oho #3 - The magazine of the Principality of Liechtenstein

Environment/Leisure
oho#3
It was originally intended that employees would monitor the
equipment from their place of work behind the glass panel.
But because Thury wanted to work outside, a special
outdoor cable was laid for him, and a stop button for the lift
was fitted.
An eventful life
Thury Meier is a man of many abilities. When he was
young, he first trained as a confectioner – an occupation
that he switched for that of a truck driver as soon as he had
completed his apprenticeship. In order to offset the shortage
of work in the winter, at the age of 37 he began driving
piste vehicles in Brigels, where the managers swiftly
spotted the young man’s potential. In addition to being
responsible for the pistes, he was promptly put in charge of
a snow bar at an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level.
Throughout the next 12 winters, the order of the day was:
up into the mountains early in the morning with the piste
vehicle – and then off to manage the snow bar.
When Thury Meier read that they were looking for a new
lift operator in Malbun, he thought that the time had come
for a change. He applied, made a good impression, and took
up his new position in Liechtenstein just a few weeks later.
He has been responsible for operating the Täli Mountain
Station ever since – a task that he continues to pursue with
the same dedication. Later, he was also deployed as a piste
vehicle driver, and for around five years he actually had an
all-year job with the Malbun mountain lift company.
“Mr Fastidious”
Thury Meier is an easy-going fellow. Except where his
mountain station is concerned. That’s when he becomes
“Mr Fastidious himself”, as he likes to say. “The most
exacting lift operator ever.” In fact: “When I have a day off,
and don’t find everything just the way it should be upon my
return, I can get pretty ratty,” he concedes. And for a
moment his face darkens. “It’s just that I know precisely
how everything needs to be for the lift to operate smoothly.”
There is certainly no shortage of tasks for him to do. The
workload can be heavy, particularly when seasonal winds
blast through the mountains. This can make it difficult to
prepare the lift station exit. “With this work, I am
beginning to notice that I’m no longer as young as I used to
be,” Thury Meier admits. “In the past, I would shovel the
snow away all by myself. Today I have to call my colleagues
in the Valley Station, and ask them for help when the
snowdrifts get too high.”
It is “his” Täli station, “his” Malbun. Thury Meier loves his
place of work so much, even after 16 years, that he is even
drawn here when he is off duty – at least during the winter
months. “It is simply a beautiful place,” he says. “The ski
Thury Meier – his face is familiar to everyone
in Malbun
resort is small, clearly structured and friendly. People don’t
get lost here. Irrespective of what pistes they are on,
eventually they always find their way back to the centre.”
In the past, he was a keen skier himself. But after two hip
operations, Thury Meier has begun to take things a little
easier. “When I have time off, I take the lift to the Sareis
mountain restaurant, where I meet up with a convivial
bunch of senior citizens. We always have a whale of a time.”
And when evening approaches, when the other skiers clip
themselves into their equipment, he simply takes the lift
back down again.
And what does Thury Meier do in the summer? He certainly
doesn’t laze around. He helps out a friend who runs the
mountain farm Maiensäss. “Anyway, it’s much too warm in
the valley, so I am drawn to the heights,” he explains. “I
love the mountain air.” Above all, mountain air that smells
of snow. And when autumn approaches, he itches to get
back to his Täli mountain station – this is a mountain call
that Thury Meier has never been able to resist.
Malbun tip:
In addition to the 23 kilometres of pistes, the winter sport
resort of Malbun has a great deal more to offer. For
example, 15 kilometres of prepared cross-country trails,
romantic winter hiking routes, an ice rink as well as an
ice climbing tower wait to be explored by keen athletes
and families in search of rest and recreation. In
combination with the friendly atmosphere, this makes
Malbun the perfect place to experience a very individual
winter fairy tale.
www.tourismus.li/winterfun
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