Titlis Is Snowfarming – Summer Work For Winter Operations!
The ski lifts on Titlis have been shut down since May 5. Nevertheless, work is underway on the slopes. The glacier is being covered to ensure it survives the warm summer months with as little damage as possible. During this time, the piste and rescue service employees are becoming "snow farmers."
Using snow farming to combat glacier loss
Stefan Hallenbarter can understand the frustration of snow sports fans to some extent. After all, conditions were still perfect at the beginning of May, when the season officially ended on Titlis. But the head of the Piste and Rescue Service (PRD) not only has sympathy for the guests, but also a heart for the glacier. And for the eternal ice at 3,000 meters above sea level, the earlier end of the season is a blessing.
Fleece saves two meters of snow cover
"By the beginning of May 2024, we'll have a snow cover about five meters thick up near the glacier lifts," explains Hallenbarter. "By the end of May, about two meters of it would melt away. The spring weeks make a huge difference." Instead of exposing the snow to the blazing sun, the glacier will be covered with a waterproof and UV-resistant synthetic fleece. "In total, we're covering about 90,000 square meters with fleece," says Hallenbarter. "This will prevent about two meters of snow from melting across this entire area." Covering it with fleece will therefore save about 180,000 cubic meters of snow over the summer. This would fill more than 70 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Ten people are currently engaged in so-called "snow farming" on Titlis. The PRD began creating snow reserves in January. Snow groomers are used to create 1.5-meter-high snow banks, spaced approximately 6 meters apart. The wind carries the snow to the banks, where it remains. This creates natural snow reserves, for example, to operate the Glacier Park with its igloo and slide in the summer.
Snow becomes firn and later ice
But the primary goal of snow farming is to slow glacier retreat and preserve the perpetual ice for as long as possible. "By storing snow and covering it, we're helping nature protect itself from the effects of climate change," says Stefan Hallenbarter. "In certain places, such as the ski slopes at the very top of the summit, we're also deliberately expanding the glacier by spreading and covering it. Over time, the snow turns into firn and, within about three years, back into ice."
The PRD continues to nurture and maintain the snow reserves on the mountain until the end of June, after which it closes for the summer. But preparations for the season opening in October begin at the end of August: the fleece is removed from the glacier, crevasses are sealed, and the summit is prepared for winter.
Then the principle of hope applies. Stefan Hallenbarter and his colleagues hope for cold temperatures and precipitation. For snow. For enough snow to keep the glacier well through the summer months for many years to come.
