Whistler has recently made a pretty huge announcement as skiers and snowboarders worldwide are concerned. Whistler Blackcomb is officially piloting a snowmaking project on the Horstman Glacier.
What this means is that Whistler could be the next hot spot for summer skiing and boarding (or should we say COOL spot? )
The project entails the installation of four low-energy snowmaking guns on the Horstman Glacier. These four snowmaking guns will produce enough to snow to allow the ski season to continue into the summer months atop the glacier. These snowmaking guns will mark Whistler Blackcomb’s first snowmaking efforts in the Alpine, above 1900 m.
The snow guns will be installed after summer operations come to a close in July of this year.
Horstman Glacier is undergoing a fast recession of snow and these snowmaking guns are the solution to drastically reduce the scale of recession that the glacier undergoes each summer.
A quote from the CEO of Whistler Blackcomb:
“The goal of this project is to preserve the high quality product we currently offer in both the winter and summer months. A snowmaking system on the Horstman Glacier could assist with preserving our summer glacier experience for guests to enjoy in the future, as well as improve the early season access to glacier skiing and snowboarding during the winter.” -Dave Brownlie
A quote from Mountain Planning and Environmental Resource Manager at Whistler Blackcomb:
“If the pilot project is conclusive, this unique project will become a significant addition to Whistler Blackcomb’s list of adaptations to ensure long term resilience against climate change. We will use the data we obtain from this one-year pilot project to determine if an expanded snowmaking system could assist with preserving the Horstman Glacier.” – Arthur De Jong
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