Adventure sports advance and evolve over time. New disciplines are born that make them even more attractive and accessible to all audiences, and consequently, in snow sports is no less!
There are many snow lovers who when they think about spending a day skiingor practicing snowboard, they would like it to be on virgin snow slopes where you can make perfect turns and refine your technique through fun, but the reality is different. Finding snow slopes on a regular basis is quite complicated, either due to the overcrowding of the ski resorts, or due to the excessive cost of ice to be able to make artificial snow.
A new fashion: the use of snowcats
In recent years, there are some American and European resorts that are implementing the use of snowcats to reach inaccessible areas in order to enjoy completely virgin slopes, but. ..What is a snowcat?
It is nothing more than a tracked vehicle prepared to travel through snowy areas. It is very similar to a paving machine, but without the shovel or the milling machine, on which a cabinet has been mounted to accommodate approximately 10 people .
On a normal day with the help of this lift, you can do between 6 and 12 descents, which will depend on the level of the group and the difference in elevation. When you reach the bottom you usually have to wait a few minutes until the caterpillar returns to start climbing again.
But you must keep something very important in mind... If you have never practiced snowboard before, it is highly recommended that you first take an initiation course, to be able to acquire the necessary technique and Enjoy the different descents along the snowy slopes. In general, the groups will always be divided by level, differentiating the wide areas with little slope in which any riderwith an average level can defend themselves with the descents between trees together or some other obstacle. in between.
Helisnow or snowcats?
There are several differences between both types of lifts:
- Economical: if we choose to choose a helicopter to access the snowy fields, the price of the experience will increase, while if we choose the caterpillar, we can reduce the costs almost by half.
- Depending on the type of terrain: whenever the slopes are quite steep, it will be better to choose to use a helicopter. Furthermore, on this type of tracks you will find a more professional rider profile. On very steep slopes, the snowcats cannot reach directly either.
- Time: caterpillars are much slower than helicopters, but they will also give you much more peace of mind when going up and down. At the end of the day you will be able to snow surf a slope of more than 5,000 meters, a not inconsiderable figure if it is also high-quality virgin snow.
- Meteorology:On stormy days you will appreciate the warmth of the interior of the snowcat, since inclement weather could leave us on the ground with a helicopter, with the case of the caterpillar it would not be a problem.
The travel plan varies from one area to another
Typically in Canada and Alaska, companies that have snowcats are located in relatively wild areas, while in the rest of the States United States and Europe are located in the winter centers and serve as a complement to the ski lifts for a public that wants "something more."
Obviously, not all areas are the same, neither the terrain nor the quality of snow. To distinguish one of them, say that Alaska is the best destination if what we want are strong emotions, while in the rockies it can be the perfect complement on a trip to a specific season. In Canada we will find the companies with the greatest experience in the powder business, so they are usually very well organized, and you can always find small companies in less exploited areas.
In Europe, more and more ski resorts and companies are using this type of lift to enjoy the most virgin snow fields, especially in northern Europe and the Alps. And now that you know in detail the characteristics of this snow vehicle... Would you like to enjoy it in the Spanish resorts?
