16th July 2010
Valle Nevado, Chile.
www.skiinfo.co.uk reports that it's hot in the Alps and the Dachstein glacier's report of snow conditions as 'wet' is one of the more accurate.
It’s one of the dozen glacier ski areas currently open in the Alps, although most are battling to keep their slopes skiable with the snow cover becoming slushy earlier in the morning than usual because of the heat, it’s important to get out there early.
Austria has the most summer skiing open. Along with the Dachstein that has two slopes and three lifts open and a 90cm (three foot) base, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun, the Tux glacier in the Ziller Valley and the Molltal glacier are all open.
At the Kitzsteinhorn runs are open to open to top station of Gratbahn and snow cover is down to 39cm (13 inches) as glacier temperatures touch double figures. The Mölltaler glaciers reports deeper snow of 1.9m (more than six feet) and 9km of runs open although temperatures are equally high. Tux reports similar snow depths, similar temperatures and 20km of runs open.
In Switzerland the choice is Saas Fee or Zermatt. Saas Fee again reports high temperatures (+7 at 3500m) but has a 2.1m (7 foot) base and is managing to keep its terrain park and half pipe operational. In Zermatt six blue and red runs are being served by five glacier drag lifts, including Europe’s highest reaching 3899m, which are usually only open in the summer, the lift connection to Cervinia is also now open. It’s currently reporting 1.4m (just under five feet) of snow lying on its summer slopes at Plateau Rosa and despite no fresh falls for weeks and temperatures of +8C on the glacier it describes conditions as “powder snow” – surely some technical error on the snow report there?
It’s very hot elsewhere in Italy too. At Val Senales its20C at 2000m and 10C at the top of the glacier at 3200m, but there is still a 2.4m (8 foot) snow base which should survive the current thaw. Passo Stelvio is also still open.
Over in France the choice of glacier ski areas open for summer snow sports remains Les 2 Alpes, Tignes and Val d’Isere.
Across the Atlantic in the US only Timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon remains open as Mammoth Mountain in California finally stopped operating their ski lifts after the Independence Day holiday weekend, ending an opening period in nine consecutive months.
North of the border Whistler's summer skiing and boarding area on the Blackcomb glacier remains open and the resort is also offering summer snowshoeing and tubing.
In the southern hemisphere resorts across Australia have been reporting heavy snowfall over the past few days.
In New South Wales the biggest resort, Perisher, has had more than fourteen inches (35cm) of fresh snow so far, with more falling.
“It's really chucking it down in Perisher right now! We've had 35cm of fresh snowfalls today, with heavy falls this afternoon and it is still coming down!” said a resort spokesperson.
In South America, several resorts in Chile are reporting the deepest snow in the southern hemisphere at the moment with up to 2.7m (nine feet) of snow lying in the Three Valleys area of Valle Nevado and la Parva and further south in Termas de Chillan. Most of this is due to heavy falls earlier this month with have eased now leaving great powder conditions on the slopes. The figures are less impressive further north hoever where Chapa Verde as well as the top resort of Portillo have much less snow than usual – only 30 – 80cm (1-2.6 feet), they’e expecting heavy falls imminently however and temperatures are low – down to -16C! Portillo is limiting ticket sales to hotel guests only at present to minimise use of what snow there is.
www.skiinfo.co.uk
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