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What do ...<br />
... the PistenBully<br />
drivers in Sedrun do<br />
in summer?<br />
Their job is to tame the snow <strong>–</strong> that force of nature <strong>–</strong> in a landscape<br />
of extremes where temperatures can fall as low as minus 30<br />
degrees Celsius. The drivers of the snow groomers in the Sedrun<br />
Oberalp ski resort brave the frosty conditions from early December<br />
to just after Easter. But what happens when the snow is gone?<br />
33-year-old Armin Manetsch is actually a trained mechanic, who has taken<br />
over the running of his parents’ farm, where he is actively involved <strong>–</strong> as<br />
long as there is no snow. For Manetsch’s true passion is driving ski slope<br />
preparation vehicles. "We PistenBully drivers mostly have seasonal jobs<br />
that require manual dexterity <strong>–</strong> this is something we all have in common",<br />
the farmer says. 'Snow grooming', or 'piste bashing' as it is known<br />
in the trade, is considered an ideal way for farmers, joiners, lorry drivers,<br />
construction and forestry workers in the mountain regions to make money<br />
on the side. "You really have to be mad about big machines to do this<br />
job", states Manetsch, who dreamed about driving a snow groomer since<br />
he was a boy. "As a mechanic, I am naturally fascinated with the technol-<br />
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www.rhb.ch/contura
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