Perfect slopes

"For perfect slopes, you need a feel for the snow and a good eye for the piste!" explains Josef Kletzenbauer, Managing Director of the Teichalm lifts. His employees spend at least four hours a day preparing the slopes. The pistes are groomed daily in the evening, and only after a night-time snowfall or heavy drifts do the Pistenbully drivers have to return to the mountain in the morning. The Teichalm lifts have two snow groomers at their disposal, which are carefully maintained; a new 500 HP snow groomer costs around € 500,000.00!

However, preparations for the ski season already begin in November. Maintenance work is due, the snow cannons need to be serviced and set up and the wiring and pumps for the water supply are checked. Once everything is in order, all that is needed is the right temperature for snow production to begin. "An air temperature of minus 8 to 12° C is ideal, but the lower the humidity, the higher the temperatures can be." Kletzenbauer is aware of the special requirements for air and water: "Water crystallizes better at low humidity, which results in more beautiful snow. For water, 0.5 °C would be ideal, but this temperature is only achieved when cooling towers are used". If these values deviate too far, the costs for snowmaking increase rapidly.

As soon as the air temperatures are right, the slopes are covered with snow day and night. A total of 16 snow cannons and - for safety reasons - at least two employees are then "on duty". It takes at least a week until there is enough snow on the slopes of the Teichalm lifts to start operations. If the weather is suitable, depot snow is made immediately afterwards, i.e. a "snow store" is created, which is mainly needed for preparing the cross-country ski trails. Snow is also made when there is natural snow: "Natural snow is simply not compact enough for the surface, without snowmaking we would not be able to achieve the quality of the slopes that our guests expect," explains the managing director.

This year, however, work on the Teichalm lifts already began in October. A third "Wonder Carpet" was purchased and had to be installed. The 120-metre-long ascent aid is 75 cm wide and can transport 1,000 guests up the mountain per hour. "With this additional Wonder Carpet, we have a perfect offer for tobogganists and sliders this year," says Josef Kletzenbauer, looking forward to the start of the 2021/22 winter season!