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With skiing continuing at a few European ski areas all year round, it is
difficult to know when last winter ends, and this winter begins. But some
glacier resorts that closed in the Spring or Summer re-open in September
and
stay open right through to next Spring 2010, so September seems the best
candidate for the month of the year in which to declare the new ski season
2008-9 officially underway!
Fortunately, mother nature is playing ball too, with snow in the Alps last
weekend. Although it is not yet open, Skiinforeported that Val d'Isere
received 9cm (just under four inches) of fresh snow at the weekend with
more forecast later this week, building up their base ready for the season.
It was a similar story across many other ski areas.
Which ski areas are open, or opening very soon, for the coming winter?
Pitztal was the first ski area to open for the winter last weekend. The ski
area is currently operating three lifts with the Pitz Express and
Panoramabahn lifting Snowsports fans up to Austria's highest skiing at
3440m. The resort's long ski season began on 13th September and will
continue through to the end of May next year.
The Dachstein Glacier re-opens for winter 2008-9 this Saturday, September
20th after a month's closure for annual maintenance. The first ski lift to
open will be the "Austriascharte" serving slopes that are currently
reporting a 50cm (20 inch) snow base with temperatures on the glacier below
zero and thus helping to maintain snow quality.
The Atomic Superpark on the glacier is also due to re-open after its summer
break, during which time the snow used to make the terrain features was
spread over the glacier to help save the natural layer of ice and the
unique
glacier ecosystem through the hottest weeks of the year.
The Molltal glacier is also planning to open on the 20th and the ski area
is reporting a 50cm powder snow depth.
Next up will be the glacier at Tignes, France, which is due to re-open on
Friday, 26th September after a four week closure. Austria's Stubai
glacier will follow with its lifts operational from Saturday, 27th
September. Full day lift tickets for the first three weeks will be 30.70
Euros for adult and 15.30 Euros for children up to age 15, there are also
teen and senior discounts. The ski area will have a new T bar lift
installed when it opens, the Daunscharte T bar, which will be located on
the
glacier itself to offer even more snowsure terrain for skiers including two
new, wide slopes.
The Kaunertal Glacier in Austria also plans to open on the 27th but
currently needs more snow. The area has received 7cm, of fresh snow in the
past week but needs 50cm to open and says it will decide on whether to open
on the 27th or not on Wednesday the 24th.
Elsewhere in the Alps, some ski areas haven't really closed since last
winter, and will stay open through to next winter.
These include the Tux and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers in Austria. Tux is
currently reporting 20cm of fresh snow and a 75cm base, but the
Kitzsteinhorn glacier is not in such good shape and has had to suspend
skiing temporarily whilst awaiting more fresh snow on top of the 4cm
recently received. Also currently operational are Saas Fee and Zermatt's
glacier ski areas in Switzerland and Passo Stelvio and Val Senales in
Italy.
In Norway two glacier ski areas, Folgefonn and Galdhøpiggen, are still open
for summer skiing, although they are scheduled to close later this month,
or
in early October.
October will see more resort openings with Solden in Austria, Glacier 3000
above Les Diablerets in Switzerland and Les 2 Alps in France all planning
gear test season-opening weekends.
To keep up to date with the latest snow reports, open lifts and runs and
snowfall projections, visit
www.skiinfo.com
Patrick Thorne - September 2008
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