Following heavy snow, Austria’s Solden announced it has opened its glacier several weeks ahead of schedule on Friday 10th September for the 2010-11 ski season. The resort’s Rettenbach glacier will be served by the “Schwarze Schneidbahn” and “Kaleskogl” lifts.
The rest of Austria presents a mixed picture. The Tux is open, as usual, offering one of the largest ski areas available anywhere at the moment, boasting more than 90cm of snow. Likewise the Moltal glacier is open, with a 1.3m base and 9.5km of runs.
The temperatures are above freezing again on the Kitzsteinhorn above Kapun, with snow depth also up – now at 75cm, more than 60cm/two feet greater than when the slopes were “temporarily closed” due to lack of snow last month. However, they still remain ‘temporarily’ closed, as does the Dachstein glacier which is in a slightly worse state having only 20cm of snow left on the glacier.
Things are looking more positive at yet-to-open Austrian ski areas such as the Stubai, which reports fresh snow. The Pitztal glacier, featuring Austria’s highest slopes, is scheduled to open a week today for their long season, remaining open until May 2011.