In many ski resorts, the ski season ends at the end of April. But that doesn’t mean that true piste fans can’t ski or board at all. For all those who don’t want to hang up their boards over the summer months, SnowTrex has compiled a list of ski resorts worldwide that don’t shut down their lifts at all or only for a short time. Skiing in summer is also possible here!
Summer ski resorts at a glance
| Ski area | Country | Maximum altitude metres |
|---|---|---|
| Hintertux Glacier | Austria | 3,250 m |
| Kitzsteinhorn | Austria | 3,029 m |
| DachsteinGlacier | Austria | 2,700 m |
| Kaunertal Glacier | Austria | 3,113 m |
| Mölltal Glacier | Austria | 3,122 m |
| Stubai Glacier | Austria | 3,212 m |
| Les 2 Alpes | France | 3,523 m |
| Tignes | France | 3,456 m |
| Zermatt | Switzerland | 3,899 m |
| Saas-Fee | Switzerland | 3,573 m |
| Stilfser Joch | Italy | 3,450 m |
| Mammoth Mountain | USA | 3,369 m |
| Timberline | USA | 2,603 m |
| Whistler | Canada | 2,284 m |
Hintertux Glacier/Austria
The Hintertux Glacier is the only ski area in Austria that is accessible for skiing 365 days a year. When the weather is ideal, up to 22 kilometres of pistes up to an altitude of 3,250 m can be skied over the summer, served by nine lifts. Freestyle lovers will also get their money’s worth in the Betterpark, where the motto in the halfpipe, numerous boxes, table tops and rails is: higher, faster, further.
Let the boards run on the slopes? In summer, with the right snow conditions, this is no problem on the Hintertux glacier:
![[4K] Skiing Hintertux Glacier, Hitting the Glacier First Time, What's it Like? Austria, GoPro HERO11](https://www.snowtrex.co.uk/magazine/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FaiDVwGOPDGA%2F0.jpg)
Kitzsteinhorn/Austria
On the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun in the beautiful province of Salzburg, nothing stands in the way of fun on the slopes even in summer – with a little interruption. The resort became known as Austria’s first glacier skiing area and is especially popular with pleasure skiers. The snow park is not open all the time either, but is shaped daily until the end of May and from October.
Dachstein Glacier/Austria
18 kilometres of groomed slopes and the Horsefeather Superpark invite you to have fun in the snow in summer on the Dachstein Glacier. The training centre for biathlon and cross-country skiing is very popular with many international athletes. Therefore, winter sports enthusiasts should always keep their eyes open to see if they don’t run into one or two professionals. An alternative to skiing is also the Dachstein Skywalk, the Dachstein Ice Palace and the Glacier Restaurant. They should be on your to-do list in any case.
Kaunertal Glacier/Austria
Tyrol’s youngest glacier also has a small but excellent summer ski area. Here the low season usually lasts at least until mid-May. A very practical feature is the road that visitors can take up to the glacier restaurant at 2,750 metres. In front of the panorama of the Weißseespitze (3,535 m), around 21 km of pistes of mainly easy level wind down from the Karlesspitze and Falgingjoch. With a snow park and a spacious training area, the glacier area is also well equipped in terms of fun factor.
Mölltal Glacier/Austria
The motto at “Mölli” is: from lake to snow. Here, piste fans can ski on the same day at the top of the glacier and later hike along the beautiful mountain lakes. Basically, there are nine downhill runs with a total length of around 17 km, including a boardercross course and a 7 km FIS race course. Apart from a short break in May, Carinthia’s only glacier ski area is open all year round. The currently open pistes are announced via its own website.
Stubai Glacier/Austria
The largest glacier ski area with 43 kilometres of pistes is the Stubai Glacier in Tyrol. Here the skiing fun continues this season until 18 June. Depending on snow conditions, about half of the 35 runs are open.
