 Poster: A snowHead
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It's that time of year again, and as usual Saalbach is trying to spice up the area by moving pistes around, laying down new routes, and getting everything set out before the snow arrives.
It's incredible that they're allowed to drop 1.1 million litres of white emulsion from helicopters to mark out the new runs, but that's the quickest and easiest way to get the job done, and since 2004 they've been using an environmentally-friendly paint derived from casein (protein from all of the leftover milk) mixed with the local water which biodegrades within a few weeks when the snows melt and light gets at it, and provides an excellent fertiliser for the spring pastures. The coverage can be a bit sporadic, especially when the helicopter speeds up or the paint is running low, as in the bottom left and mid-right of this picture where the lines becomes dotted - although I suspect this was intentional, and shows where they are planning new unpisted ski routes right into the heart of the villages.
The next week or so will see the piste markers being put in, and then all we need is mother nature to come and dump a smooth covering over it all and we can get skiing!
For those wondering, the paint also reflects the sun, keeping the ground cooler underneath it so that any fresh snow is not melted by the residual heat in the soil, and giving the piste a couple of days head start.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I imagine they would use Gloss -- the shinier surface would aid the sliding of skis (or perhaps EggShell...?)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@ousekjarr, nice post! Really interesting - I had no idea they did this in Saalbach.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I am both amazed and appalled... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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At this time of year, it is easy to get hooked on watching the webcams as the weather starts to bite, and the lines become wider
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Fascinating. Almost... unbelievably so 
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@albob, do they do a similar technique to mark the runs?
Fascinating stuff
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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In Selva, they cut down the trees where they want the pistes to be, and then smooth out the soil and plant a hardy species of low-friction grass. When temperatures get low enough, the friction co-efficient drops to the point where snow and ice from above will flow down the mountain side in a sort of slow-motion avalanche and fill in the pistes. As it gets lower, the rising temperatures limit how far it can get.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
@albob, do they do a similar technique to mark the runs?
Fascinating stuff |
Maybe..... I shall ask when I am there in January.. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
| In Selva, they cut down the trees where they want the pistes to be, and then smooth out the soil and plant a hardy species of low-friction grass. When temperatures get low enough, the friction co-efficient drops to the point where snow and ice from above will flow down the mountain side in a sort of slow-motion avalanche and fill in the pistes. As it gets lower, the rising temperatures limit how far it can get. |
Wow! This thread just gets better and better!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
| In Selva, they cut down the trees where they want the pistes to be, and then smooth out the soil and plant a hardy species of low-friction grass. When temperatures get low enough, the friction co-efficient drops to the point where snow and ice from above will flow down the mountain side in a sort of slow-motion avalanche and fill in the pistes. As it gets lower, the rising temperatures limit how far it can get. |
There is obviously a lot more that goes into the setting up of runs that I realised. Thanks.
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Snigger... 
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You know it makes sense.
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Just wait until you see where the "water" for all the snowmaking comes from. They obviously take all the cattle into barns for winter but have drainage from large wee wee troughs in the floor set up to be pumped directly into the cannon network. Mixed 5.67:1 with air the urea smell is eliminated and a small amount of the cassein protein eliminates the yellow colour. I believe they are patenting it as "Envirosnow".
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
| In Selva, they cut down the trees where they want the pistes to be, and then smooth out the soil and plant a hardy species of low-friction grass. When temperatures get low enough, the friction co-efficient drops to the point where snow and ice from above will flow down the mountain side in a sort of slow-motion avalanche and fill in the pistes. As it gets lower, the rising temperatures limit how far it can get. |
You forgot to mention that they also 'mow' the grass to improve the friction co-efficient. The image below clearly shows the 'mown' piste in Arabba…..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@albob, why don't they just do what Kitzbuhel does and pack away the snow at the end of the winter then roll it out again in late November? They do seem a little short of the white stuff at the moment.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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They did think about that, but, with so many villages involved in the Sella Ronda, they couldn't agree about where to store it !!
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FAQ
