At Saint François Longchamp, when the last skiers leave the slopes and the resort falls silent, another mountain comes to life. In the twilight, beneath the lights of the snow groomers, a quiet yet vital task is underway – one that shapes the skiers’ experience every morning.
It is within this demanding and still largely unknown world of night-time mountaineering that Lana has chosen to forge her own path. Combining technical skill, precision and a passion for the mountains, she embodies a new generation of professionals who are rewriting the rules, whilst never losing sight of what really matters: the quality of the terrain and the safety of those who traverse it.
Through her dedication, commitment and clear-eyed perspective on her profession, she gives us a glimpse into a daily routine where nothing is left to chance. A rare insight into the heart of a profession that is as fascinating as it is essential.
Lana, what has your career path been like, and how did you become a snow groomer operator?
I undertook an agricultural training course in machinery operation, specialising in livestock farming and farm management from A-levels through to a BTS, a five-year course. I had the opportunity, through an internship and apprenticeship, to discover and improve my machine operation skills. What I really enjoyed was the technical nature of these machines, their complexity, and the fact that it is a field that few people fully master.
Driving agricultural machinery and snow groomers is actually quite similar: in both cases, you’re working with a material (soil or snow) using precision tools, often guided by GPS. There’s a real need to adapt to the terrain. Last year, I worked on a farm, and this season marks my first experience in snow grooming.
I’ve always felt a close connection to the mountains, as I grew up here. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve seen the slopes, the skiers, the snow groomers… It’s a familiar world. Even now, from my home, I can see the lights of the snow groomers at night, which makes this job feel even more real to me.
There is no specific licence required to drive a snow groomer: everything is learnt on the job. It is the existing teams—and particularly the most experienced members—who train us and pass on their expertise and their understanding of the trade. It’s a very hands-on learning process, and that’s what makes it particularly rewarding.
Although farm machinery and snow groomers have different dimensions (the former being often longer, the latter wider), they share a similar operating principle, with plenty of controls and settings. It was an environment I was already used to, so the transition came quite naturally.
What is a typical day (or rather night) like for a snow groomer operator?
At Saint François Longchamp, we are a team of eight piste groomers, split between an evening shift and a morning shift. The evening shift starts around 4.30 pm. We always begin with a briefing at the piste manager’s office with the supervisors. This is a crucial moment, when we discuss the condition of the ski area with the piste staff and the lift operators.
For example, we may be notified of areas requiring additional snowmaking, barriers that need levelling to prevent skiers from climbing over them, or snow drifts at lift gates that need clearing. There is close coordination between the various departments to determine priorities.
We rely on cutting-edge technology (Snowsat, Leica, Snowplanner). These tools enable us to visualise the tasks to be carried out and monitor their progress throughout the night or morning. Thanks to GPS antennas, we can pinpoint the location of the machines across the resort and, crucially, analyse snow depths. A colour code (from red to green) indicates areas with insufficient snow or those with ample snow cover. This is highly accurate, as surveys are carried out in the summer to measure the terrain, which then allows us to compare the thickness of the snow cover in winter to the nearest centimetre.
Before we start, we climb onto the machine and always carry out a check: hydraulic fluid levels, the condition of the tracks, any damaged parts… The aim is to ensure that everything will work properly overnight.
The evening shift therefore runs from 4.30 pm until around 1 am. The morning team then takes over at 1.15 am until 9.45 am, just before the slopes open. We try to meet up to go over things, but if that’s not possible, we always leave written instructions in a notebook. And with the tablet, as soon as a task is marked as completed, it automatically disappears for the next team, which makes passing on information much easier.
Some days are more challenging, particularly during PIDA (Avalanche Triggering Response Plan) mornings. On such occasions, entire sections of the ski area are temporarily closed for safety reasons. We are therefore unable to groom certain runs until they have been made safe, which can result in a significant workload afterwards, with sometimes five to seven runs to be dealt with at the same time.
Weather conditions also play an important role. Wind, for example, can cause snowdrifts to form, particularly around the ski lifts, requiring snow-clearing operations. In the event of snowfall, even without PIDA, all green and blue runs are groomed in the evening to compact the snow, then re-groomed in the morning. These are areas intended for beginners, so it is important to avoid too much fresh snow, which could make skiing difficult.
As a general rule, the evening grooming work is not fully repeated in the morning. We focus mainly on the easy runs and play areas (such as the children’s play areas) to ensure optimal conditions from the moment the resort opens.
Personally, I prefer the evening shift, which is when I usually work. The two shifts are very different: the snow behaves differently; it changes, it can refreeze, and you have to adapt your working methods. In the evening, there’s also a real sense of satisfaction in following the skiers, taking over damaged runs – sometimes very bumpy ones – and transforming them into perfectly smooth surfaces. It’s an immediate result and very rewarding.
Lana, what do you like most about this job, and what are the most challenging aspects?
