I was up at Mt Olympus on Saturday & Sunday 30/01 - 01/02/2009. The conditions were perfect on Sunday and the snow was very good. It was amazing skiing around the pine trees and have a perfect view of the see at Limmasol and Morfou at the same time. The Ski pass at Mt Olympus was a bit expensive though.
Some people complain about the conditions in Troodos Ski center. For me, however, it is a miracle to have a ski center on the island especially after this global warming situation that forced even Alpine centers to close. So stop complaining and enjoy the snow in Cyprus while we still have it.
Johnny
I was up in Troodos on the 2nd January 2009; the snow was good but a few rocks appeared as the day went on. Queuing for the lifts is a nightmare as the people over here don't understand the concept of queuing and they need telling all the time. The main lift, Zeus, is still shut. They have had all year to put the new lift in and get it working but in true Cypriot fashion it's still not working and there are no signs of it bursting into life in the near future. It is expensive up there for burger and chips and a drink; expect to pay around 10 euro.
Good news for 2009. Lots of snow at Mt Olympus after 5 years and new facilities at last. We have a new chairlift now. Unfortunately for me I can't enjoy them. Is much easier for me to go to the Alps from where I live. But I'm really happy for the new facts in our little mountain (Mt Olympus) even if I can't enjoy them.
I was in Troodos yesterday for the whole day. It was the perfect day as we had blue skies and the temperature was -2 degrees. The pistes where in good condition and no rocks to contend with. It was also really quiet so it was an absolute pleasure. Not quite as good as Val D'Isere but it's certainly better than nothing. The north face slopes are pretty good as they are much longer and challenging.
I was also up there on Sunday. The conditions where terrible as we had a combination of strong winds, sleet, rain, snow and very bad visibility. They only opened Sun Valley so I spent the day on Sun valley 1. Sun Valley 2 was near impossible. The snow was really bad(Crud).
Any snow yet on Mt Olympus? I´ve visited Cyprus and Troodos many years ago in the summer and saw the pistes and ever since then I have a dream that some day I will ski in Cyprus.
The skiing in Cyprus is good, the lift pass is quite expensive though. There is enough choice of runs to keep you busy for a couple of days. The scenery is stunning and the queues for the lifts are relatively short. You are better of going during the week. Make sure you get a snow report before you go because the pistes are often shut.
Skiing on Troodos is FUN. The runs are short but challenging. If you have skied the North Face and the Jubilee run you can ski anywhere. If you can ski during weekdays you may be virtually alone, the weekends get very crowded. The season is short, but you get all snow conditions imaginable, from powder snow light and fluffy, to ice and then sludge.
If you live on the island or just visiting over the season, try it. Sunglasses and suntan lotion a must.
I've been skiing in Troodos mountains since i was a kid. I keep going there because there is no other place for skiing in Cyprus. Im happy because at least we have a small ski resort in my Country. Anyway the ski center is in very bad contition. Ski lifts are very old and a ski lift pass is very expensive for what the ski resort ofers. In Cyprus we don't have much snow but making artificial snow may be a solution. Snow canons are there just for decoration. The ski center has two chalets: Sunvaley and Dias. Dias is a modern chalet with restaurant and you can access the ski slope from there. At sun valey you can rent skis but the chalet is in very bad contition. They say now for 11 years that they going to built a new one. I hope that soon things will change in Troodos since is the only place to ski in Cyprus