PG: Stephan, you've been with the SLF for over 20 years now. Tell us, what connects you to Davos?
S: Above all the job (laughs). For me, Davos is prime avalanche terrain. Everything fits together: the terrain and the climate are ideal for it. The environment is also ideal for my work as a mountain guide.
PG: How did you come to the SLF and what does your work consist of?
S: I started with the avalanche warning service, writing avalanche bulletins. At the same time, prevention was always an issue, as was dealing with avalanche accidents, writing accident reports and evaluating them. The more I got involved with avalanches, the more I wanted to understand how they work. Today, I am mainly involved in implementation projects and products. I also trained as a mountain guide and still give training and advanced training courses, mainly in ski touring. I also work for the next generation of youth and sport, J&S, as well as in hiking guide training.
PG: And today - after all these years of experience in the snow - can you explain how they work?
S: Snow remains a very complex subject. Today, I'm lucky enough to work at the interface between practice and research. Here I have the opportunity to put findings from research directly into practice, to a large extent with my own projects for users. Some examples that are currently very popular with users are the "White Risk" portal, the book "Lawinenkunde" and the leaflet "Achtung Lawine". But it is also important to receive feedback and questions from the field, so that we can approach implementation projects in a user-oriented way. Networking with various associations within and outside Switzerland is also important.