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And that there will be seats at especially idyllic viewing points. Or that there will be no piles of waste along the hiking trails – yes, even that, unfortunately. All these are amenities that we actually only notice when they suddenly don’t exist and nobody sees to them. So it is high time that we shone the spotlight and gave a round of applause to all those who, behind the scenes, ensure that a visit to Sexten remains a pleasant, comfortable and safe experience all year round. Not without reason are Mike Stauder and his crew the outdoor specialists of the Sexten Tourist Information Association. Their secret weapon? Pitching in! No matter whether it has just snowed, there is too little snow on the ground for cross-country skiing, or the hiking trails are threatening to ice over in spring – there is always something to do. In winter Mike and his colleagues are faced with many different challenges and the working days are long. Every evening they are hard at work with the grooming machines preparing the total of 60 km of cross-country skiing tracks around Sexten – in the valley and along the alpine pastures. And whether it is snowing or not, there are always a couple more hours of work to add to this – for example if the white blanket of snow fails to materialise for the cross-country snowing trails, then at night time it is home-made and supplied by between 2 and 3 snow cannons. And whenever Mother Nature shakes out her feather beds, in addition to the cross-country tracks, every winter hiking trail too must be made fit for use: with the cross-country skiing track groomer or motorised sleds, sometimes even with snowshoes and the manpower of genuine outdoorsmen. Thank you for your tireless and careful dedication!