The largest restaurants in a ski area are usually located near to the key ski stations, but often the most famous huts that score most highly on Tripadvisor and resort reviews are in remote spots away from the crowds and often set off the main ski slopes.

These will usually have a little access and exit slope of their own, often created at the start of the season, but with more unpredictable and generally warming temperatures, these snolw connections have become more problematic. Now slope surface manufacturer Skitrax believes they have a solution with their Slopetrax material which can be used with or without snow cover.

“As winters get warmer, early season piste preparation to huts is unfortunately melting away faster and faster, so that there is often no snow piste to the hut by mid-season, sometimes even by Christmas. This is bad news for the ski hut, as skiers can no longer ski to the hut and instead may choose a rest stop that they can reach on skis. A major loss of revenue is inevitable!” a Skitrax spokesperson warned.

The company recommend pre-season installation of the Slopetrax sliding mats from the ski piste to the ski hut and back to the ski piste as a guarantee against a winter with little or no snow.

“If the snow melts away, skiers can continue to ski to their favourite ski hut and return to the piste without any problems,” the Skitrax spokesperson confirmed.