HoliMont established the Mountain Man Program in 1994 to eliminate the risk of vehicle/skier collisions by forbidding the use of all vehicles on the slopes during open skiing hours. This policy has improved overall safety on the slopes and added a benefit that we did not expect: saving money.

Why did we institute such a policy? A skier/snowmobile collision at HoliMont made it painfully clear that no matter how good we were at risk management, a collision could and would happen eventually. Our analysis showed us that the only permanent solution was to eliminate the potential for collision. As we did not wish to eliminate skiers from the hill, we got rid of the vehicles.

Aside from the reduced liability exposure and monetary savings, the program established a better product for our clients. Employee interaction and communication increased within and between all departments in mountain operations and with the resort’s members and guests. This in turn improved our service and the quality of our job performance. The maintenance personnel now have first-hand experience of the product and service they provide because they use lifts, skis and boards as their “vehicles” while performing their jobs on the mountain. They are more in tune with what is happening at any given point in time.


Making the Change
Our first challenge in implementing this program was to get the employees on board and enthusiastic about it. That was difficult, as we had 30-plus years of experience with snowmobiles and groomers on the mountain while our members and guests were skiing. We held numerous meetings and discussions with key employees on how to restrict vehicles. Every job and function on the mountain had to be rethought. We modified procedures, both formal and informal, to accommodate the no-vehicle directive. Employee participation gave us tremendous insight and knowledge to make better decisions and helped employees accept the changes more readily.

One of the more difficult issues at the time was to find a safe ski boot for the lift maintenance crew. This boot had to be suitable for climbing towers and going into motor and pump rooms without slipping on the steel floors. Normal ski boots did not meet this need—but freeing the heels did. We finally found a boot that worked well and outfitted our employee’s with proper ski equipment. Eventually many employees turned to telemarking, as all of those boots had a vibram sole and they felt more comfortable with them. We now have employees using a wide variety and type of gear, including snowboards.

Another issue was the staff’s skiing ability and the obvious need for instruction. Throughout the first winter, we set aside specific training times for staff to work with members of the ski school to improve their skiing. This was very successful, and employee feedback was surprisingly positive. When we hired our part-time staff for area control and the first shift snowmaking crew, we looked for those who had experience skiing and boarding, and also offered further training for them.

At HoliMont, the lift supervisor is responsible for both the operators and technicians. He monitors the performance of his lift operators by skiing the slopes and observing their level of training, customer service skills, etc. He sees how well his staff works together as a team. His presence helps to prevent any unnecessary horseplay or lack of attention to important areas. He can check the technical performance of the ski lifts and alert the maintenance staff to inspect any area of concern. Being in tune with his operation gives him an overall feel for how it is running, as well as the big picture of the condition of the entire area.

The lift crews wear backpacks with trouble-shooting tools to respond to lift malfunctions, and multi-channel UHF radios to monitor various stations. This prevents down time, as technicians can respond quickly to potential problems before they become actual problems.

The snowmaking department follows similar methods. With the entire crew on the slopes, split up to cover the whole area, the performance of the guns is constantly monitored and adjusted. The snowmakers get a good feel for what it is like to ski through the snow they are making. They can adjust the guns accordingly, creating a better surface.

Response times to areas of concern are faster because there is usually someone in close proximity to any problem. When a snowmaker is not nearby, our lift technicians and area control crew have been cross-trained to assist them with general problems. This results in improved overall coverage.

Our no-vehicle policy forced us to improve snowmaking planning and organization so that we can move guns during non-skiing times. This improved planning has also resulted in improved snowmaking efficiency.

Our safety manager is on the slopes a great deal, too, which means he, too, can monitor the safety practices of all the other departments. This onslope management creates a very safe place for the employee and the customer. Other benefits include constant monitoring and updates of slope conditions, better response to changing conditions and ample assistance for ski patrol with accidents. This helps greatly with incident and accident investigations.

Additionally, there is excellent communication with the grooming department. Suggestions are made at the end of the day as the groomers head out. This information helps them tackle any special needs.


The Bottom Line
We have gained all these benefits while reducing costs. The expense of training and purchasing employee ski equipment has been far less than that of operating groomers and snowmobiles. The monetary savings alone are reason enough to implement this type of program.

There is also the knowledge gained by employees involved in operations of what it takes to run a ski resort. The staff understand what other departments are up against and see the bigger picture and how things fit together. This results in a helpful attitude toward other departments rather than complaining about them. New ideas are formed constantly, with adjustments and modifications happening all the time. Ultimately, we have built a stronger team.

With cross training, our staff has become more valuable, as they are able to switch between departments. This value secures them long-term employment and better wages. We also believe that our onhill employees are healthier, happier and more physically fit than they would be if they were still using snowmobiles or groomers to get around.

Perhaps even best of all, though, we have not had any vehicle/skier collisions or “close calls” of any type over the last 10 years. It is reassuring to know that we will avoid collisions in the future as well.

Exceptions to the Rule
There are two situations where Holimont allows snowmobiles on the slopes. The first involves our Code Blue Procedure, which is put into place for a seriously injured skier. The other is in the event of a rope evacuation of one of the ski lifts. These two situations require specific procedures for controlling skier traffic on the slopes where the sleds would be used. In the past 12 seasons, we have never had to implement either of these procedures. —DR