Keep the snow for next year, from Davos to Sochi to Monte Bondone

In Russia, the Organizing Committee of the Sochi 2014 has built an enormous deposit of snow in the ski resort of Rosa Khutor, which will host alpine skiing and snowboarding at the Games next year. The organizers are working to preserve the colossal amount of 450,000 cubic meters of snow before 15 April, when the spring thaw begins. It thus seeks to ensure that the 2014 Winter Olympics everything goes perfectly, even in the event of unfavorable weather conditions in February. The reserves of snow in the coming months will be covered by a layer of 40 cm of sawdust treated specially. To assist the Russian technicians in the operation there is also a Finnish partner of the 2014 Olympics.

These days even the managers of the ski resort Monte Bondone are building a large accumulation of snow in the bottom of the track Lavaman, near the snowpark. The aim is to ensure, whatever the weather conditions, the construction of the snowpark for the upcoming Universiade, which will take place in Trentino next December.

The engineer Fulvio Rigotti, president of Trento Ski lifts, explained to the preparation of the Adige newspaper: "We want to store about 25,000 cubic meters of snow, taking advantage of the abundance current. We expect it to retain nearly 50% for the start of next season, in which, remember, will host the Universiade Snowboard Freestyle and 11 to 21 December. " A period that is objectively 'risk snow "is missing in the case that rain is that temperatures were low enough to produce artificial snow. Rigotti, among other highlights such as the conservation of the snow can be advantageous also from the economic point of view given the high costs of the production of artificial snow. "The cost varies depending on the guns used, but the cost can be estimated at € 3 per cubic meter of snow produced artificially." So to make 12 thousand meters cudi you can spend roughly 36 thousand euro. In the end - "and without considering the fuel economy and the environment, reducing the consumption of electricity," he insists Rigotti - if the forecast risucire to retain 50 per cent would be respected, Trento Cable cars would gain as well. The costs of maintaining the snow are estimated at about 15,000 Euros.

In times of crisis and global warming, put the snow (falling in large quantities in this end of season) in the safe could become a fashion to follow for other Italian ski resorts.