You’ve probably heard of package delivery by moped, robot, or bicycle, but what about a delivery on skis?
Located in Styria, Austria, at an elevation of 1,600 to 2,000 meters (5,200 to 6,500 feet), Tauplitz Mountain Village is a remote, mountainous region surrounded by six pristine natural lakes. The area is the largest lake plateau in Central Europe, and visitors from around the world flock to the region to enjoy the stunning vistas, incredible ski slopes, and local Austrian hospitality.
During the winter and spring months, Tauplitz Mountain Village receives significant snowfall, creating the ideal environment for avid skiers. The consistent snowfall can also mean challenging road conditions for locals to access everyday necessities, whether those be kitchen staples or ski pants, winter gloves or laptop chargers.
Snow or shine, Tauplitz Mountain Village is one of the many unique locations around the globe where Amazon delivers to serve customers with the convenience and speed that they expect. During the months when snow covers the mountain roads, local postal carrier Helmut Edelmaier—known as Heli—has his own unique way of delivering to customers.
Instead of using a traditional delivery van, Edelmaier embarks on his delivery route by skis—and he delivers packages directly to customers’ doorsteps. Edelmaier has been delivering letters, newspapers, and Amazon packages on skis for the past 15 years, from January to April, to the 15 hotels and more than 100 private mountain cabins in the area.
“I love being out in nature. Being able to work up here on the Tauplitz Mountain Village is wonderful,” Edelmaier said.
After he completes his van route through the village so familiar to him, Edelmaier drives to the base of the Tauplitz Mountain Village, parks his delivery vehicle at the gondola station, grabs his skis, and begins his route throughout the mountains.
Visitors, residents, and mountain inn hosts at Tauplitz Mountain Village know Edelmaier well, and they are grateful for his many years of service to deliver their packages.
“The postal carrier comes on skis and brings us the newspaper,” said Oskar Bulant, a customer who regularly stays at one of the local mountain cabins. “And when we really need something, we order it on Amazon, and Heli brings us the packages to our cabin.” His child once forgot to pack skiing gloves, and Bulant ordered a new pair on Amazon—and the gloves arrived the next day. “That really saved the vacation for our child,” Bulant said.
Find out more at https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/transportation/the-skier-delivering-for-amazon-in-a-remote-austrian-village