Around 125 Ski Resorts Now Open in Europe
30th November 2022
Last modified on December 9th, 2022
More resorts and ski areas open this weekend. There has been some fresh snow & cold temperatures have allowed the snow cannons to pump out artificial snow as the main season approaches. PlanetSKI was in Schlick 2000 in the Tirol as it opened. UPDATED
Around 125 ski resorts are now offering some skiing in the Alps.
They are not fully open but have opened some slopes at altitude.
Resorts are also opening in the Pyrenees where 16 have some slopes open and in Scandinavia nine have some terrain on offer.
Some of the major ones in France started last the weekend: Avoriaz, Les2Alpes, Val d’Isere and Courchevel.
More open this weekend including Les Menuires in Les3Vallees where snow has been falling once more.
PlanetSKI will be in Les Menuires next weekend.
Les Menuires, France. Image c/o Les Menuires toruist office.
Les Menuires, France. Image c/o Les Menuires toruist office.
Les Menuires, France. Image c/o Les Menuires toruist office.
And elsewhere in Les3Vallees:
Here’s La Plagne.
La Plagne, France. Image c/o Ian Davis
Some of the smaller French ones too like Isola 2000 in the southern Alps and Les Angles in the Pyrenees are already open.
Loving these #PhotosdeFans from this weekend in @courchevel #valthorens #Les3Vallees
📷 @3valleychalets @annanorte @doppioespressso pic.twitter.com/MN0HElN6Jw— Les 3 Vallées (@3Vallees_france) December 5, 2022
Here’s one of our regular readers, Chris Moran, who lives in Les3Vallees.
He was out as Courchevel opened.
PlanetSKI’s editor, James Cove, was in Schlick 2000 near Innsbruck in the Tirol.
He was there for its Opening Day on Sunday and filmed a snow report.
James is based in Innsbruck for a City & Ski break:
There are many other ski resorts opening some slopes.
In Austria Saalbach, the Ski Welt, Lech, Schladming, Flachau and St Anton are also amoung those resorts getting things underway.
Die Ski-Saison 2022/23 startet am, Freitag, 2. Dezember voraussichtlich mit folgenden Bahnen und Liften:
▪️ St. Anton/St. Christoph:
Galzigbahn und St. Christophbahn als Zubringer, Osthangbahn, Tanzbödenbahn;
Aktuelle Informationen: https://t.co/U2qeVrEYrj #stantontonamarlberg pic.twitter.com/TpnUgRuJqO— St. Anton am Arlberg (@StantonReview) November 29, 2022
In Italy more slopes have opened in the Cervinia ski area with Valtournoche opening for business.
There is also Champoluc, Courmayeur and Pila in Italy.
In Germany Zugspitze has also opened.
In Switzerland Laxx and and Crans-Montana are open.
Many other resorts that are already open are firing up more lifts and offering more runs open this weekend.
Conditions are not perfect for the beginning of December, but they are much better than many people thought a couple of weeks ago.
James Cove was in Obergergl in Austria last week.
He reported on conditions there, and across the Alps.
He then moved round to Kuhtai where the weather closed in again, but he was able to make the most of the conditions.
Khutai. Image © PlanetSKI
Khutai. Image © PlanetSKI
Then it was round to Stubai where the wind has picked up, with gusts of up to 90kms per hour at the weekend.
There remains some very decent conditions lower down the resort though runs are not open to the base of the resort.
Snowmaking has been taking place on an industrial scale across the Alps.
At altitude things are now looking quite respectable across many parts of the Alps.
Soelden, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
PlanetSKI has already reported from the Otztal Valley in the Tirol.
Here’s James again – he seems rather pleased to have his skis on again.
If you want to know what’s in the forecast then do check back, or look at our social media channels for the latest updates.
We reported earlier in the week and pronounced the 2022/23 ski season underway.
In the Pyrenees things are getting underway too.
In Spain Formigal is opening, while Baqueira Beret is already open.
While in Andorra the Grand Valira and Val Nord ski areas opened on Friday.
Arcalis opened on Thursday.
“The recent snowfall and drop in temperatures has meant artificial snow could be produced, ensuring the Ordino-Arcalis resort will be ready a day earlier than expected and with good conditions,” said a statement from the ski resort ahead of its opening.
40% of the slopes are open and 25% of the ski lifts working in arcalis.
In the French Pyrnenees Cauterets , Les Angles and Font-Romeu are already up and running.
In Scandinavia more resorts are opening in Norway.
Norfjell has begun its season.
Kvitfjell in Norway has opened more terrain, and Salen in Sweden has fired up some lifts.
And lets not forget North America where the early season conditions are some of the best in recent memory.
Jackson Hole is starting its tram and some other lifts this weekend.
Image c/o Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
“We are elated to open the Aerial Tram and upper mountain on Decembed 3rd. The snowfall we have received thus far this season is providing some of the best early-season conditions we have seen in decades,” stated the resort President, Mary Kate Buckley.
See here for our earlier article about resorts opening and all the snow in North America:
Here at PlanetSKI we will be updating this article so do check back…
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