Kitzbuhel will complete its record-breaking ski season today Tuesday, May 1st, after six and a half months of operations – the longest season of a non-glacier ski resort in the Alps.
Currently the A1 Hahnenkamm lift along with the A3, A6 and A7 lifts serve the remaining terrain, with snow cover of around 50cm. Temperatures are hitting 20C+ by the afternoon and it’s a fast thaw now so the best skiing is in the morning with the lifts running from 8am.
The famous Austrian resort, which about 10 years ago was highlighted by media as a likely early victim of climate change after a UN report said lower lying ski areas in the Alps were at the greatest risk as the 21st century progresses, has been pushing back the boundaries of its ski season in recent years.
Frühlingsskilauf am Hahnenkamm
Abkühlung gefällig? 🙂 Unser Schneeteppich bietet hierzu beste Bedingungen. TIPP: Hahnenkamm-Special bis 1. Mai. https://www.kitzski.at/de/tickets-gutscheine/winter-tarife/skiangebote-kitzbuehel-kirchberg-kitzski-specials-walde-special.html
Posted by KitzSki on Wednesday, 18 April 2018
It uses snow saved from the previous season in order to open some of its highest altitude slopes in October, with the 2017 opening being its earliest ever. The lift company creates a 2km run using the stored snow and this attracts thousands of skiers for the opening weekend.
Excluding glacier resorts the longest ski seasons in the world are typically reported by Scandinavian resorts (Ruka in Lapland from October to May); high altitude resorts in Colorado (Arapahoe Basin from October to June or July) and resorts with a big snow record like Mammoth in California (November to June, or last year August).
Kitzbuhel has already announced its 2018-19 season will start on Saturday, 13th October in five and a half months’ time at their Resterkogel / Pass Thurn area.
