The Google “Street View” programme has hit the ski slopes!

It is currently filming in Zermatt– the first phase of a plan to film the pistes of all major European ski resorts.

However, this is not the first time the internet search giant has ventured onto the snow.  In 2010, in conjunction with the Winter Olympics, Google produced its first Street View winter resort pictures in the Canadian resort of Whistler Mountain.  It used a snowmobile with a special camera to take photos of pistes.

Zermatt was chosen as the first resort in Europe, following a competition launched by Google Switzerland jointly with Switzerland Tourism in February to select which Swiss resort should be featured, out of a choice of thirty.  Over 30,000 winter sports fans took part and the iconic resort of Zermatt came top with 2,800 votes.

Matthias Meyer, spokesman for Google Switzerland commented: “Zermatt has a fantastic piste panorama, and is eminently suitable for the first use of the Street View snowmobile in Switzerland.”

Filming began in mid-June, using the special camera-mounted skidoo.  The camera been fitted with a 360 degree camera and GPS equipment to capture every angle of the pistes.

It’s not yet certain when the images will be online, although hopefully it will be available in time for the start of next ski season.

Here at FamilySkiNews.com, we think this sounds an excellent idea as it will provide a useful add-on to the existing webcams in resorts.  As more resorts are added elsewhere in Europe, visitors will be able to make a more informed choice before booking their family ski holiday.

What’s more, arm-chair skiers and snowboarders will simply be able to sit back, explore the world’s top resorts and admire the stunning high-alpine landscapes… all at the click of a mouse!