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.”

 
 
A new study by the University of California Davis has determined that creating a ski run by clearing trees and foliage manually but leaving the underlying eco-system otherwise intact is better than using heavy machinery to re-grade the slope.   The study was compiled by UC Davis ecologist Jennifer Burt and professor of plant sciences Kevin Rice who added “Ski slope grading by heavy machinery is worse for plant abundance and diversity, reduces soil depth and fertility, and promotes erosion”.      

The findings are not just on environmental grounds, but also found that operating cost of machine-cut slopes were higher than those of slopes which had been left in a more natural state. The report authors believe that this makes the slopes more expensive to maintain to, offsetting any extra income that may be made by being able to open a machine cur slope a week or so earlier in the season as machine-cleared slopes require 20% less snow cover to be able to open.

The report supports all the information and evidence on www.ResponsibleSkiing.com.    Veronica Tonge says that the removal of trees should be kept to an absolute minimum but acknowledges that sometimes it is necessary.    Where trees are cleared completely with machinery – there are nearly always issues with run-off and erosion and difficulties re-seeding and there are countless examples of this.  Whilst more snow is required to cover slopes where more of the undergrowth has been left – the costs of stabilizing the slope are vastly reduced and, importantly, the ecosystem is maintained.    There are resorts such as Banff and Kicking Horse in Canada that have followed this approach and the ecosystem on the pistes and under the lifts, where large trees have been removed but the bushes left, has actually left a habitat that is really beneficial to the local bear population.