The Nessy system (snow rope), developed and patented in Switzerland, can be used to produce snow without electricity. The system uses natural gravity: if there is a difference in height of at least 200 meters between the water source and the snow rope, enough pressure (20 bar) is automatically generated to produce snow—without the need for pumps or electricity.

A single NESSy ZeroE (which stands for New Energy Efficient Snow System)can cover an area of 200 to 400 square meters with snow in summer. The water for this can come, for example, from a meltwater lake that forms above the area to be covered with snow.

In February 2021, the first snow rope was installed at Diavolezza – an important step in the MortAlive project.  Since then, the technology has been continuously tested and further developed to optimize its performance and efficiency. 

The aim is to install these snow ropes in ski resorts and countries that are heavily dependent on glacier water in the future – in order to protect water reserves there in the long term.