Serra da Estrela, Portugal

Segismundo from AFGHANISTAN writes:

It is always sad to verify that Portugal maintains the provincialism singularities of an undeveloped country: everywhere else, when it snows, the ski resort stations open; in Portugal, when it snows, the only ski resort station we have, closes, because the roads that access it are not cleared of the snow and those in charge of them, instead of continuously working on the snow removal and salt spreading - as it happens everywhere else - simply shut the traffic on said roads, prohibiting the access to the station.

And they do it with a particular - so typically Portuguese – satisfaction, the use of the little power they have to condition the others lives (they even give interviews boasting their sense of responsibility, the road accidents and consequent injuries they manage to avoid). They blame our snow of being very heavy, that the roads that access the ski station are dangerous, that the altitude is too high, that Portuguese drivers are not used to drive in the snow... Well, in Spain, France, Italy, Swiss, Austria, etc., with much higher altitudes, with much more abundant snow falls, the truth is that the roads that access the ski stations are rarely closed, because they are continuously cleared, 24/24, by the snowplough trucks. And the police effectively controls that only cars with the adequate snow-chains can pass.

But not in Portugal: it snows, the roads are shut, the traffic prohibited and the problem is solved. Then, in the next day or so, usually when the conditions are excellent to ski, no one can use the roads because they are finally being cleared, which, of course, takes much more time and effort because they let the snow accumulate.

At Serra da Estrela, precisely due to its relatively low altitude, lack of snow and the frequent above zero degrees conditions, with frequent heavy rain that damages the snow, it is very important to have the roads always cleared to allow the skiers to immediately enjoy the snow, until it lasts (usually one or two days after an important snowfall).

Well, it is the country that we have. Mediocre and backward.

If the government agency in charge of the roads that access the ski station cannot assure their clearance, for whatever reason (lack of personnel, lack of trucks, etc.), it should transfer said responsibility to the concessionaire of the station, demanding its achievement under the penalty of termination of the concession contract. Obviously, as the concessionaire is the first to be interested in keeping the station opened, you would see that the roads would always be cleared, clean and opened and the ski station ready to work after a big snowfall.

2010-02-01