Powering up the snow groomers: outdoor staff in Tyrol

Someone who knows exactly what goes on behind the scenes at this time of day is Thomas Koch. He’s been the infrastructure manager for the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena outdoor staff service since 2015. Together with his team, he makes sure that the cross-country trails, and hiking trails are cleared and perfectly groomed by morning. It’s not long, then, before the stillness of the night is broken by the sound of the first snow groomers’ engines, their headlights brightly illuminating the cross-country trails.

 It’s a tight schedule, because everything has to be ready for the athletes and hikers by mid-morning. About 131 kilometres of trails for cross-country skiers need to be prepared. And hikers don’t want to trudge through deep snow, either. Obstacles and fresh snow are removed and the paths are freshly gritted. Ten men set out to clear what needs to be cleared.

Thomas Koch: My team and I look after hiking trails and mountain bike routes, signposts, bridges, and litter collection points in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena. We make sure that the paths are safe, passable, and drivable. This includes clearing up after storms or hail and maintaining signposts. We also have many litter collection and dog points, which we empty weekly.

Thomas Koch: We have a 130-kilometre network of cross-country trails. It needs to be signposted and freshly groomed every day, especially when it snows. Then there are the winter hiking trails, which need to be cleared and gritted. It’s the only way to make sure that visitors can have fun without risk. When it snows, of course, the team has to be out earlier. It might mean a 5 o’clock start, or sometimes even as early as 2 am. We’re a 24-hour service.

Clearing the winter hiking trails takes the most time. Something that’s very important to me and my outdoor staff is clearing the benches in the sunny and beautiful spots all around the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena.

Thomas Koch: On the winter hiking trails, four groomers, wheeled loaders, and narrow-track tractors are out gritting and clearing. Other equipment is needed for the ski areas. To prepare the cross-country trails, for example, we have six snow groomers at our disposal, some of which are used at the same time. That’s because of the size and complexity of the area. To ensure that the outdoor team remains flexible, one groomer is assigned to each of the Tyrolean areas, and this way we can cover the entire area. Apart from the machinery, however, we also need the people who can operate the equipment. Working in the winter requires extensive knowledge: locksmiths to wheeled loader drivers to carpenters. If you want to be a part of our outdoor staff, you need to be a person of many talents.