Snowlands Middle Route

There is a less known but scenic path through the center of Snowlands Subcontinent, Sansara. This route follows roads, paths and sectors of off-road. It is entirely on Protected Land and is suitable for off-road vehicles, motorbikes and horses. Given the nature of the Snowlands, snowmobiles should be the best options for most of the route.

## Structure

The Middle Route runs parallel with both the Amundsen Road (in West) and with the road following the Okemo Nakiska Southern Railway in East. The route reaches the railway in South East and the Amundsen Road in North-West. There are many paths and trails leading towards the roads in East, but none leading to West. It consists of virgin trails, asphalt roads, paved roads and ski runs.

```
Okemo Gorge 0 m
Hiland 479 m
Virrat 693 m
Cloudmont 1427 m
Verbier South 1805 m
South Alpine Biway 1857 m
North Alpine Biway 1961 m
Verbier North 1985 m
Bydalen 2379 m
Kanin 2573 m
Seefeld North 2789 m
Seefeld 3034 m
Durango Bridge 3122 m
Amundsen Road 3258 m

```

## Description

From South to North, these are the roads one would find following this route:

**Okemo Virgin Path.** The route starts in Okemo Gorge, close to the railway, at 78 m high. The SLGI Trains often stop here. The route advances East through what appears a side valley. Soon after, in Salmo, the path reaches the plateau, where it looks like a narrow and wide valley, with elevation of 108 m. Buildings can be seen on left and on right. It is a very quiet place which looks like a rural area during winter.

**Snowlands Lost Road.** Further North, in Hyland, one will find the end of an asphalt road. A bulldozer is stuck in snow in a rezz zone. One can notice that the snow is over 8 m high. It is no surprise the road could not be connected to the railway infrastructure. Altitude is 95 m. The road is a bit narrower then the main roads in the Snowlands. It runs through deep snow in Hyland and most of Virrat sim. In Virrat, a second bulldozer can be found stationed in a big protected parcel. Altitude is again 95 m. Then, at Yawgoo, the road runs in a straight line through another residential area. The landscape slowly changes in Hogadon from a snow-covered plateau to a mountain area. Finally, the road vanishes under deep snow at Cloudmont at 126 m high.

**Mountain South Virgin Path.** The asphalt abruptly vanishes under snow at Cloudmont. If you want to go forward, better have a snowmobile, as the slope greatly increases. Cloudmont is a Protected Land sim, almost entirely covered with forest. The path, cut in the mountain, climbs to 167 m high. One can adventure East through the forest to find the peak, it is not far. The next sim, Svain, is resident-owned and worth a visit.

**Alpine Biway.** The Alpine Biway is a group of two roads that start from East and climb up to Verbier sim. One road detaches from Eagan, close to the Okemo Nakiska Southern Railway Eagan bridge. The other road starts on the West bank of Snowlands River, close to Wengen railway station. Both roads advance West, but without reaching each other. In fact, they reach the Snowlands Middle Route, which in Verbier shares the same name with the Alpine Biway. Both roads cross the mountain ridge just before reaching the Snowlands Middle Route, which is built at an elevation of 173 m and covered with large stones. In this area, snowmobiles might have problems getting through. Tractors should be able to travel without problems. There is a rezz zone at the intersection with the North alpine biway. Not far away, the rock-and-ice covered path ends.

**Mountain North Virgin Path.** As the trail leaves Verbier sim, it is again a less known virgin trail. A warning sign sais: *Roadway ends. Access for aero-capable vehicles only*. Altitude is 173 m. The path is narrow and affected by landslides. Altitude rises to 181 m at the North end of Livigno sim. That is the furthest one can go by tractor. From there, access is possible only for mountain climbers.

**Ski Runs.** The path ends in the North end of Livigno sim. Further North, in Bydalen sim, one will find a ski run. Altitude is 203 m. A branch ski run can be seen going West. This area is the home of some very high mountains, with elevations exceeding 200 and even 300 m. This might not be much for real world, but for Second Life it is very high. Following a difficult terrain, the ski run that stretches forward eventually reaches the end of a ski lift in Kanin. Elevation is 262 m. The Kanin peaks are nearby, easy to reach. A narrow path continues North and ends not far. Altitude is 263 m. From here, the way forward is down. Better have good skiing equipment! After falling down to 174 m, one would reach the ski runs belonging to the Alpine Trail.

**Alpine Trail Ski Run.** The slope decreases significantly in Seefeld sim. There, two ski runs split, one forward and one slightly to East. Both end-up in the Alpine Trail and both are named so. The one heading North has a less slope and is accessible for snowmobiles too, reaching the Alpine Trail at an elevation of 94 m.

**Alpine Trail.** This is a paved narrow road, suitable for small vehicles, that ends in East close to Zermatt lake. The Snowlands Middle Route follows it to West, advancing to Amundsen Road. The Alpine Trail ends at Snowlands River, where it crosses through a bridge made of light, which can be activated on demand. The Alpine Trail ends in Durango at an elevation of 117 m. Lowest point, crossing over the bridge, is at 87 m high.

## Importance

This scenic route goes through many friendly and unknown places, which are worth a visit, offer breathtaking landscapes and highly interesting. It provides access to many forest areas and less explored mountains. The entire route can be visited by walking.

## Se Also

* List Of Roads
* Second Life Geography
* Snowlands Subcontinent
* Snowlands River
* Mountains Of Sansara
* Sansara