Who said skiing is over?
Friday May 21, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

And let's not forget Scotland either as Cairngorm is still open at weekends.

A statement on the resort's web site that was posted today, Friday, says work is going on to get some areas ready for the weekend.

"We are currently up top shaping the park, pisting the bowl and hopefully the run to the middle ready for snowsports tomorrow.  We intend to run the Ptarmigan T - Bar and do mid stops on the train.  We will post some pic's up later in the day."

For a 3-day weather forecast for the area see here.

It's the second half of May and there's only a handful of glacier resorts open in The Alps, but the snow there is good and many parts of Alps have had some snowfall as the temperature dropped and the clouds rolled in.

Kaprun

We have no PlanetSKI readers or reporters up on the glaciers in Austria so we'll have to make do with a web camera image to the right to see what it is like.

It's from the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun.

For many though the inclement weather is not very welcome and most people we know out in The Alps just want summer to start.

However for those out on the glaciers or planning a visit soon it is welcome.

Here's the PlanetSKI snow overview with the help from our friends over at skiinfo.com

AUSTRIA: It's cold on Austria's glaciers, four of which are currently open, following the closure of the Molltal glacier ski area for the season last weekend.

Temperatures have been dropping as low as -10c with fresh snow forecast on the Kaunertal glacier. It has a 90cm -140cm base and all lifts and slopes open. 

There are similar conditions on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun where nine lifts are serving the glacier ski slopes and the accumulated base is 1.9m.

Last weekend 15cm of fresh snow fell.

It's -10C for the Stubai glacier near Innsbruck too, which has had 5cm of new snow and still has a 1.8m base. 

Wednesday 19th May on the Stubai glacier

However the Tux glacier probably has the biggest ski area open in the Alps at present with 43.5km of runs, 13 lifts running, a 2.95m base and an 1,150m vertical to ski.

SWITZERLAND: In Switzerland people can choose between Engelberg, St Moritz and Zermatt.

Zermatt continues to operate Europe's highest ski lifts, touching 3,900m and opening up the world's biggest lift-served summer vertical. It has 20cm of fresh snow last weekend.

Not bad for May.

 Engelberg is in its last few weeks of operation for the season but still has its Ice Flyer six-pack chairlift operating on the glacier, though it does not open for snow sports until 11am.

The Diavolezza glacier in the Engadin near St Moritz is still open and reported fresh snow on the mountain last Friday, although the base remains at 50cm and there's nothing left at the bottom of the slopes.

FRANCE: There are no ski areas open in France at present.

Tignes, Val d'Isere and Les 2 Alpes, will re-open in June for summer skiing.

Some people are out ski touring and extreme caution is urged by the authorites.

A slab avalanche of 350m by 100m caught a group of French ski tourers in Vanl Thorens this week. All were rescued in a difficult operation according to local media reports.

"At present over 3000 meters, we are in winter conditions and not that of spring," said Alexis Peltier, of the mountain resuce service.

ITALY: There's only terrain suited to intermediate and advanced skiers in Italy were one resort remains open, Passo Tonale. 

The Presena Glacier is open there with two reds and one black run over on a vertical of nearly 500m between 2600 and 3100m.

The snow remains deep here year round and is still over 4m.

A second glacier ski area, Passo Stelvio, is due to re-open the weekend after next.

NORWAY: In Northern Europe the region's highest ski slopes on Galdhoppigen in Norway (1850m) opened for the season at the weekend, they'll stay open until October. 

They join already open Norwegian ski areas Folgefonn and Stryn putting Norway in third place behind Austria and the US for ski areas currently open.

SWEDEN: Over the border in Sweden Riksgransen is starting it's brief period of offering skiing under the midnight sun.

The ski writer and PlanetsSKI reader, Gabriella Le Breton, is there.

She has just sent us an email of what it is like.

Gabriella in the slightly snowier Alps"Well, I arrived in Riksgransen last night to 20 degree sunshine and flooding... A super warm spell came in a couple of days ago and is melting everything - fast. There was a sign up yesterday, which read simply "The mountain is closed today due to flooding". Certainly not one I've ever seen before!

Andreas Bengtsson, the guide I'm here with, has spent years in this region and has never seen anything like it. He spoke with some local Sami people yesterday, who concur that it's a first for them too.

So... Andreas took his group (of Brits) out ski touring yesterday, with a bbq. Today, they've headed off to Norway in the hope of finding less rain and have been briefed to bring swimming costumes and hiking boots!

The Big Mountain Championships are struggling too. The competitors are currently hiking + being driven up the mountain in the hope of still running the comp.

It's currently overcast, raining a bit up high and 14 degrees in the resort."

Not an ideal sign at a ski resort

Gabriella will be sending some photos and a fuller report later. Let's hope it gets a bit colder for her.

FINLAND: Only Ruka in Finland still has slopes open.

SCOTLAND: There was more fresh snow last weekend, and Cairngorm is continuing to open for weekend snow sports.

The centre is using the Ptarmigan and Ciste tows as well as the funicular railway.

The slopes are open from 10am - 4pm and tickets are available for the whole day or for three hour sessions. 

Cairngorm last weekend c/o Winterhighland"We will continue to offer snowsports at weekends, as long as conditions permit and there is sufficient customer demand. Season passes from this year will be honoured for May skiing and vouchers will also be honoured," says a statement on the resort's web site.

To take a look at what it was like last weekend see this report from the web site Winterhighland.

The web site provides a wealth of information about skiing and snowboarding in Scotland.

USA: There are four areas still open in the US, all on the Western side of the country. 

Mammoth Mountain in California has a 2.3m - 3.6m base and reports yet another fresh dusting of snow in the past few days.

It is will be open until the first week of July.

May in Mammoth

The near-year-round Timberline ski area on Mt Hood in Oregon has a 4.5m base. 

Arapahoe Basin in Colorado is looking good with about half of its lifts and terrain open with a 1.1m base and yet another 7cm of new snow in the past few days. 

Snowbird in Utah is reporting that is has a base of just under 3m. It is currently open at weekends.

CANADA:  Canada the 2009-10 ski season has finally entered its last week at Sunshine Village near Banff in Alberta. 

Bikini babes, 2009It as a bikini ski contest on this weekend as we have reported elsewhere on PlanetSKI.

Currently 9 lifts and 60 runs are operational at sunshine with a 1.35m base.

It will close next Monday, May 24^th leaving only Whistler Blackcomb's glacier skiing remaining open in Canada.

AUSTRALIA: Recent cold temperatures have allowed Perisher ski resort to start up it snow canons.

The country's biggest resort, located in New South Wales, has more than 150 snow guns covering the resort's key runs.

The resort is due to open on June 12th.

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