EnergY

Due to the climate crisis and the excessive global consumption of fossil fuels, the focus in terms of sustainability has shifted increasingly towards ecological aspects and climate protection. Years ago, we started to reduce our CO2 emissions and have focussed on renewable energy supplies. 

In the future, we aim to achieve even more

Among other plans, we would like to provide as many guests as possible with opportunities to charge their E-cars with green electricity. Furthermore, we are planning to set up further photovoltaic systems with up to 1,300 kilowatt-peak. In terms of CO2 equivalent, the average amount of electricity produced by such a unit offsets the current annual diesel consumption of our entire snowcat fleet. 

Our main goal is to operate our winter sports area in a climate-positive manner in the future

Therefore, we are harnessing the power of the sun, as well as wind, and are currently assessing locations for the construction of 2-3 medium-sized wind turbines within our existing areas and facilities. This way, if permitted by policy and environmental conservation, we could generate more electricity than we consume in total, thus operating our winter sports area in a climate-positive way. Currently, there is a wind measurement mast with a height of 30 meters at the Mooskopf summit, which we will use to collect wind data until the autumn of 2024 to determine if installing a wind turbine at this location makes sense.

Social responsibility

Our offers at Shuttleberg

With our offer, we make an important contribution to society in order to ski and snowboard in the mountains. Especially through our offers for children and youngsters (family run, various snow parks) and the discounts for different age and occupational groups, we give the opportunity and incentives for as many winter sports enthusiasts as possible to practice this sport with us at Shuttleberg. Exercise in the fresh air keeps you fit and healthy. Contact with nature strengthens ecological awareness. Playful offers and events for children and young people offer incentives to practice the sport on a regular basis. They are with friends in nature, in the fresh air and can surpass themselves with sporting challenges.

With the two buildings Sun House and Chill House, we offer break opportunities for families (Sun House) and young people (Chill House), which are adapted to the needs of the respective groups. The buildings are large and bright and there is no compulsion to consume. You can eat and drink your own food and drinks. All guests with food intolerances or special needs, or those who value taking their own healthy snack with them, can enjoy the dish in a beautiful, bright, cozy and clean place. Or guests can simply relax on the couches, loungers, benches, in the children's cinema (Sun House) or on the terrace. The Chill House also has a skate ramp and a boulder wall.

• Support of the Kleinarl ski club - e.g. slope areas made available for training free of charge
• Other associations also regularly receive inquiries, which we implement as possible. Many national teams train both in the Absolut Park and on our Cross Run at no additional cost.
• Co-founder of the non-profit skateboarding club Ghetto Five - long-term sponsor of the skate contests in St.Johann im Pongau and in Radstadt as Absolut Park
• In the Absolut Park, young, talented freestyle talents can join the Absolut Park team.
• Every year in February, the Local Kids Camp is organized during the semester break, where children interested in freestyle can learn their first freestyle tricks from the professionals for a very small fee for a whole week
• There is an annual free avalanche camp in cooperation with saac
• Non-cash prizes are donated for small events in the region - merchandise items
• The company is a member of the main committees of the two tourism associations Flachau and Wagrain-Kleinarl and works in various sub-committees and working groups.
• A member of the management team is the section head of the Kleinarl ski club for the freestyle area. Free training sessions are organized for club members.

Working time

In winter, most of the employees work 8 hours a day. In the summer, at the request of the employees, the working week was divided into 4 days with 10 hours of working time each. The employees have three days off per week on which they can relax. An additional break of 15 minutes a day is paid by the company.

In winter, most of the workforce has regular working hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break (lift / cash desk / garage).
The slope service has day shifts and night shifts at a maximum of 1:00 a.m. (except in extreme weather situations).
When making snow, the shift changes regularly from 12:00 to 00:00 and vice versa.
The precise division of work in both summer and winter can avoid additional stress. Technical problems, complaints or injuries to guests can cause stress. Regular training and advanced training enables employees to resolve and manage these situations well.

Education and training

• The employees can do various training and further education in the company: the apprenticeship ropeway technician, further education as machinist, operations manager.
• The training of the shapers - for the construction and operation of the snow parks - takes place internally.
• The training of snow groomer drivers also takes place internally.
• The cash register employees are trained internally.
• We organize annual internal training courses for the correct and safe use of the entire snow system. In the case of new acquisitions or important innovation, our employees are also trained externally.
• In order to ensure that the slopes are groomed in a way that conserves resources, our snowcat drivers are trained and educated annually in driving style, snow mechanics and equipment maintenance.
• All employees must complete a first aid course every year.
• There are regular training courses, seminars and workshops in the systemic sense for all employees, which serve to promote the development of the individual and lead them to systemic maturity.
• Training in systemic leadership is required for all managers.

