Snow Canons for the Cross-Country Skiing Trails

Three new snow canons have been in operation since December 2017 and ensure that there is a continuous covering of snow on the Steinbock cross-country skiing trails in Mittelberg.

The Walser cross-country ski team is certainly convinced. Bödmen is one of the best locations in the world for snow making as it is cold and shady. After three difficult winters in terms of snow cover, the ability to make snow along 2.5 kilometres of the Steinbock cross-country skiing trail is certainly ‘a guate Sach’ (a good thing), as the locals would say. However, a great deal of technology is required to achieve this. The team led by Xander and Andi Mathies has been very busy since September.

Laying the new electricity cable in the former streambed of the River Breitach was the first challenge. The stony streambed was not the easiest terrain in which to dig a narrow trench for the cable.

The first flakes of snow fell at the end of October in Kleinwalsertal before the transformer station arrived. At the beginning of November, the station was set up and frozen and the measuring transformer was mounted and installed – this is certainly an impressive amount of technology for a few snow canons.

Three snow canons are then attached to the two lances. From a technical perspective, the new Gaelbe Bola is the iPhone X of snow generators: it is innovative, easy to operate and very efficient.

If the temperatures allow, it is possible in Kleinwalsertal to get onto the cross-country ski trails from the 9th December which is earlier than has been possible for a long time. The cross-country skiing trail report provides information on the latest status. So, grab your skis and get ready to warm up for cross-country skiing!