After years of hardship, glaciers are back on the right track, and emerging from the shadows along with them is an endangered sport: summer skiing. While die-hard skiers already have their minds set on December snow, several months still remain before valley lifts can reopen, making the only viable option ahead of autumn to strap on skis above 3,000 meters of altitude.
Last year’s favorable winter breathed new life into glaciers across the Alps: from France to Austria, abundant snow returned, averting—or at worst slowing—their retreat. As a result, ski areas such as Les 2 Alpes, Tignes, Cervinia, Saas-Fee, Stelvio, and Hintertux welcomed large numbers of skiers again during summer 2013, especially in the first half of the season.
Despite good snow conditions, many of these summer ski destinations will close or have already closed their doors, ruling out continued summer skiing in September.
Among them are Tignes, which closed its slopes on August 4, and Les 2 Alpes, which is preparing to wrap up its 2013 summer ski season on this last weekend of August.
Closing is near—though not immediate—for Cervinia and its Plateau Rosà Glacier, which will keep its lifts open until Sunday, September 8.
With the permanent and complete end of summer skiing on the Val Senales Glacier, only three glaciers remain open in September: Passo Stelvio, Austria’s Hintertux, and Switzerland’s Saas-Fee.
Passo Stelvio, lifts open in September
For Passo Stelvio this has been a splendid summer, and although after August 10 the glacier began showing the first warning signs, the snowfall of recent days restored conditions to normal with a dusting of fresh snow that even reached the Pass at 2,700 m.
At the Stelvio, skiing will continue smoothly throughout September, and the lifts will not close before October.
Hintertux, lifts open year-round
Hintertux remains the only glacier in Europe open 365 days a year without a single day off. Conditions are good here too, and there will be no autumn breaks or temporary closures to stop the most demanding skiers.
Saas-Fee, summer skiing until November 1
The Saas-Fee glacier (Switzerland) is also continuing its summer ski season with 9 surface lifts open and 20 km of available slopes. Snow cover is guaranteed by the 3,500 m altitude, where 92 cm of packed snow is measured.
Snowboarders and skiers can have fun in the only snowpark open in September, featuring a Funpark, Halfpipe, and boardercross course.
The summer ski lifts will remain open until November 1, 2013.
Thanks to these three major ski resorts, skiers from across Europe will be able to ski without limits until the end of September, hoping that winter arrives as soon as possible to allow the first winter openings on the glaciers of Sölden (Austria) and Diavolezza (Switzerland).
No comments yet