Before the start of the season, there are regular internal training courses, which are divided into small groups depending on the area of ​​work. General information on the operation, as well as new findings or changes (e.g. ecological measures - saving electricity, saving paper, saving fuel, etc., social aspects - dealing with colleagues, complaint management with guests, etc., and focusing on systemic content such as mission, Vision, goals, values, ...). There is also a concept paper on keeping body, mind and soul healthy.

For all cable car employees, especially new employees, two training courses are held per season. The operations manager checks the knowledge once per season. In addition, for every new employee a experienced, long-term employee is provided as a sponsor. An onboarding guide is used to support managers and sponsors in dealing with new employees.

Health and prevention

All employees: every 3 to 5 years (depending on age) for a routine check-up by the train doctor: in (medical examination).

Raising awareness for nutrition through the healthy meal
In summer, a healthy meal is organized for all employees once a month. The meal consists of regional organic products and is prepared with little meat and sugar. The size / quantity of the meal as large as necessary so that it is sufficient for a whole working day in the field.

Every annual employee has their own company electric bike, which is primarily intended for the way to work and short distances while working on the mountain, but can also be used privately by the employees.

The use of the lifts is free for employees and one accompanying person in summer and winter. Exercise in winter sports (skiing, snoboarding, ski touring, snowshoeing on the Shuttleberg) in the fresh air and in nature is a valuable contribution to the promotion of their health for employees and guests.

Nature and landscape

Nature friendly

The construction of all operationally necessary systems (cable cars, slopes, snowmaking, snow storage, pumping systems, path network, etc.) is checked in Salzburg by ARGE Ski. The interests and demands of the various specialist areas of water protection, nature conservation, spatial planning and geology are weighed up and approved accordingly. All of the above-mentioned systems can only be built after appropriate advice and coordination and after approval under nature conservation law. For this permit, it is usually necessary to present inventories and expert opinions on the plant and animal species occurring in order to protect these habitats as best as possible. Often monitoring work and strict requirements for construction (consideration of habitats, breeding seasons, migrations, etc.) and maintenance have to be followed. In addition, compensatory measures or substitute measures are specified depending on the size and type of the project.

Landscape

The cable car systems are built in such a way that they blend in as well as possible with the landscape and do not catch the eye from a great distance. The pillars of the cable car systems are colored green in order to have little influence on the landscape. We have been using larch cladding made from regional wood for the cladding of the cable car stations since 2017.

The construction of the bottom station Lumberjack Shuttle resulted in a flat roof area that was greened according to the location and which today represents a valuable dry biotope.

The slope guidance system was converted to larch trunks in 2017, which indicate the directions with dibon-on-wooden boards. These signposts integrate perfectly into the landscape from the rear view and, thanks to their subtle design, do not interfere with the front view either.

For our children's product “Family Run” there are “stations” on the blue “Family Run” slope, which are identified by one of the mascots. These stations are also made of wood as far as possible.

Burton the Stash Park is a natural, all-wood snow park. Like the entire park, the obstacles are perfectly integrated into nature. Due to its location on a northern slope, this special snow park does not need any technical snowmaking and is not groomed with piste equipment. The obstacles were handcrafted from wood.

Nature Experience

Several signposted hiking and biking trails run along Shuttleberg, guaranteeing a local experience of nature.

The company is part of the "Respect Your Limits" campaign. The guests are sensitized to the respectful handling of the habitat of the wild animals and plants in and around the Shuttleberg. Guests are requested and informed to stay on the marked slopes and freeride routes so as not to disturb or startle the wild animals.

The ski slopes are used as alpine pastures in summer and thus represent an important part of maintaining traditional cattle farming in the Alps. We attach great importance to sustainable agriculture - 50 percent are organic farmers. The slightly overgrown, steeper embankments are not grazed as much by the animals as the flat areas and overgrown. With our help, these areas are cleaned regularly and the alpine pastures remain largely open. In this way, the unique flora of the alpine meadows can be preserved and the livelihood of the local farmers is secured for the summer.