Remember that 60% of the Vars ski area can be covered with artificial snow. The resort has 3 hillside reservoirs with a total volume of 225,000 m3 : Chabrières, Peyrol and Peynier, which also serve as reserves in case of drought or fire. The water for these reserves comes mainly from the Chagne torrent and the Vallon des Prises. When the snow melts, it nourishes the soil and returns mainly to the torrent. Last winter, 600,000 m3 of artificial snow was produced for 295,000 m3 of water used (1m3 of water used for 2m3 of snow produced).
Cultured snow
Sustainable productionAs the main raw material for the resort’s winter operations, the production of artificial snow requires the expertise of our teams. Take a look behind the scenes!
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Working with natural snow!
Anticipatory measures taken by our teams optimize the lifespan of natural snow, thereby reducing the need for artificial snow production. A robot, used as a snow blower in winter and a plant shredder in summer, improves the snow’s grip on the ground.
And when Vars takes action…
> 1 snow network grid withpressure balancing to optimize production according to water availability in each of the hill reserves.
> Modernization of snow guns to reduce air, water and electricity consumption for the same volume of snow produced.
> Modernization of snowmaking supervision software to reduce communication times between the machine room and the snow guns, thus improving performance and optimizing snowmaking.
> Installation of snow barriers on windy areas (top of Vars Speed Master chairlift, Col de Crévoux, Crêtes de
Patégous). They store natural snow transported by the wind, thus limiting the production of artificial snow and, by extension, saving water and electricity. These “snow traps” are natural, economical and efficient, and their wooden construction blends in with the environment.
> Development of ski slopes in summer to reduce the need for artificial snow and hence its production.