Engelberg Magazin Nr. 25

Im Sommer bewirtschaftet Sepp Waser zusammen mit seiner Frau die Alp Oberfeld. Sie liegt direkt am Walenpfad zwischen Bannalp und Brunni. Weitere Infos zur Alp an der wunderschö- nen Wanderroute sind hier zu finden: www.waser-bergwelt.ch In the summertime Sepp and his wife Rita run the Alp Oberfeld Al- pine farm by the Walenpfad hik- ing trail from Bannalp to Brunni. For more information about this beautifully situated farm, visit www.waser-bergwelt.ch.

Für jeden Tag definiert Sepp Waser ein Ziel, welches er zusammen mit seinem Gast erreichen möchte.

Each day, Sepp and his stu- dents set a goal that they aim to achieve that day.

(Photo: Engelberg-Titlis)

To read a blog about the pros and cons of life as a ski instructor, visit www.engelberg.ch/blog

When a mother comes up to him, smiling with gratitude because her child has made good progress with their skiing, that’s the best reward for Sepp Waser. As a ski instructor, he has realised his own childhood dream. The song “Gigi vo Arosa” about a wom- anising ski instruc tor who loves to par ty is a Swiss pop classic. But Sepp Waser assures us that the ski instruc tor cliché is hopelessly out- dated: “Learners want to make good progress, and they expec t you to get them there. We have to take our work seriously. If you just want to

ski instruc tor bug. In the meantime he has taken courses in ski techniques and teaching approaches to ensure he’s a lways up to speed. Sepp’s business cards read “Ski Instruc- tor and Herdsman” – those are his winter job and his summer job. Each June, he and his wife Rita take their anima ls up to the moun- tain pasture of A lp Ober feld, which is by the Wa lenpfad hiking trail f rom Banna lp to Brun- ni. The couple make cheese f rom cow’s and goat ’s milk and welcome hikers to their rustic mountain restaurant. Sepp is a lso employed by

par ty, then you’re def initely in the wrong job. You can’ t simply head of f to happy hour af ter work ever y day.” Sepp is a responsible married man with two grown-up sons, and his empathetic manner is

the loca l authority to main- tain hiking trails. In the sum- mer he takes wa lkers on guid- ed goat treks. He lives at the Unter Ifängi proper ty above Grafenor t, where he used to run his own farm. When

In summer an Alpine farmer, in winter a ski instructor: Sepp Waser spends all year working out of doors in beautiful natural scenery.

a big hit with his students, be they children or adu lts, beginners or more advanced learn- ers. He knows that they want well-prepared lessons, patience and suppor t. In recent years, he says, guests have become more demand- ing. They expec t more of their instruc tors, and of the natura l conditions, too: “Sometimes a parent will cancel at shor t notice because they don’ t want their child skiing in the rain.” Sepp’s favourite thing about his job is get ting to spend lots of time outdoors. He and his seven siblings used ski to school during the winter time, and becoming a ski instruc tor was his childhood dream. And yet Sepp rea l- ised his dream relatively late in life. Around ten years ago, af ter embarking on his career as an A lpine farmer and herdsman, Sepp an- swered a job ad f rom Swiss Ski and Snowboard School Engelberg Titlis, which was looking for ski instruc tors. “At f irst I thought I had no chance as I had no specif ic training.” But the school gave him a chance, and he caught the

that became too much for him a longside his A lpine farm, he passed on management of the lower farm to Thomas Käslin. Thomas will be familiar to many of Sepp’s guests as he works at the K lostermat te ski lif t during the winter. With a ll his dif ferent occupations, Sepp is a busy man year round and has no reason to fear for his livelihood. Over the past few years he has added another string to his bow by lead- ing snowshoe tours. Sepp enjoys the variety in his working life, say ing it keeps him f lex ible and up to date. It is ev ident that Sepp is pas- sionate about his job as a ski instruc tor. He is a skilled and patient teacher who knows how to bring out the best in his students: “If you’re tru ly enthusiastic about your job, you will have success with ever y learner,” he smiles.

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