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Description :
Artificial snow:
Natural snow is made up of crystals that are transformed into small spherical pellets through the combined effects of wind, cold, the passage of skiers, grooming and the weight of new snow layers. Artificial snow is made from water and air. It is harder to work with than natural snow. However, it becomes packed and changes less rapidly, while providing greater resistance to shearing and thaw. It also melts more slowly.
SMA-STAG equipment:
The high-altitude reservoir in the Arc 2000 valley:among other advantages, this 400,000-square-meter reservoir stores water from melted snow from the previous winter and thus avoids draining potable water reserves or streams and rivers. Its volume is enough to independently feed the entire ski area, providing ease of management, upkeep and surveillance. Start up: autumn 2008
The snow factory: This is a 300-square-meter building that houses eight pumps and four compressors. It is located next to the Arcabulle chair lift at Arc 2000 and furnishes the entire high-pressure snow network with water and air. To produce snow, the SMA-STAG company uses 13 snow guns and 254 pipe towers covering 95.5 ha of the ski area.
Snow guns: powerful, independent and mobile snow producers, snow guns are made up of a frame, an air compressor, an enormous ventilator, a multitude of nozzles, a hydraulic facility and a robot. They use electrical energy and pressurized water. These machines are worth around €40,000.
Pipe towers: They are placed at intervals next to the runs. The visible portion is a large pole with four nozzles for water and two for air. The remaining portion of the structure is underground. A pipe tower costs around €15,000.
Providing snow for one hectare of run, or 10,000 square meters, costs around €150,000.
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