Industry News
If you’re in Europe and cannot find it in your heart to apply the storage wax and mothball your wintergear, there are several options to keep the season going. Even though it is July, several resorts in the Alps and Scandinavia offer summer skiing and boarding.
There used to be many more ski resorts open for summer skiing in the past, but climate change has meant that several European glaciers have had to seize summer ski operations due to lack of snow.
SnowBrains has assembled a list of the ski resorts and ski areas that are open right now:
FRANCE
Tignes, France
Tignes opened later than planned this year, on June 29, with the funicular not opening until July 3. Initially slated to open June 22, the resort moved its opening by one week due to the floods in the southern Alps in late June. Tignes is planning to offer summer skiing until July 21, depending on conditions.
Val d’Isère, France
Hurry up if you want to get your turns in at Val d’Isere. The French resort is slated to wrap up summer skiing on Sunday, July 7, although with conditions as pictured below, you wonder if the resprt might extend its season.
Les 2 Alpes in France is closing summer skiing today, July 7. This year, the resort did not offer public access but only offered access to the glacier to to clubs and national teams.
ITALY
Passo Stelvio, Italy
Passo Stelvio is the only summer-only ski area in the Alps. The pass road is covered in too much snow during winter and needs to be cleared first to provide access to the ski area. This year Passo Stelvio opened on June 6 and plans to close November 3
Cervinia, Italy
The Theodul Glacier can be reached from Cervinia in just over 30 minutes using the ski lifts and slopes from the Italian side. However, the summer ski area is technically in Swiss territory in this cross-border resort. The Matterhorn Ski Paradise is open 365 days of the year for skiing.
SWITZERLAND
Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Saas-Fee has been open for team training for a while but will open to the public this coming Monday, July 8. Saas Fee offers 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) of groomed runs for summer skiing and boarding and the resort is slated to stay open until October 31. Saas-Fee is home to the highest rotating restaurant in the world at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,483 feet) at the foot of Allalin Peak. Allalin reaches a peak altitude of 4,027 meters (13,212 feet).
Zermatt, Switzerland
Home to the iconic Matterhorn, Zermatt offers year-round skiing on the Theodul Glacier. Skiers can enjoy breathtaking views while gliding down the slopes in the warm summer sun. Zermatt is typically a training base for the world’s elite speed skiers, but this year, the resort decided to only open for youth athletes and clubs and recreational skiing.
- Related: Zermatt, Switzerland, Announces Changes to Summer Operations: No Training for Elite Athletes
AUSTRIA
Hintertux Glacier, Austria
Hintertux offers year-round skiing on the glacier. The U.S. National Moguls Team have spent a couple of weeks at Hintertux which had set up a state-of-the-art moguls course which has been attracting national teams from across the globe for summer training.
Kaprun at the Kitzsteinhorn in Austria used to offer summer skiing but is closed until the fall.
NORWAY
Galdhøpiggen Sommerskisenter, Norway
At 2,469 meters (8,100 feet), the Galdhøpiggen Mountain is the highest mountain in Norway. The highest ski area in Scandinavia has guaranteed summer snow on the Juvbreen Glacier and offers beautiful views of the beautiful, untouched landscape. This year, the summer-only ski resort offers summer skiing and boarding from May 9 to November 5.
Fonna Glacier Ski Resort, Norway
Situated in the beautiful Hardangerfjord region, Fonna offers 5 kilometers (3 miles) of skiing on the Folgefonna Glacier at an elevation of 1,450 meters (4,757 feet). There are four different downhill runs serviced by a single T-bar as well as cross-country trails for classic and skate training. Fonna is open since May 1 and closes late September/early October.
However, Stryn Sommer Ski, which typically offers summer skiing until mid-July, had to end its season early this year, closing lifts on June 16 due to above-average temperatures.
If none of those appeal to you or meet your needs, there are 28 indoor ski centers in Europe where you can perfect your turns at as well.
