Job at 2,400 metres: Manuel Ángel Gómez and his Arocs 3345

“I only have to look ahead to enjoy breathtaking views,” says Manuel Ángel, pointing to the mountain range through the large windscreen. Although the roadway of the mountain pass of Envalira is in good condition, he drives in a concentrated and careful manner. He could have avoided the pass road and used the Envalira tunnel – but then he wouldn’t have had the mountain panorama. And with his truck, the pass is no problem. “The Arocs has good traction and we both know the way,” he says with a wink.

In the deepest winter, when access to the mountain pass is restricted, he then opts for the toll tunnel, which, with a length of three kilometres, connects the Andorran towns of Grau Roig and El Pas de la Casa (on the border with France).

Manuel Ángel contributes to the perfect holiday. Together with a colleague, he makes sure that access to the parking spaces next to the slopes is free of snow. Using a wheel loader, his colleague fills the dump truck pulled by the Arocs with snow that is blocking access to the car park.

There is no shortage of work in winter: Andorra has the largest ski area in the Pyrenees – 3,075 hectares of ski area, 284.5 kilometres of slopes, 110 lifts and 1,385 artificial snow cannons. Manuel Ángel has been driving for Grup Heracles for 15 years. What he likes best is that each driver is assigned a truck or rather “a Mercedes‑Benz” he says.

In spring and summer, Manuel Ángel helps with the maintenance of the ski facilities and infrastructure. During these months, the skiers make way for hikers and nature lovers, who, like Manuel Ángel, know: “Andorra is just as beautiful with snow as it is without.”