Summer skiing area
A summer ski area (alternative spelling: -schi-) is a part of a normal ski area where skiing can also be done in the summer months, especially also in the months of June, July and August. Such ski areas are usually located in the high mountains, i.e. above about 2500 m, and on glaciers. They generally have only a few lifts, but are the heart of the whole ski area. Since the 1990s, glaciers in the Alps have been in sharp decline. As a result, some summer ski resorts have had to cease operations.
In winter, the highest lifts are not always in operation. With clouds and blowing snow in the lower area, the highest slopes can be in the sunshine.
Technical and environmental issues
Since most summer ski resorts are located on glaciers, and those are constantly moving, you will mostly find conventional ski lifts and not chairlifts in summer ski resorts. This makes it easier to move the poles back to their original position if they have been displaced by glacier movement.
List of summer ski resorts
The information on lifts and kilometres of pistes refers to summer skiing.
| Name | Glacier | Valley Villages | Country | Sea level in m |
Lifts/ Facilities1 |
Slopes in km |
Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hintertux Glacier[1] | Frozen Wall-Kees (Tuxer Ferner), Riepenkees | Hintertux | Austria Tir. | 2660–3250 | <10 | <20 | all year round; the longest run is 2 km long and ends directly in front of the Tuxer Fernerhaus at 2,660 m. |
| Matterhorn glacier paradise | Theodul glacier | Zermatt | Switzerland VS | 2900–3899 | 21 | highest skiing area in the Alps, continuous operation, expansion planned | |
| Mountain railways Saas Fee-Mittelallalin[2] | Feegletscher | Saas-Fee | Switzerland VS | 3162–3573 | 010 | continuous operation from the end of July, extension planned to 3850 m; Egginerjoch/Stollenlift 1984, Triftgletscher (Saas-Grund) closed in the 1990s | |
| Crans-Montana | Plaine Morte | Sierre | Switzerland VS | 2778–2883 | 1 | 3 | only in some years, then until June, expansion planned |
| Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn (glacier lift) | Maurerkees, Schmiedingerkees | Kaprun | Austria Sbg. | 2440–3029 | 4/4/10 | 15 | Summer season supported with snowmaking (end of season July)[3]; highest cable car support in the world until 2016 (now third highest) |
| Mölltal Glacier | Wurtenkees | Flattach | Austria Ktn. | 2700–3122 | 2/4/3 | 10 | continuous ski operation, break mid-May to mid-June; in summer up to 3 pistes open[4]; continuous operation rare (since 1998); Mölltal Glacier Road |
| Stelvio | Ebenferner | Trafoi and Bormio | Italy, Lombardy and South Tyrol | 2783–3450 | 2/0/4 | 30 | summer operation only, from the beginning of June to the beginning of November |
| Monte Moro | Macugnaga | Italy, Piedmont | 2800–2880 | 1 | 3 | June, July | |
| Rifugio 3A Val Formazza | Siedel Glacier | Formazza | Italy, Piedmont | 2670–3060 | 1 | 5 | only summer operation, only accessible on foot |
| Val-d’Isère | Glacier du Pissailas | Val-d’Isère | France, Savoy | 2661–3257 | 6 | 7 | Beginning of June until middle of July |
| Tignes | Glacier de la Grande Motte | Tignes | France, Savoy | 2726–3471 | 11 | 20 | End of June until beginning of August |
| Alpe d’Huez | Glacier de Sarenne | Bourg-d’Oisans | France, Isère | 2735–3323 | 8 | 10 | |
| Les Deux Alpes | Glacier de Mont-de-Lans and Glacier de la Girose | Mont-de-Lans and Vénosc | France, Isère | 2813–3523 | 17 | 26 | End of June until end of August |
| La Grave | Glacier de la Girose | La Grave | France, Hautes-Alpes | 3200–3540 | 1 | 3 | |
| Fonna Glacier Resort | Folgefonna | Jondal | Norway, Vestland | 1190–1460 | 1 | 9 | Mid-April-End of July |
| Stryn Summer Ski | Jostedalsbreen | Stryn | Norway, Vestland | 1060–1570 | 2 | 10 | Mid May-Mid October |
| Galdhøpiggen Sommerskisenter | Styggebreen | Bøverdalen | Norway, Innlandet | 1840–2190 | 1 | 5 | Mid May – End September |
-
1 Gondolas/chairlifts/tow lifts; if only one number is given: total
-
2 here partly only maximum altitude indicated, valley runs and mountain area open depending on snow conditions (column sorted by mountain altitude)
Source [5]
List of former summer ski resorts in the Alps
- LAAX, discontinued 1992
- Titlis mountain railway, discontinued 2006
- St. Moritz/Corvatsch, set 1993
- St. Moritz/Diavolezza, set 1998
- 4 Vallées-Mont Fort, discontinued in 1999, again in 2013
- Glacier 3000 between Gstaad and Les Diablerets, discontinued 2004
- Marmolata glacier, adjusted 2007[6]
- Cortina d’Ampezzo/Tofana, only 2013
- Cortina d’Ampezzo/Monte Cristallo, discontinued in the 80s (?)
- Presena Glacier Tonal Pass, discontinued 2008[6]
- Pitztal Glacier, discontinued 1993
- Kaunertal Glacier (Kaunertaler Gletscherbahn), discontinued ?
- Skiing area Sölden/Ötztal, discontinued 2006
- The Dachstein (Dachstein Glacier), set ?
- Hochjochferner (Schnals Valley ski area), discontinued 2012
- Stubai Glacier, summer operation discontinued ?[7]
Individual references
- ↑ Summer skiing – Hintertux glacier.Retrieved 19 December 2017 (German).
- ↑ Summer Ski & Snowboard.Retrieved 19 December 2017 (Swiss High German).
- ↑ Kitzsteinhorn – Ski resort in Austria.Retrieved 19 December 2017 (English).
- ↑ Summer | Ski Resort Mölltaler Gletscher.Retrieved 19 December 2017 (German).
- ↑ Open ski resorts for skiing in summer.Retrieved 25 February 2017 (English).
- ↑ a b Il caldo scioglie i ghiacciai italiani: cause e conseguenze. Diremo addio allo sci d’estate?In: nonsprecare.it. 25 September 2017, retrieved 20 July 2018 (Italian).
- ↑ Ski Madness in August. In https://www.merkur.de. 31.August 2017 (merkur.de [accessed 19 December 2017]).
Category
- Winter sports area