We Vorarlbergers are considered rather reserved when it comes to making new friends, BUT we are also very active and passionate in our clubs, voluntary work, and hobbies. The enthusiasm for a cause connects us, SO here are a few suggestions on where you can best get to know us:

Lisa Muster is a member of the Mountain Rescue Partenen (Bergrettung Partenen) and gives us insights into club life:

“Like many Vorarlbergers, our mountain world has accompanied me from a young age. As a child, I spent a lot of time on the ski slopes during the winter months, and in the summer, I enjoyed trips to the climbing garden and various hikes. The older I got, the more sports I took up. Today, I spend a lot of time in the Montafon mountains both professionally and in my free time. No matter the season, there are many sports opportunities and countless new places to discover.”

How did you come to join the mountain rescue?
“I had my first contacts at a young age. My father and his brothers have been involved with the Mountain Rescue Partenen since their youth. In my childhood, I often played the patient during an exercise drill, attended event monitoring, or helped with wood transport to huts. As you can imagine, these were absolute highlights that stay in memory.

Almost five years ago, at the beginning of the winter season, the training leader of the local branch contacted me and asked if I would like to participate in the year-end exercise and get an insight into mountain rescue. During the exercise evening, a small ski tour with a practice scenario (rescuing a fallen person using a team pull) was conducted. After that evening, it was clear to me that I wanted to join the mountain rescue, and I filled out the membership application a few days later.”

What does the mountain rescue do?
“Mountain rescue is not just a voluntary and non-profit rescue organization whose task is to help people in need. The passion for mountain sports and the camaraderie as a community form the fundamental building blocks for this association and have led me to volunteer my free time for this organization.

The areas of operation are very diverse. As mentioned before, the task of mountain rescue is to help people in need, primarily in the mountains. When an emergency call is made from the mountains, we, like other rescue organizations, are alerted to the operations via pager. This can involve search operations, rescues, avalanche missions, or transports. Another major field of work is providing rescue services (slope or toboggan rescue) and supporting events (ski races, mountain runs, bike races, …).”

What is special about it?
“In addition to the operations and work services, the community is often strengthened during a mountain tour. My annual highlight is the midsummer fire. On the longest day of the year, the mountain peaks throughout the valley are illuminated with torches, candles, and fires at sunset. Our local branch usually goes to the Valülla. The special thing is that you have a view of the entire Montafon and numerous other fires from there. The fire is also easily visible from many villages in the valley.”

What should you bring as a mountain rescuer?
“To become a member of the mountain rescue, you should enjoy spending time in the mountains, be enthusiastic about mountain sports, and be willing to help injured or distressed people. To be well-prepared for operations, every new member must attend various courses at the beginning of their membership, where different scenarios and proper handling on snow, ice, rock, and first aid are taught and practiced.

In the local branches, regular so-called home evenings and exercises are held to deepen our knowledge and practice various scenarios so that we are well-prepared for any emergency. In our local branch, we meet 1-2 times a month for such exercises. These can usually be easily arranged professionally as they take place in the evenings or on weekends. Additional course dates depend on the season and the level of training.”

Lisa Muster works as a trainer at the Ski Middle School Schruns, is a physiotherapist, a member of the Mountain Rescue Vorarlberg, a member of the Water Rescue Vorarlberg, and the Ski Club Gaschurn-Partenen.

Would you also like to volunteer with the Mountain Rescue Vorarlberg like Lisa?

More about the association and the various local branches throughout the country at bergrettung-vorarlberg.at

What other ways are there to make your free time meaningful?

You will find more ideas in this blog post.