Inside the forest in Sarpsborg, there is a three-kilometre-long illuminated trail which is paved. In summer, it is used for roller skiing training, and in winter, snow is deposited here. But here in Østfold, it is not a given that there will be enough natural snow at all. Therefore, there is investment in snow cannons that can do the job when it gets cold enough. Now it has gotten cold enough in early December to start the two yellow and white snow machines. There has also been a few centimeters of fresh snow, but not enough. Normally, it would have cost Trøsken sports club less than NOK 100,000 in diesel and electricity costs to lay the necessary white cover. – We may have to triple that. We don’t know where this will end up, but it could end up at NOK 300,000, says operations manager for the snow facility Ole Kristian Svartedal. Electricity and diesel They have rented a diesel generator that supplies the snow cannons with electricity. The water pumps are powered by electricity from the mains. Both electricity and diesel are now much more expensive than before. – We use electricity and diesel every day for around NOK 30,000 now, and have to keep it running for ten days. He defends the use of money by saying that they must be able to make an offer to the 400 members and others who can use the facility for free. – If we are to get recruitment for skiing, then we have to have snow up here. It’s that simple, says Svartedal. He and the others who work to run the snow facility also hope that people who use the slopes are willing to contribute a little financially. It is just cold enough for the snow cannon to be started in Trøsken, when the temperature creeps towards minus 3. Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / news More people cutting back on the offer Around the country, the situation is similar for many ski resorts. In the Norwegian Ski Association, construction adviser Marit Gjerland confirms that many are struggling to get the season to start as early as they usually do. – Some facilities do not have the opportunity to open, with the current electricity prices. But most will reduce the supply, by opening parts of the facility. It may be that a slalom center only opens certain slopes, she says. Clubs can also apply for electricity support in the same way as households, but in any case it will cost much more than normal to make the artificial snow. It is right to spend money and energy on producing snow when it does not come naturally enough, says construction adviser Marit Gjerland in the Ski Association. Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / news Gjerland believes it is important that the ski resorts in the lowlands, where there is little natural snow, try to open as normal. This despite the fact that it is both expensive and requires a lot of energy in the form of electricity and diesel to produce the snow. – It is an important offer for most people, and many of the ski centers that are based on artificial snow are also located close to cities. Then the social accounts are positive, says Gjerland. The cold now in December has been welcome anyway. – Last weekend was the grand opening weekend for the alpine resorts, and this is somewhat later than normal. The solid cold spell we’ve had across the country has really been abnormally beneficial, especially with such low temperatures along the coast. The snow lies longer The artificial snow is made by mixing water and air and shooting it out into small particles, which are then converted into snow and descend over waiting ski slopes. When you walk on it, you notice that it is a little more slippery than fresh snow. It also means that it requires a different type of lubrication than natural snow, says Erik Langsæter, who is both speaker and handyman at the ski resort in Trøsken. – It’s really sticky all the time here. But it also means that the snow is more durable than the natural snow. Last year it was in place until March. And that doesn’t mean much in a part of the lowlands that is not normally very white during the winter.
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Artificial snow costs three times as much as before – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
