Where to Ski And Snowboard - Glaciers open for skiing in the Tirol

Glaciers open for skiing in the Tirol

23rd September 2013, by Abi Butcher

A skier surveys the glacier in Hintertux, Austria, yesterday

Over the past two weeks we’ve had reports of snow falling in the Alps — and last weekend the Stubai Glacier and Rettenbach Glacier (Sölden) opened in the Tirol, Austria, meaning that all five of the glacier ski resorts in the area were open for skiing and snowboarding.

The Austrian Tirol region is home to five glacier ski areas, including Hintertux in the Zillertal, which is open 365 days a year. Skiing and snowboarding is already open on the Pitztal and last weekend (20 September), the lifts opened on the Stubai Glacier and on the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden. On Kaunertal the lifts opened yesterday — Sunday, 21 September. There are events planned on each glacier during the whole of October to get skiers and boarders revved up for the winter season, including free ski testing and live concerts on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glacier over the 12 and 13 October. The first FIS Ski World Cup race of the winter takes place 26-27 October in Sölden, on the Rettenbach Glacier.

Over in France, the glacier in Les 2 Alpes closed at the end of August, but will reopen from 26 October to 3 November between 3,600m and 3,200m. Over the opening weekend, 26 and 27 October, Les 2 Alpes is hosting an event called “Enjoy the Glacier and Ski” with music and ski testing along with skiing and snowboarding.

In Switzerland, skiing continues on the glacier in Zermatt, where a special ski test event takes place over the weekend of 5 and 6 October and then again on 1 November.