For skiers, a well-groomed slope is synonymous with immediate pleasure: consistent snow, smooth turns, a feeling of control and confidence from the very first descent on compact snow full of ruffles made with a square and set square. However, we are rarely fully aware of everything that happens before the ski lifts start up and the resort awakens.
Behind those perfectly groomed ski slopes at dawn lies a great deal of science, hours of night-time work, technical decisions based on meteorology, snow physics and safety, as well as human and technological teams operating with almost invisible precision. A complex and silent mechanism that turns the mountain into a safe and sustainable place to enjoy oneself, and which explains why the quality of the skiing experience begins long before the first turn.
To understand these processes, the Catalan Association of Ski and Mountain Resorts (ACEM) held a series of highly strategic technical conferences in Baqueira Beret this December, allowing professionals in the sector to discover the inner workings of ski resorts. (ACEM) held a series of technical conferences of high strategic value in Baqueira Beret this December, allowing professionals in the sector to discover the inner workings of ski resorts in Spain, beyond the experience visible to skiers.
During two days of technical exchanges and field visits, four key areas that currently define the sector’s competitiveness were addressed in a cross-cutting manner: snow management, operational sustainability, safety and the application of advanced technologies.
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The meeting brought together managers and technicians from Baqueira Beret, the resorts managed by FGC Turisme –La Molina, Vallter, Vall de Núria, Espot Esquí, Port Ainé and Boí Taüll—as well as Masella, consolidating a shared vision of the future of snow in Catalonia.
Track grooming: engineering applied to skiing
One of the most revealing topics covered during the conference was snow management, an area analysed in various articles on the production of artificial snow, water optimisation and energy efficiency in ski resorts.
Ignacio Sacau, one of the most experienced snow groomers at Baqueira Beret, gave a high-level technical explanation of snow grooming as a key tool for sustainability. Far from being merely an aesthetic issue, grooming extends the useful life of both artificial and natural snow, reducing the need for additional snowmaking by the snow artisans at Baqueira Beret and, therefore, water and energy consumption.
Sacau explained in detail the sintering process, which is fundamental to the final quality of the slope depending on the different types of snow: after the machine has passed,
Snow needs between 4 and 8 hours to settle and reach optimum hardness.
The snow sintering process consists of four well-defined processes. The first is milling, where mechanical breakage of the snow crystal occurs. The second is mixing, where air is injected and homogenisation occurs. The third is resting, as ice bridges form (sintering), and the final process is opening, where the surface is hardened and resistant.
These technical concepts are directly linked to the customer experience and demonstrate how perceived quality begins many hours before the ski lifts open. Snow grooming, he insisted, is physics applied on a large scale: transforming a low-density material into a safe and homogeneous surface. In the case of competition slopes or snowparks, the work becomes even more precise, using snow groomers and specific machinery to mix snow and air and sculpt structures with millimetre precision.
From animal traction to decarbonisation: the evolution of track machines
The technological dimension was reinforced by the participation of Jesús María Fernández, a specialist mechanic from Baqueira, who gave a historical and technical overview of the evolution of snow grooming machines.
From the earliest animal-drawn systems to today’s winch-equipped machines capable of working on very steep slopes, there has been constant progress in terms of power, precision and, above all, operational safety. In practice, a snow groomer equipped with a winch has a long steel cable winch that is anchored to a firm upper point (installed anchors, planned structures or authorised elements on the ground). This allows the machine to work “safely” on slopes of more than 45% where, without assistance, traction and stability would be critical.
From an engineering standpoint, the real qualitative leap forward in snow groomers equipped with winches lies in the advanced assistance with traction and cable tension management, as well as in the overall design of the system. The result is twofold: higher quality finishing on demanding slopes – better profiling, uniformity and efficiency of the snow groomer – and a significant increase in safety and operating comfort for the driver, who can intervene with greater control and consistency, night after night, even in complex conditions.
But the focus was clearly on the future. Fernández highlighted the transition to cleaner models through the use of HVO fuels, capable of reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 90%, an area of work that we have recently addressed when analysing decarbonisation strategies in large European domains.
The next step is already in the development phase: electric snow groomers powered by hydrogen, which open the door to zero local emissions in mountain operations, particularly relevant in resorts located in natural parks or highly environmentally sensitive areas.
Geolocation, data and safety: the mountains enter the smart era
Digitisation was another key theme of the conference. David Campà, head of safety at FGC’s Turisme i Muntanya division, presented solutions such as SNOWsat and CGX Mountain, systems that measure the thickness of snow under the machine in real time with an accuracy of ±3 centimetres.
These tools, based on innovative smart resorts and data-driven management, enable snow production to be optimised by around 15%, avoiding overproduction and improving resource planning.
Furthermore, geolocation provides unquestionable value in terms of occupational safety, especially in foggy conditions or when visibility is reduced, thanks to high-precision digital maps that accurately reproduce the station’s layout.
Artificial Intelligence: from pilot to operational deployment
The conference closed with a strategic reflection on the role of Artificial Intelligence in the future of stations, with presentations by Santiago Lázaro (Casli) and Aureli Bisbe, president of ACEM.
AI is already being applied to predictive analysis of meteorological data, customer flows and energy consumption, as well as to the management of ski lifts to improve safety and operational efficiency. In the area of snow grooming, AI will make it possible to adapt shifts and work strategies in real time to increasingly changeable weather conditions.
A particularly relevant fact from a professional sector perspective: several stations integrated into ACEM already have specific AI managers, responsible not only for deploying tools, but also for training teams, an approach that reinforces the idea that technology is a complement to expert knowledge, not a substitute.
A strategic sector for the region
These technical conferences have confirmed a reality that we have been defending for years in our editorial analyses based on our values: the snow industry is much more than tourism and sport. It is an economic, technological and innovation engine, deeply committed to the territory, environmental sustainability and the safety of workers and customers.
A long-term vision that positions Catalan resorts as laboratories for alpine innovation, capable of anticipating the major challenges facing European mountains in a context of climate change and accelerated digital transformation.
