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For many people in Vorarlberg, skiing is part of the Christmas holidays. But especially in small ski areas, the lack of snow is once again this year's big challenge.
03/01/2024 19/24
Online since yesterday, 7:24 pm
Ski courses take place in high season during the Christmas holidays. For several years now, it has become increasingly difficult for small ski areas to offer a full range of slopes and routes at this time of year. “I dare say now that you can definitely hope that there will be no snow at Christmas. This has been the case nine times in the last ten winters,” says Hannes Waldner, managing director of Egger Liftgesellschaft.
Statistics also show that the duration of snow cover has drastically decreased over the last 40 years, especially in low-lying ski areas. Below 1,000 meters above sea level it decreased by almost 40 percent, below 500 meters by almost 60 percent.
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ORF ski area Vorarlberg Schetteregg
ORF ski area Vorarlberg Schetteregg
ORF ski area Vorarlberg Schetteregg
This is not easy for small ski areas. «The effort is now enormous, also with regard to restoration. We have to plan for a full season, but we only have half the guests at the ski area. Ultimately, this also affects the numbers. For us it's just a matter of looking for opportunities to survive. “It won’t work just skiing anymore,” says Waldner.
Lack of snow is a challenge for small ski areas
Ski schools adapt their offers
Although the ski lifts in the Schetteregg ski area are only open on a limited basis, ski courses can still be offered at this time. Things are different at Bödele in Dornbirn. “Some ski lifts are working, ski courses have been canceled because there is simply not enough snow,” explains Gerald Grabherr, operations manager for the Dornbirn ski lifts.
At ski schools you make the best of the situation. “We are trying to maintain the few ski areas with joint forces,” says Josef Berchtold, director of the Bödele ski school. Course offerings are increasingly adapted to snow. “We had a lot of group course offerings, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. We need more flexible and individual products that are easier to reprogram,” says Berchtold. Despite the lack of snow, people are in good spirits in Bödele.