Mont Lozère resort prepares to open for the holidays

The first snowflakes fell this weekend. The resorts are preparing, particularly on Mont Lozère where beautiful days welcome 800 skiers. Christophe Aldorandi is the station manager.

“We worked a little bit throughout the year and then in September, we started serious maintenance. Our resort has five ski lifts and every ski lift in France must have a major overhaul every 30 years. We have just inspected two ski lifts, with only one remaining to be inspected. And then the maintenance of all the rest of the area, the pruning, the safety nets, the snow guards that we put up and take down every year… We are in the process of finalizing things at the last minute. If there is snow for the December holidays, we will be ready to open without problem.”

All that's missing is the snow and the staff to open the resort. Recruitments are openin particular to operate the station's five ski lifts. What skills are required to hold this position?

“You must be of legal age, you must above all be able to go down the ski slope which, by gravity, takes us to your ski lift. It is an obligation, so you must know how to ski at a minimum. You must see correctly, hear correctly since we listen to the ski lift. And then. you must meet the same conditions as for driving a carso no alcohol, no drugs. We report to the Ministry of Transport and when you drive a ski lift, it’s basically like you’re driving a bus.”

The Technical Service for Ski Lifts and Transport (STRMT) is specifically responsible for cable transport on which the ski lifts depend. To begin, the employee will undergo a first day of training.