Snowflakes versus snow cannons

Contrary to expectations, it is a spectacle again. Snowflakes dance through the air like cotton balls and yet are very determined. Just as if an unknown force were pushing her down. To the earth, where they end their short life and melt away when they touch the ground. Still. Later they will vigorously defend themselves against early death and form a thick layer as a white mass. Then it is available again, the basis for fun in the snow. In any form. A trading company in Austria recently had snowshoes on offer. A day after the advertisement was in the mailbox, the shelves were empty. Everywhere. Practically nationwide. It's a good sign. Somehow. Because snow hiking means gentle tourism, which turned out to be a hit during last year's lockdown. Suddenly the slowness of being begins to gain the upper hand over the rapid shooting. The lifts weren't running. Like before, when they didn't even exist. The only alternative was the arduous climb with skins under the surface. Or just the steady trudging in the snow. Not quite as strenuous, but still fulfilling when the steady breathing dictates the rhythm. Yes, it will soon be that time again. The dance of the flakes is the foreplay. Outwit nature Of course, many cannot and do not want to wait. They are magically drawn to where the oft-cited white splendor already covers the landscape as a fluffy carpet. The winter sports elite in particular are happy and happy to finally be able to let their skis glide through the usual track again. Many biathletes (including the Italian team around Dorothea Wierer) have already landed in Sjusjoen, about 20 kilometers from Lillehammer. There is a cross-country ski trail network of no less than 3500 kilometers. Cohesive. Later, when winter has really arrived. The base is still of an artificial nature because Ms. Holle hasn't really put in the effort yet. But that's no longer a problem, as people like to say. Humans want to outwit nature at any cost and are therefore firing on all cylinders. With snow cannons. The discovery came from aviation. There have long been different production methods and the term “artificial snow” is now being replaced by “technical snow”. And the sub-zero temperatures that used to be absolutely necessary are no longer absolutely necessary. The addition of bacterial proteins helps the water drops freeze more quickly. Thanks to these crystallization nuclei, plus degrees are no longer a problem. But water, yes water, is still needed, which is why storage facilities are being created. Resources for fun in the snow. As if you wanted to ask for the last dance. There is a James Bond film (“Quantum of Solace,” 2008) about how water is worth more than all the gold in the world. Bad guys secure water rights and make the valuable commodity scarce. Entire areas of land become deserted. People are dying of thirst. And this isn't a science fiction movie. A slope as a memorial It has long since become the bitter truth. At the moment, important politicians in Glasgow are again talking about the necessary climate change, which probably hardly affects those who are now dealing with it personally, which is why the many empty words are rarely, if ever, followed by the necessary actions. Signs would have to be set, modesty would be required, humility before nature. Skiing is only possible when the snow falls from the sky. Not earlier and if the ski areas are too low and there isn't enough of the necessary base, then that's just the way it is. Of course, lift operators, tourism professionals and hoteliers will never accept something like that. The motto is maximizing profits. More and more. Less and less is possible. Nature defends itself. We still want to continue to outwit them and are sending signals that are fatal. In Austria they rolled out a piste on the Resterhöhe (1864m) near the Thurn Pass in Mittersill. 700m long. At least from old snow from last year. It is a white tongue, a monument to the madness of this time. The Indian national ski team with its Austrian coach Werner Margreiter is using it to prepare for the Winter Olympics in Beijing...

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Snowflakes versus snow cannons

The first snowflakes dance from the sky. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich raves about this and hopes that in the future people will treat nature with more humility and fewer snow cannons.

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