DID YOU KNOW, THAT...?

Did you know that there are strict rules governing the making of artificial snow? The most important of these concerns the flow of water in our streams and rivers. Each year at the start of winter, Skiareál Ještěd commences the gradual production of snow on all its slopes. However, this season it was more complicated and slower than normal because of the very dry weather last year. There was very little water and, compared to previous seasons, we could draw only a much smaller amount of water to make snow. We prioritise our slopes according to the demands of our visitors. Most of them ski on the blue and red slopes, so these are those slopes we prepare before, for example, the black slopes, funtracks and other Skiareál facilities.

In order for the slopes to cope with the hundreds of people who ski on them daily, we use snowcats to groom the slopes. Each snowcat weighs more than ten tons and this heavy load compacts the fresh snow. If a snowcat attempted to groom a slope with insufficient snow, it would pull out clay and stones from the subsoil and these so-called "floating stones" would remain in the snow throughout the winter season. As soon as there is sufficient snow on any slope, a snowcat, supported by the latest SNOWsat technology, is dispatched to create a permanent snow base and groom the slope. The slope is then opened for public use.

After this, a lot depends on the frost, which has several hours to work on the surface (the so-called corduroy) created by the snowcat’s finisher. That is why the snowcats are sent out each day once the chairlifts close at 16:30. After grooming has finished, if less than 10 centimetres of snow falls overnight then the snowcats do not go out in the morning because they would disrupt the finished and frozen corduroy, and the slope would quickly be degraded by the skiers using it. However, if more than 10 centimetres of fresh snow falls during the night, the snowcats go out in the morning to "sweep" the fresh layer of snow and smooth it into the integral surface. Skiers find it more comfortable and safer to ski on a smooth surface.

This takes several hours and time must then be granted for the subsequent solidification of the groomed snow surface. Any disruption to the groomed surface during this time greatly negates the work of the snowcats, and the marks created can affect skiers who expect a 100% perfect surface finish the following morning.

Apart from consideration for the early skiers and respect for the work of the snowcats, the most important reason for staying off the slopes out of hours is for your own personal safety. When working on snow-covered slopes, snowcats can use steel cables of up to 1,500 metres in length with a drag up to 18 tons. Such cables enable the snowcats to prepare even the most difficult terrain. The cables are thin and cut into the snow at the edges, and aren’t always to see at first glance. They are a deadly danger to skiers on downhill slopes.

You will enjoy great skiing, moreover, with an admirable spectacle. This phenomenon is caused by temperature inversion, when cold air remains in the lowlands, which keeps a mass of warm air above it.

In winter, significant inversions can be observed from Ještěd. A special phenomenon are the so-called skyscrapers, when clouds spill over the surrounding hills. Don't be put off by the seemingly bad weather and come ski with a breathtaking view!