Solden ski resort in Austria’s Tirol province has announced it will open for glacier skiing several weeks earlier than it had planned, this Saturday 12th September, after significant snowfall on high slopes in Europe over the past week.
The biggest reported snowfall to day has been a foot (30cm) at Saas Fee in Switzerland, which had re-opened in July for its nine month ski season, meaning skiers could enjoy powder conditions on the first weekend of September there. It was also the last weekend of summer skiing at Cervinia in Italy.
Other open ski areas include the Hintertux and Molltal glaciers in Austria, Passo Stelvio in Italy and Zermatt in Switzerland.
About 10 more glacier areas are scheduled to open over the next month in the Alps for autumn skiing, around half of those in Austria, including the Dachstein (pictured this morning above).
By early October there are normally eight glacier ski areas open in Austria, five of them in Tirol, more than in the rest of the northern hemisphere combined for that time of year. Most offer the chance to attend season opening parties and text our next season’s gear early.
Rather than open early it had been feared some might delay planned openings as the snowpack at many had been severely depleted by high summer temperatures causing significant thawing until the snow arrived.
Solden will be in the spotlight next month again with World Cup ski races and the launch of the new James Bond film Spectre which includes scenes shot there.
