Conservational Snow Management

To produce a maximum amount of snow in as short a time as possible will not be enough in the future. It’s important to produce snow efficiently, inexpensively and eco-friendly. Firing away with all the snow cannons available simply won’t do.

Resource-efficient snow management includes the following important features:
• Design of piste(s)
• Construction of piste(s)
• Greenery / summer cultivation
• Technical equipment of snow machine (hybrid systems: Lance-type/fan guns)
• More efficient use of snow systems, snow guns etc. (depending on various external conditions)
• Ponds for snow-making, closed circular pipelines
• Field trials in cooperation with scientists and universities, etc.
• Multiple use of meadows / pasture land (forest paths are skiing trails; ponds will serve for making snow and fire protection, etc.)
• Automatic snow depth measuring with piste vehicle

The goal is to produce an even and compact snow layer on the pistes, so that exactly the right amount of snow will be where it’s needed most. Hence resource-efficient snow management entails not only saving money in the economic sense of the word, i.e. short-term benefits, but, above all, also long-term benefits for the environment.
This project includes an electronic snow depth gauge installed directly on the piste vehicle. This completely new and unique device is a GPS system, which has been jointly developed by the companies PowerGIS from Salzburg and Kässbohrer for the Planai.
Drill and yardstick are gadgets of the past – GPS-measuring via the piste vehicle is the order of the day. Planai-Hochwurzen-Bahnen is the first company worldwide that has been using the GPS snow depth gauge integrated in the piste vehicle on a large scale, they contributed substantially to its development together with the Salzburg company PowerGIS and the company Kässbohrer.

How does this worldwide unique system work?
The GPS system is integrated in the piste vehicle. This system can measure the original area and depth of the snow layer (only minimal deviations from approx. 3-5 cm.). It’s based on an exact picture of the original terrain taken in summer; the device can establish the depth of snow by measuring the distance to the surface. The driver reads the depth of snow under his wheels by glancing at the display. The measured data can also be displayed graphically and printed as a map with the various snow depths, thus immediately revealing snow depots and weak snow layers.
The idea on which the system is based is simple: The snow produced will be more efficiently distributed by the piste vehicles if the driver knows exactly how deep the snow layer is. He can then choose to shift the snow instead of producing more snow and thus save energy, water and time.

Display of snow layer depth in the piste vehicle:

What is the automatic snow level gauge good for?

• It helps the driver of the piste vehicle to distribute the snow evenly.
• The overview oft he snow distribution on a map enables the company to produce specific quantities of snow and to find snow depots.
• The snow level gauge thus reduces the costs of snow production and for preparing the pistes.
Another advantage is that the performance and efficiency of the snow system can be documented and used for developing a fitting snow strategy. Thus, over time, more and more empirical values can be established that will help perfect snow management with the best approach for each individual mountain.