Italian firm Neveplast has been awarded the contract for two new ski slopes and four tubing lanes at Hillend. Ground works have already begun and work is due to be completed by the end of August.

Unlike other slope surfaces Neveplast doesn't rely on misting the slope. Which means the material would be more suited to mountain use and doesn't require the substructure required for snowflex use. Daylodge Poma next up?

Looking on their website an ample scattering of their Neveplast NP70 material on uplift tracks would be a good idea.

whats this stuff like to ski on - advatages/dis-advanteges - response on personal experience preffered.

With artifical stuff I have skied dendix. some green carpet stuff set up on moguls and some revolvng ramp coneyor belt machine. Not that I plan to fall but getting too old and heavy for a dunt on dendix

Would need to be a removable fixture on up tracks as without substantial cover a piste basher could do significant damage to the surface. Also it would then need to be removed before substantial build up of snow on top. And laying/removing a whole up track at a days notice is a very tall order especially when staff are normally busy as is. It would be a big hassle basically. Getting rolls of the stuff for temporary patches however is definitely worth considering.

Daveski, according to neveplast not one accident has ever been recorded where injury has been sustained directly as a result of falling on the surface. No chance of a 'hill end thumb' and little chance of carpet burn/damage to clothing through abrasion. Its a very good product.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 23.24hrs Thu 19 Jul 12 by cammyammy.

Neveplast can be laid directly onto vegetated slopes - it doesn't require the fragile underlayers that Snowflex and similar technologies require and the fact it also doesn't require a misting system should also help with a more resilient finished product. Indeed the Neveplast site quotes a figure of just 6inches of snow being groomable over their mats - slightly skeptical of that though.

Could be worth trialling on one of the persistently difficult areas for snow retention - M1 queuing area or the bottom 60m or so of the Cas Gunbarrel.

lay it over some nice thick foam

Possibly, but I have a feeling that your work has shown that at least in this area some snow cannons are the right way forward. I was thinking more of wind scoured areas, and the WWP given a reinstatement of the chair for this season is unlikely.

My personal view is keep the money for Snow Cannons - not against putting Neveplast just prefer snow canons.

Re Neveplast - if there was a simple way to make it readily portabel and re-usable - so it can be moved depending on snow cover - e.g. Ptamigan tow could of done with it at times.

If it is easily portable it will probably blow away...

Thanks for the feedback - if dendix thumb was my only worry, near enough pulled my knee cap off on a dual slalom course at Gloucester a good many years ago - and had a heavy dunt on the one outsid of Dublin earlier in the year. I guess the right approach is to ski within my physical/fitness limits and not try and do what my mind thinks I can still do, but my body certainly cant when I get it wrong.

hee hee - like the humourus way to put your point across