Les 2 Alpes/France
On the Mont-de-Lans glacier in the French High Alps lies one of the largest summer ski areas in Europe. The slopes reach an altitude of 3,566 m, making this glacier ski area one of the highest in the world. It goes without saying that good piste conditions also prevail here in summer. Eight runs await beginners and advanced skiers, plus the deluxe panorama with La Meije, the Ecrins massif and of course the mighty Mont Blanc. A snow park with superpipe is also open in good snow conditions. The only drawback is that the fun doesn’t last long in summer, as the lifts only run until midday. Fortunately, Les 2 Alpes offers a full programme of activities after the skiing fun, from glacier hiking to downhill biking and splashing in the swimming pond. An active holiday in summer could hardly be more fulfilling.
Here you can see what’s going on in the Les 2 Alpes ski area in summer:
Tignes/France
Tignes – a superlative in the French Alps. The ski area there is not only attractive for the professionals who train here. The possibility of skiing almost all year round makes the area on the Vanoise Massif popular with many winter sports enthusiasts. Good snow is almost guaranteed due to the altitude up to 3,456 metres. The pistes on the Grande Motte glacier usually open from June to August. Winter sports enthusiasts of all levels can then have fun here on blue, red and black slopes. Snowboarders and freestyle fans also get their money’s worth. The glacier snow park with a half pipe, rails and obstacles leaves nothing to be desired and offers enough variety.
In its own video, Tignes presents the mountain world around the ski resort itself:
Zermatt/Switzerland
No fewer than 38 four-thousand-metre peaks surround the Zermatt-Matterhorn region in the heart of the Valais Alps. At the Theodul Glacier in the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise ski area, they are also open during the summer. The top station is at 2,939 m, from where summer skiers enter the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise directly. Up here, skiing is continuous almost all year round on 21 kilometres of pistes. When there is enough snow, even the Zermatt Snowpark is open.
Saas-Fee/Switzerland
On the Allalin glacier, 20 km of glacier pistes await summer skiers. Many international ski teams also use the area as a training ground, so there is always something to see for the rest of the skiing guests. Those who don’t want to ski themselves or try out the halfpipe, rails and boxes can enjoy themselves in a spacious chill-out zone with music or in the glacier restaurant. Framed by 18 four-thousand-metre peaks, the Saas Valley is worth a trip anyway and offers a view of an overwhelming panorama.
The following video shows what the alpine world around Saas-Fee looks like in summer:
Stelvio/Italy
The glacier ski area on Italy’s highest mountain pass is only open in summer. The pass road with its 48 hairpin bends up to the top of the pass at 2,760 m is the only access route to the Stilfser Joch. Although it is asphalted throughout, it is closed to traffic in winter. Skiing on the glacier there is therefore only possible in summer. However, it is populated by many training groups who share the 9 km of piste with the other skiing guests – after all, the training is an interesting spectacle for onlookers.
Downhill skiing on the Stilfser Joch is also possible in summer, as this clip shows:
Mammoth Mountain/USA
The ski resort of Mammoth Mountain in the US state of California is blessed with lots of snowfall thanks to the weather capers in the Sierra. The area averages over 200 ski days a year! The slopes, or rather the “ski terrain”, is between 2,400 and 3,300 m and is skiable until June.
The American bank holidays is 4 July, which is in the middle of summer. But that doesn’t stop the locals in Mammoth Mountain from skiing:
Timberline/USA
In addition, the Timberline glacier ski area in the US state of Oregon is open almost all year round. Only in October does it get a little time off. Otherwise, the slopes between 1,400 and 2,600 m on Mt. Hood are always open.
Snow fans can ski not only in the Rocky Mountains, but also in Oregon. And even in summer:
Whistler/Canada
Whistler, British Columbia in Canada can be the destination of summer and winter sports enthusiasts at the same time. In summer, ski lifts run on Horstman Glacier, allowing all snow enthusiasts to pursue their passion. There is even a snow park on the glacier waiting to be discovered. In order not to miss the magnificent panorama over the Whistler Valley, winter sports enthusiasts should pause for a moment or even take a breather at the summit of Blackcomb Mountain before perhaps going on a tour by mountain bike in the afternoon. Combining skiing and biking in one day is easily possible here!
In 2010, Whistler hosted the Winter Olympics, but the slopes are also fun in summer:
