Austria's Best Snow Cat Operators at Work

The Kitzbüheler Alpen are the ideal setting for achieving perfect snow conditions. The clouds in the westerly wind zone bring in a reliable and high quantity of natural snow along the main Alpine ridge.

2.5 m of snow fall in the valley on average each year and 20 centimetres are required for a compact piste in the meadows of the Kitzbüheler Alpen. It is all thanks to the 4,183 snow guns and the fantastic preparation of the pistes that some 1,087 km of pistes are suitable for skiing. Austria’s top 3 snow cat operators work for Kitzbühel mountain railways. In April of next year, the trio will be demonstrating their skill at the European Championships for snow cat drivers. Since last Winter, snow depth measurements have been tested using GPS in snow cats in Fieberbrunn and Kitzbühel. The system shows the snow depth of each piste metre to an accuracy of 5 cm.

This enables the snow cats to distribute the snow more evenly and prevent mounds developing in the terrain. The pistes can also be prepared across a broader area and remain well-maintained throughout. The piste check can be carried out across 494 pistes of all colour ratings in the Kitzbüheler Alpen: on the black pistes such as the World Championships trail on the Zwölferkogel in Hinterglemm, the ‘Direttissima’ from the Choralm in Westendorf and the Trasse on the Schmitten in Zell am See. It also includes the blue-red descents such as the family Streif in Kitzbühel, the family descents in Inneralpbachtal and the Harschbichl in St. Johann and the sunny slopes of ‘Reckmoos South’ in Fieberbrunn.