Item: IMPROVING WORKER SAFETY AND ACCESS TIMING WITH AVALANCHE RADAR IN A COMPLEX SKI RESORT: CRANS-MONTANA-AMINONA, SWITZERLAND
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Title: IMPROVING WORKER SAFETY AND ACCESS TIMING WITH AVALANCHE RADAR IN A COMPLEX SKI RESORT: CRANS-MONTANA-AMINONA, SWITZERLAND
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Fabrice Meyer [ Remontées mécaniques de Crans Montana Aminona (CMA) SA, Valais, Switzerland ] [ Commune de Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland ]
- Severin Stähly [ Gravimon AG, Zurich, Switzerland ]
- Susanne Wahlen [ Gravimon AG, Zurich, Switzerland ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: The Crans-Montana-Aminona (CMA) ski resort lies on the southern side of the Alpine main ridge in Valais, Switzerland, on predominantly south-facing terrain strongly influenced by solar radiation, while storms from the west and northwest can rapidly deposit large amounts of snow. The resort's three interconnected sectors are affected by recurring avalanche problems from early winter through spring, managed with hand charges, helicopter-deployed explosives, tramway charge-delivery systems, and fixed remote avalanche control installations (RACS). The eastern sector has no direct lift access from the valley and is reached only via a cat road from the central sector that passes beneath several avalanche-prone slopes; following heavy snowfall, patrollers have had to remain on-site overnight or delay access until control work in the central sector secured the route. To improve worker safety and operational efficiency, the resort deployed a Gravimon Doppler radar system in February 2026 to monitor the start zones above this access corridor. Installed on an existing lift station, the radar covers more than a dozen start zones at distances of 1 to 2.5 km, operates continuously and independent of visibility, and automatically maps detected events to a user interface with synchronized camera imagery for visual verification and post-event review. Deployment occurred just before a two-week storm cycle that brought more than 270 cm of new snow at 2400 m elevation; over the 2025/26 season the system recorded 104 avalanches between February 10 and April 1. 26 of them released naturally and 78 triggered by control work, with event durations ranging from 13 to 166 seconds. Operationally, the radar proved particularly valuable during nighttime tramway and RACS control work, when visibility is often limited: real-time confirmation of slope response gives patrollers greater confidence in determining when the access road can safely be opened, enabling earlier and more informed deployment of teams to the eastern sector. This case demonstrates how targeted radar monitoring can support safer operations and more efficient access management in complex ski resort terrain.
Object ID: ISSW2026_O6.6.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098638
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Susanne Wahlen
Keywords: avalanche radar, Doppler detection, remote avalanche control, worker safety, ski resort access management
Page Number(s): 2433 - 2437
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