Kaprun, Home To The Kitzsteinhorn Glacier
It may not have been a legendary snowfall season in Austria, but the country doers now clearly lead Europe in terms of its Spring skiing opportunities, with eight summer ski glaciers operational either permanently, or some of the time, between May and October. That represents nearly 40% of all the summer ski opportunities in the northern hemisphere with the other 'big three' Alpine nations unable to muster more than three summer ski areas each. France won't have any outdoor skiing from mid-May to late-June. Within Austria itself, most of those glaciers, and a quarter of Europe's 20 remaining summer-ski glacier areas are in the Austrian Tyrol.
It's actually looking reasonably good on the glaciers at the moment too, Sölden, which will stage a big glacier mountain festival this Mayday weekend, has reported 12cm of fresh snowfall for the last seven days and the Stubaier Glacier had 5cm to top up its two metre deep base. Here the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers comprise one of the largest skiing areas with two glaciers connected by a 170m tunnel at a height of 3000m. Tiefenbach is good for gentle cruising and Rettenbach for more challenging skiing. Altogether there's over 37km of pistes and the centres are open until 8th May 2011 and re-open in September 2011.
A second option the Hintertuxer Glacier has a 255cm base at present. It (along with Zermatt) – is one of only two ski areas in the world that tries to open every day of the year fort snowsports. With skiing up to 3250m in the Zillertal Valley there are up to 86km of slopes.
The Stubaier Glacier close to Innsbruck has 200cm snow depth at the mountain. The Stubai is Austria's biggest glacier with 110km of slopes. Free skiing for children under 10 years and open until 22nd May 2011.
The Pitztal glacier is at the end of the highest cable car in Austria, the Pitz-Panoramabahn at 3440m. This highest glacier in Austria offers 48 km of pistes for all abilities as well as a cross country course, and terrain park. It's open one more week until 8th May 2011 it re-opens in September 2011 when along with Tignes in France it is one of the first to open fresh for winter 2011-12.
Kaunertal has 54km of downhill skiing, 50km of cross country tracks and a huge snowpark making up this glacier. Children under 10 ski free and it's a great point to go ski touring from. It's open right through until 12 June 2011 and reopens September 2011.
A lift pass called the 'White 5' ski pass enables skiers to ski at all five Tyrol glaciers on one lift pass card is available until 15 May 2011.
Other Austrian glaciers currently looking good include the Dachstein, the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun, and the Mölltal which has a 300cm base.
Temperatures in Austria are reported to be going down in the next days and the snowline will be at 1700m