Slope grooming tractor (a.k.a) “piste basher” builder Prinoth is claiming that its ‘Beast’ groomer is not only the world’s biggest, but also one of the greenest.

The logic behind the green claim is firstly that by grooming a bigger area with one tractor, you need fewer tractors, as was discovered at Hochhaderich ski area in Austria which replaced three old groomers with one new Beast groomer.  They found that it, along with an existing winch cat (a special groomer for steeper runs which can be anchored by cable to a fixed point on the slope), was all they needed.  Secondly Prinoth say that by distributing the weight of the machine over a wider surface area it is actually gentler on the terrain below.

Other buyers of the new cutting edge groomer include Vail who were sold on the fact that the bigger, faster and more powerful groomer has a tiller nearly four feet (1.2m) wider than traditional machines.

The Beast can also handle steeper terrain, allowing the drivers to do away with winch operations in some areas. Two of these bigger, better, faster machines have been added to Vail’s snowcat fleet, creating increased operational efficiencies grooming approximately 1,200 acres of top-notch corduroy per day.

Veronica adds “Naturally the fewer piste bashers that are required the better.   For the companies it saves on manpower and costs and for the environment it saves on fuel and oil and pollution.   It’s debateable how much of a difference is achieved by distributing the weight over a wider area – however – what is great is that the manufacturers are thinking about these issues and continuing to innovate.”