and then the next year might be more variable. it s notjust about how much snow falls, but do you sometimes see too much snow falling in quite a short space of time? it s about capturing that snow and using it through snow farming and capturing it in the fences, so we do a lot of work on pushing it out and trying to maximise how we use the snow, creating that base layer that sets you up for a good season. you ve had to make quite a lot of adaptions since you ve been working here. what are some of the major changes you have made? i think technology is really having a positive effect. snowmaking is becoming a bigger part of it. we can make snow through our fan guns in 2 temperatures so that guarantees local ski schools and that business, it s a busy time coming up. then combined with natural snow and temperatures we can get snow guns going and we can snow farm and start building a base and really the base is key to trying to maintain the snow throughout the season.
that s right. phenomenal amounts at this level and what was different about last year, it was really stable. we had cool weather patterns with long periods with no wind at all, which is ideal conditions for skiing. every year is different but it just shows that any year you can get a standout season and then, the next year might be more variable. so it s notjust about how much snow falls, but do you sometimes see too much snow falling in quite a short space of time? it s about capturing that snow and using it through snow farming and capturing it in the fences, so we do a lot of work of pushing it out and trying to maximise how we use the snow, creating that base layer that sets you up for a good season. so you ve had to make quite a lot of adaptions since you ve been working here, so what are some of the major changes you have made? i think technology is really having a positive effect. snowmaking is becoming a bigger part of it. we can make snow through our fan guns in 2 temperature
on it, it s been mixed with other man made snow from snow guns and hopefully some natural stuff, which makes it bind and makes a good skiable surface. and so, what do you hope about the future proofing of the industry, where you are able to make snow at higher temperatures like this? snowmaking is key to the future of snow sports here in scotland. with a variable climate on some of the lower slopes where we operate, it provides a good run down to the base station. thank you so much, mikey, for showing us your operations here. now, have you ever wondered how easy it is to measure the depth of snow? it s not quite as simple as you might think. i ll take a look at that later in the programme. now to the part of the world where weather extremes reached a new level in 2021 british columbia in western canada. in november, record rain as an atmospheric river of moisture from the pacific brought flash flooding to the same areas that only a few months earlier were in the grip of an historic h
we can get snow guns going and we can snow farm and start building a base and really, the base is key to try to maintain the snow throughout the season. thank you so much, jim, for explaining how snow production and all your adaptations are so vital to the industry here. so, i m going to head now and find out a little bit more aboutjust how you make snow at the top of a mountain. so, i m here at the snow factory now, where the man made snow is produced. and, mikey, you re head of engineering here at cairngorm mountain, so you re very much in charge of running this machine and producing the snow. so, talk me through how does it work? it s an ammonia plant, pretty similar to some fridges and freezers. this cools an ice maker. the ice maker has water sprayed in a thin layer on the inside, which is then peeled off with a reamer and then falls to a lower part, where it s blown out through the pipe onto the slope. so, that s how it all works. shall we take a look at what it s like on the s
they ve been going about a month or so. the factory produces four tonnes an hour, so injust under a month, that s about 3,000 tonnes. once they are in these big piles here, what do you do with it? it s a big mountain to cover. very much so. we spread it out using specialised piste machines, which push the snow around. when it gets mixed up, it s a lot easier to push. so, are you predicting you ll be making snow throughout the season, or are you hopeful you might be able to turn it off at some point? we make snow up until our opening day. from then on, we proceed tilljanuary, and then on the scotch climate. and when you feel some of this snow, if we pick it up here, it looks exactly like natural snow. how does it feel to ski on? when it comes out of the snow factory, it s essentially an ice flake, which doesn t have a lot of cohesion. but by the time you get to ski on it, it s been mixed with other man made snow from snow guns and hopefully some natural stuff, which makes it bind and ma