What I like most is the direct link between the work we do and the skiers’ experience on the slopes. There’s also a real synergy between the piste crew and the ski lift teams. I actually had the chance to do a work placement with the piste team at another resort, which allowed me to see the mountain by day, from the piste team’s perspective, and now I see it by night, as a snow groomer.
It really is a complementary process: the piste technicians set the course, mark out the runs, secure the slopes and assist guests, whilst we analyse how skiers use the piste so we can adapt our work accordingly. For example, we notice that in the bends, the snow is often hollowed out on the inside. Our role is therefore to counteract these effects to minimise wear and tear on the piste.
The same applies to bumps and uneven terrain: skiers tend to push the snow downhill, whereas we bring it back up, rework the edges and smooth out the surface. The aim is to achieve as even a surface as possible, but also to preserve the snow over time, particularly for spring skiing.
Grooming at the start of the season is essential: we’ll be doing a lot of ‘track-setting’, which involves driving over the snow to create a compact base. The more compacted the snow is, the less it melts. This creates a solid base that will last the whole season. Conversely, an uncompacted layer, especially in mild temperatures, melts much faster and becomes harder to work with once it refreezes.
One of the most technical aspects of the job is precisely that of constantly adapting to the snow. It can be fresh, packed, groomed, spring snow… and it changes almost every day. You need to know how to adjust the blade with precision: don’t dig in too deeply all at once, but enough to rework the surface and allow the snow groomer to do its job behind you.
Weather conditions are also a major challenge. During storms, such as those in February, visibility can be extremely poor. Between the wind, snow and fog, there are times when you can barely make out the machine’s blade. At times like these, markers are essential, as are the digital tools that help us navigate. But you also need to know the terrain very well, in winter as well as in summer, to anticipate the natural contours of the landscape.
In difficult conditions, we also adapt our organisation: we stick together to break trail and avoid getting lost, and we strictly follow the piste patrol’s instructions, particularly when there is a high risk of avalanches. With a 5/5 risk rating, certain areas are completely off-limits until the PIDA assessments have been carried out, even if this means we cannot have everything ready for the opening.
These situations can be stressful, especially when you’re just starting out. I remember my first PIDA on the morning shift, in the middle of a storm: there was a lot of pressure to be ready on time, knowing full well that we couldn’t be everywhere at once. It’s frustrating not to be able to get everything done, knowing the impact it has on clients and colleagues on the front line.
But what really makes the difference is the team spirit. I felt supported and guided; I was never left to face difficulties on my own. My colleagues are there to share their knowledge and train me, and that takes a lot of the pressure off. It’s a demanding job, but also a very human one.
Being a woman in a profession that is still predominantly male: is this something you think about on a daily basis?
In snow grooming, just as in the farming world, the way others look at you is quite similar. It’s mainly surprise, but a rather positive kind of surprise. People see me getting off the machine and are surprised, but often in a friendly way. These aren’t negative or inappropriate reactions; even if sometimes there might be a few rather insistent or awkward stares, it’s more down to the novelty of it than any judgement.
I actually think this shows a real shift in attitudes. We’re no longer seeing reactions along the lines of “it’s a man’s job”, but rather a positive response: people think it’s great that women are taking their place in these professions.
That was already the case during my training. In my class, there were five of us girls and about twenty boys. There weren’t many of us, but we really complemented each other. We don’t necessarily have the same approaches or the same ways of thinking, and that’s precisely what enriches the group.
Within the snow groomer team at Saint François Longchamp, I immediately felt very much part of the team. They are truly wonderful people who never made an issue of the fact that I’m a woman. On the contrary, I feel that they trust me and encourage me to improve. For a first year, it’s invaluable to be working in an environment like this. They’d already worked with a woman before, so there’s a sense of normality. We’re treated as equals, with the same expectations. It’s very motivating, because it makes you want to give your very best.
I’m starting to get to know the field quite well now. I’m still learning the ropes, but my goal is clear: to make as much progress as possible, become independent quickly and do things to the best of my ability. I always bear in mind that some colleagues have twenty years’ experience, and that this isn’t something you can pick up in a few months. You have to stay humble, be proud of your journey, and move forward at your own pace whilst always striving to improve.
As the conversation unfolds, a picture emerges of a clear-sighted, passionate young professional who is already deeply rooted in the realities of the field. At Saint François Longchamp, the richness of the job also lies in its diversity: moving from a red run to a family area, adapting her work to the conditions and the crowd, never experiencing two nights that are the same. A variety that fuels the desire to learn and improve, day after day.
Whilst more advanced techniques, such as winch work, naturally arouse curiosity, Lana approaches them with remarkable maturity. Aware of the technical complexity and risks involved, she now prefers to consolidate her skills on a standard snow groomer, mastering every movement and every adjustment, before moving on to the next stage.
In a profession where experience is built up over time, this ability to combine ambition with humility is a real strength. It is also a reminder that behind the quality of the slopes that skiers enjoy every day, there are, above all, dedicated men and women who are constantly improving their skills in the service of a demanding mountain.
