Ski resorts use helicopters to bring in snow
Ski resorts that are continuing to suffer from a drought are spending thousands of pounds flying snow by helicopter from the top of their mountains to cover slopes lower down.
Many resorts in the Alps have resorted to manufacturing snow in cannons, which fire it directly onto the slopes, but in some areas the warm weather has meant they haven’t been able to make enough to keep runs open.
Resorts including St Foy, Avoriaz and Les Carroz in France have admitted to using helicopters since the start of the season to transport around the mountains to where it is most needed. St Foy in the French Alps said it had spent €5,000 to €10,000 transporting snow.
This video from SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser in the Brixental Valley in Austria shows how it works in practice, as a skinny ribbon of snow is literally laid out for skiers to make it down an otherwise barren mountain.
Fortunately for many resorts, there have been several heavy dumps of natural snow over the past few days and there is more on the way.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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