's transport as comfortable as possible in this difficult situation," explains Marco. The risk of accidents increases in the afternoon in particular. "This is the time of day when we have the most missions," he adds.
When the lifts close in the evening, it's time for the last slope check. Only after all the slopes have been skied and the patrollers have made sure that no one is still in the ski area do they inform the piste drivers. They then start preparing the slopes for the next day.
"It was always my dream to explore the Alps"
"It's always been my dream to explore the Alps," says Marco, who lives in Bürchen with his wife Ilona. The young couple moved to Valais from Poland a year and a half ago. They both previously had an office job. Their long-held wish was to explore the mountains and actively enjoy winter sports. As this was only possible to a limited extent in Poland, they decided to give up their monotonous office jobs and try something new before the 2022/2023 winter season. They applied together for a job as ski lift employees in response to an online advertisement from Moosalp Bergbahnen and went to Switzerland. They really enjoyed the region during their first season, which is why they decided to stay. They have settled in well in Bürchen. For the current winter season, Marco moved to the piste and rescue service, while his wife Ilona continues to work on the ski lift.
Before Marco took an office job in the IT sector, he trained as a paramedic in his native Poland. He is delighted that he can now use the skills he acquired during his training in his new job. "It's nice to be able to help people and work outdoors in nature at the same time," says Marco.
Many thanks to the entire patrol team for your daily service for the safety of our ski guests!
