Beat Truttmann has been delivering post to Stoos for over 15 years. This 53-year-old relies on a special type of vehicle to perform his duties across the mountainous terrain.
There are many reasons for paying a visit to the holiday village of Stoos at 1,305 metres above sea level. Even just the journey via Muotathal valley on the futuristic funicular railway is an experience. Those who prefer it more traditional can take the cable car from Morschach. Once at the top, there is a fantastic panoramic view of the Alpine landscape. One person who can regularly be found up at Stoos is Beat Truttmann. But this 53-year-old doesn’t visit the village for hiking, cycling or general fitness; he is there for professional reasons.
Personal contact is valued
Beat Truttmann takes turns with his colleagues at the Brunnen post office to deliver letters and parcels to Stoos – and he has been doing it for over 15 years. “Whether summer or winter, rain or snow: I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to work”, says Truttmann, who has been working for Swiss Post for his entire professional life. There are various reasons this mail carrier enjoys his rounds at Stoos so much. One of which is of course the wonderful backdrop. The idyllic surroundings seem to have an effect on the rhythm of life of Stoos’ 150 residents. “Up here, life takes a slower pace.” The work is completely different to the valley below, says Truttmann. He frequently still hands over post personally to customers in Stoos. “Even if there’s not much time for lengthy conversations, the people still appreciate the personal contact.”
Delivering post with the cable car
When Beat Truttman is assigned the “Stoos rounds”, his working day starts at 6 a.m. at Brunnen post office. Once he has sorted the mail and loaded it into the van, he heads off from Brunnen to Morschach to deliver to a few addresses. At 8.30 a.m., he takes the mail with him into the cable car. The trip up to Stoos holiday village takes around seven minutes, after which he starts his delivery round. After first serving the hotels and households in the village center, he climbs some steep gravel tracks to a few secluded farms. At around 11 a.m., he heads back down the valley to conclude his day’s work with another delivery round through Morschach.
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Thick tyres for mountainous terrain
It should now be clear that Beat Truttmann and his colleagues couldn’t possibly travel up to Stoos on an electric three-wheeler. “We wouldn’t have a chance up there on one of those”, says Truttmann with a laugh. A specialist four-wheeled vehicle is essential to him and the team for reaching all the households, especially in the colder months. “In winter we depend on the large, thick tyres”, says Truttmann. “Once the snow arrives, we’d be stuck without our quad bike.” And even if it doesn’t seem so at the moment, winter will be here sooner than you think…
