My work in the mountains
Since 2017 I’ve been volunteering in an alpine hut, for a week or two over the Summer.
I have immediately developed profound affection for the small hut and the dynamics of working in such a place.
What started as a fun experience has later become an integral part of my yearly holiday plans. It has played the role of functional break from my – although appreciated – demanding, academic job.
Finally, in 2023 I have worked the entire Summer season at the hut. This has been an intentional choice: to live a type of work that is under many aspects, diametrically opposite to my other professional experience, in research.
Working in the mountains means being able to welcome hikers and guests, but also assist them when potentially in need or difficulty. It means knowing the environment around you, expect the unexpected, and find ways to navigate it. It means sharing spaces and time with the others that are working and living there, with little to no chance for privacy.
Every day at the hut is a fresh start, the same as the previous and yet completely different. Every day you get new challenges, but also new chances to shine.
Working at the hut in 2023 has allowed me to live in the present, finding joy in simple things that yet cannot be given for granted. A clear starry night, a nice conversation with a stranger, the colours of the forest around you changing through the seasons.
Skills
I found that working in a mountain refuge, some soft skills get constantly put to the test and inevitably develop. Here are the ones I identified as the most valuable:
- Versatility has been pivotal. Some member of the team changes every week, meaning that the ability to work with several different people, each with their strengths and weaknesses, is crucial to a smooth management of the hut throughout the Summer. The more versatile some people are, the better it will accommodate for the ones that are less so.
Additionally, because the staff needs to address a diverse range of activities, versatility is also of value when it comes to frequently switching tasks, like cleaning and serving, carrying weights or digging, cooking, and giving the hikers sensible advice about the paths where they might venture. - Subsequently, team coordination skills sharpen. There is virtually no independent or individual work, every achievement is a shared effort. In a group with no particular hierarchy like in the present case, you usually find your place and role spontaneously – the smoother that goes, the easier everything is achieved.
- Quick problem-solving abilities in unprecedented and unexpected situations are a good asset. The mountains remain an environment with objective risks, so, as warden of a shelter you are somewhat on the frontline.
- General endurance, both physical and mental, is also needed. You will have breaks, but not necessarily at your own time or accord, and not necessarily everyday. Work starts when preparing breakfasts for the current guests and ends after having served dinner to the next guests, and weekends are expectedly the busiest days. Individual time off can therefore be scarce.
Links
The hut where I have had the pleasure to work is rifugio Taramelli, located in a side valley to the main Val di Fassa, in Trentino, Italy.
Do you have questions about working in the mountains and/or want to connect? Contact me!