Industry News
Alterra Mountain Company and Responder Alliance are joining forces to enhance mental well-being and resilience in the ski industry. Alterra’s Ikon Pass gives skiers and riders access to over 60 unique destinations in 11 different countries, over 7,000 trails, and 180,000 skiable acres. Responder Alliance provides training and guidance to manage the risk of burnout and traumatic stress injury in high-risk occupations.
Together, the two are launching a three-year training initiative to provide cutting-edge stress resilience training and incident support tools to Alterra destination patrol teams and heli-ski guides. Training will take place at Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley in California; Stratton Mountain and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia; Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Schweitzer in Idaho; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in British Columbia.
As the mountains’ first responders, ski patrollers and heli-guides routinely face stressful and potentially traumatic situations, scenes, and events. After a successful two-year in-house training initiative, Alterra Mountain Company decided to expand the program and seek out the globally recognized Responder Alliance to bolster patrollers’ and heli-guides’ well-being.
In the business of experience, people make the difference. Alterra strives to provide our teams with the tools, training, and opportunities they need, then trust them to run their businesses, because the best decisions are made as close to their employees and guests as possible, according to Alterra’s website.
“Our world-class ski patrollers and heli-guides are critical to the safety and overall guest experience on our mountains, and we value them immensely,” Jared Smith, CEO, Alterra Mountain Company, said in a press release. “Understanding some of the unique challenges that come with these careers, we are excited to be able to offer them this new level of mental well-being training and support. I can’t think of a better partner to help us extend these benefits to our teammates than the industry’s leaders in this area, Responder Alliance.”
Alterra has already built a Resilience and Mental Well-Being program with various tools and resources on a variety of topics for people working in and/or familiar with the mountain snowsports industry, according to its website. Materials include coping guides and toolkits for individuals and workplace leaders with information on suicide prevention, substance abuse, experienced trauma, grief, sexual consent, homesickness, sudden loss, building a culture of respect, and more.
Over the next three years, Alterra’s ski patrollers and guides will be working with Responder Alliance to train on industry-leading skills for stress mitigation. They will begin training on Psychological First Response for Rescue this fall, then move on to more advanced skills on Stress Injury Awareness and Incident Support over the coming seasons. These skills will ensure Alterra’s teams are among the best equipped in the industry for recognizing and responding to stress on the mountain for themselves, each other, and guests.
Griffin Lawrence, Responder Alliance Director, comments, “It’s inspiring to see Alterra advancing industry standards for company-wide stress injury mitigation. To align with international recommendations, all employers in alpine environments should have a comprehensive risk-management plan, which includes routine training on the hazards of stress exposure. Alterra’s work in the coming years will not only support employee wellness; it will improve guest experiences, reduce unnecessary turnover, and give everyone the confidence of having a science-based plan for managing major incidents. We’re honored and excited to be part of Alterra’s industry-leading program.”
This initiative raises the bar for stress resilience training for ski patrollers and guides across North America and showcases Alterra’s deep commitment to its employees’ mental well-being. The result will be a more resilient workforce prepared to recognize and mitigate stress impacts over the course of their careers.
“Learning about psychological first aid and how to measure our own resilience showed our team how to be more prepared during the difficult times, helped us provide better support for our guests, and gave each participating patroller tools to work towards mental well-being and ultimately personal resilience and patrol success,” Zach Akselrad, Winter Park Ski Patrol Manager, said.
