1.5 kilometres...
... or even longer can be the winch cable of a modern snow groomer! Logically, such a long steel cable can get caught on terrain edges and dig deep into the snow. When the direction of pull is changed, the rope can then suddenly whip through the air like a whip. The lateral movements can be up to 100 metres!
Attention before the opening of the ski areas!
The cable car operators have to prepare the pistes already before the expected start of the winter season and impose corresponding closures. Special caution is also required on the other slopes: Until the start of skiing operations, "piste tours" are equivalent to ski tours in open terrain in terms of potential danger. Use the slopes at your own risk, as danger spots are not secured and avalanches can occur as in open terrain.
Invisible danger!
There is no snow groomer to be seen far and wide, as it is digging through the snow two steep slopes below. But the high-tech vehicle is fixed a few hundred metres higher up - by means of a thin steel cable. Thanks to a fully automatic winch carried along, the ski slopes can be prepared in the highest quality even in the steepest passages.
However, this winch rope poses an enormous danger for ski tourers. Due to the length of the rope and the topography of the slope, the inconspicuous rope can either be stretched in the air like a trip wire or lie well hidden in the snow. Both are hardly recognisable for winter sports enthusiasts, especially at night.
If there are sudden changes in the direction of pull, the rope whizzes sideways through the air for up to 100 metres like a whip - absolutely life-threatening for everyone in the barely assessable danger zone!
Evening Ski Slope Tours
Several ski areas offer a special service for piste tourers: On some evenings, the piste preparation starts later in order to enable a safe ascent after the regular piste operation.
An overview of the evening ski tour possibilities is constantly updated by the sports department: Please check this page for more information.
