Ski Areas Vying To Offer Most Early-Season Terrain

Ski areas in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland are competing to see which can offer the most terrain to early season skiers.

The precise amount open varies by the day but currently four areas have had up to 160km (100 miles) of slopes open in November. They include the cross-border Italian – Swiss Matterhorn Glacier Paradise area of Cervinia-Zermatt; the cross-border Austria – Swiss Silvretta Arena area of Ischgl – Samnaun as well as Sölden in Austria, which has had the most terrain open for much of November up to now and Tignes- Val d'Isère, after the latter opened for its season on Saturday.

These four areas, bolstered by heavy snowfall last week, are well ahead of fifth-placed area, Austria’s Skiwelt, which has just over 80km (50 miles) of runs open so far.

So far giant ski areas like the 3 Valleys, 4 Valleys, Arlberg and the Italian-French Via Lattea (Milky Way) have not really entered the fray. The Arlberg region is due to start opening from Wednesday and the 3 Valleys say their connections between valleys will open next weekend.  

Colorado’s Wolf Creek is though to have the most terrain open in the US so far with about 80% of its slopes open. Former early-season World Cup Alpine Ski speed racing hosts Canada’s Lake Louise is running second in North America, with almost half of their runs open now.