The winter ski resort of Sölden opens when the mountains around it are still brown. Why this early start?
In mid-November, Sölden wants to offer more kilometres of slopes than any other ski area in the world. The mountain railways are investing millions in the ski area while others have to close due to a lack of snow reliability, how does that work?
A documentary Behind the scenes of Sölden - between snow groomers and après-ski.
Mid-November, autumn in Sölden: Blue sky, bright sunshine, it is 12°C in the valley. 1,000 metres higher up: in the middle of a brown mountain landscape lies a large white area.
Marco Kuprian is responsible for making sure that this works. As deputy operations manager of the slopes on the Giggijoch, he has to make sure that there is enough snow here. And for the opening the next morning.
Natural snow has hardly been left on the ground so far, which is why he has made as much artificial snow as possible in recent weeks. However, it is not yet enough for all slopes. And he can't make any more snow right now, it's too warm for that at the moment.
But at least he wants to open the main slopes on the Giggijoch tomorrow. This is important, because they form the connection between the village of Sölden and the glacier ski area. You can ski on the glacier since the beginning of October, but currently you still have to drive up from the valley by car via the glacier road.
The Sölden am Gletscher ski area has already opened 38 kilometres of slopes. This makes Sölden number one: the most kilometres of open slopes – worldwide. At least in mid-November, because just two weeks later larger ski resorts open and Sölden would no longer be the industry champion. But that is no longer so important, because the whole thing is a marketing trick with which the ski resort wants to attract the first guests of the season. Every day counts in the calculation. The documentary shows Sölden at the early start in autumn. While the slopes are being prepared under high pressure, the new Silberbrünnl AI lift is on strike in the test and the après-ski is already underway in the village.
Ski resorts are racing for guests and against global warming. Sölden has an advantage over other ski resorts: it is very high. At this altitude, the conditions for natural snow or artificial snowmaking are even longer than at lower altitudes.
How long is shown by new exclusive analysis by BR Data. You can find the data for many ski resorts here:
i) Snow making is big business. Without most of Austria (and alps) would currently be screwed.
ii) Solden looks pretty "bling" - 82euros a lift pass apparently most expensive in Austria.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Haggis_Trap, beats the Arlberg by €0.50. The Arlberg gives you more skiing though. Yes snow making keeps the lifts turning but cant say I am enthused by skiing "white stripes on green (or brown) hillsides"!
@Haggis_Trap, beats the Arlberg by €0.50. The Arlberg gives you more skiing though. Yes snow making keeps the lifts turning but cant say I am enthused by skiing "white stripes on green (or brown) hillsides"!
Yup : I have mixed feelings about artificial snow. After it comes out the cannon it has a heavy texture. Then quickly becomes very hard / scrapped / sugary / unpleasant to ski on in high traffic area. Natural snow simply much better. However without cannons there would probably be little skiing below 2000m in the Alps right now. Best scenario is cannons build a base which is buried with real snow.
Our last day in Austria today : great ski safari around Zillertal and Innsbruck. Plus looking out window we (finally) have 5cm of fresh!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I’d take artificial snow over no snow.
Certainly lots of scraped and rock hard pistes this week. But it does seem the quality of the artificial snow is improving with newer machines. The fan ones seem to produce nice stuff, better than the nozzle ones.
Artificial snow does vary. It is generally drier and more aerated in the drier, cooler east and south of the Alps. In the west it tends to get saturated by rain or high humidity air and becomes hard packed and rather unpleasant to ski.
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Poster: A snowHead
