Season starts early

Joy at the Kitz with a dream start to the winter

Snow enthusiasts are drawn to the Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun a week earlier(Bild: Hölzl Roland)

The Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun started the ski winter a week earlier than planned. The first skiers are already raving about the perfect conditions. There is also plenty of anticipation in the other Salzburg ski resorts.

Perfect pistes, imperial late autumn weather and all this at the beginning of October: winter operations on the Kitzsteinhorn started a week earlier than planned. "The conditions on the Kitz are deep winter. We already have more than a meter of snow on the glacier plateau," says glacier lift director Thomas Maierhofer happily.

September snow as a good basis
The fresh snow in combination with reserves from the snow depots made the early start possible. On Sunday, 2000 snow-hungry skiers made their first turns on the freshly groomed slopes. The first six lifts are currently open. The piste to the Alpincenter will follow next weekend.

Snow cannons are currently being distributed across the area
Pre-winter atmosphere in Obertauern too: "It's even slightly covered in snow in the village," says Head of Tourism Mario Siedler, pleased that the pictures are already whetting the appetite for more. "We've already had our third snowfall this year. That's very early," says Klaus Steinlechner, Managing Director of the Liftgemeinschaft am Tauern. The start of the season is planned for November 22. Preparations are currently underway in the area.

Higher prices for ski passes

The prices for ski passes have risen again. While a day pass costs 76.50 euros in Snow Space Salzburg (or online at flexible rates in advance) and 76 euros at Kitz (no flexi prices), Obertauern is lower at 65 euros (last price was 59 euros).

In Snow Space Salzburg with the three ski resorts of St. Johann, Flachau and Wagrain, the season is expected to start on November 29th. But they are just as happy about the September snow: "It's good for the water balance on the mountain and it's also a gigantic advertising message," says mountain railway boss Wolfgang Hettegger. A thousand snow cannons and lances have to be positioned in the terrain before the start of winter. Late summer operations are still running in parallel.

Magnificent start to the season on the Kitzsteinhorn(Bild: Hölzl Roland)

In the family ski area in Lofer, winter still feels a little further away: "There is still a construction site going on. We are expanding the reservoir and are still hoping for good autumn weather," says Managing Director Willi Leitinger.