Xavier Rodriguez, President of the Jarnias Group,  began his career as a temporary rope access technician, with his first job taking him up the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Through dedication and hands-on experience, he worked his way up through nearly every role within the company before becoming CEO, and later, Chairman of the Group. Under his leadership, the company experienced remarkable growth, expanding from €8 million to €60 million in revenue and increasing its workforce from 80 to 500 employees. Now the 98% owner, he has solidified the company’s position as France’s leading work-at-height specialist and is driven to establish Jarnias as the premier technical leader in Europe.

Erica manages work-at-height operations and technical rescue programs for Vail Resorts and is an aerial evacuation and rope access instructor with Peak Rescue. Her focus is on aerial lift evacuation, rope access and rescue operations for ski patrol, lift maintenance, snowmaking, and building maintenance teams, and teaching rope access courses. Erica has worked in the ski industry for 17 years as a patroller and is a SPRAT Level III, EMT, and Confined Space Rescue Technician.

D’Arcy is a SPRAT/IRATA L3 as well as a SPRAT Evaluator, Rope Access/Rescue Consultant and the Petzl Professional Rep for Western Canada. He formerly managed the Vail Resorts Rope Access, Fall Protection and Rescue Program. He works for Peak Rescue as an aerial evacuation instructor and has helped to set up evacuation systems on aerial tramways around the world. He is a confined space, rope access and rope rescue instructor as well as a short haul instructor and Petzl Lezard instructor. D’Arcy was a ski and bike park patroller at Whistler Blackcomb for 19 years.

Over the last ten years, the ski industry has seen a shift in how ski lifts are evacuated. With the experience of Vail Resorts and other large players in the industry; regulators, standards and best practices have been influenced by rope access techniques and have helped to modernize aerial tramway rescue. Further to that, fall protection techniques used in ski operations have also undergone change. Today, it is a continued wholescale modernization of the industry – even regulators have begun to ask more informed and better questions when looking at these systems and techniques. Industry leaders like Vail Resorts, Peak Rescue and Petzl have helped to set the gold standard for these programs across the industry. This presentation will delve into some history as well as the current state, and some of the unique challenges the industry faces in regards to work at height.

Join Ben and Michel for an in-depth look at Petzl’s exciting 2026 product launches. This session will showcase the redesigned ASAP and ASAP LOCK fall arresters, new ASAP’SORBER shock absorbers, EXPERT carry backpacks and equipment organizers, the innovative RIG Reparable Descender, RESCUE and MINDER pulleys and a new generation of VOLT harnesses. Discover the design and engineering advancements behind each product, and learn how these innovations improve efficiency, practicality, and performance in real-world use.