New Season Kicks Off in Val Senales

With the calendar still pointing to September, only three ski resorts remain open in Europe: Stelvio in Italy, Zermatt and Saas Fee in Switzerland. The list is short, and it became even shorter after the Hintertux glacier in Austria closed, which for the second consecutive year decided to shut down its lifts in early August. The reasons were economic: keeping a resort open in summer, with little snow and high energy costs, was no longer sustainable.

But where some retreat, others advance. And this Friday, September 19, Val Senales enters the scene, anticipating the calendar with an opening as unexpected as it is welcome.

Just enough snow, enormous effort

It has not been an easy opening. In early September, a series of isolated snowfalls covered part of the glacier. It wasn't a major snowfall, but it was enough for the mountain team to groom, nurture, and preserve every flake as if it were gold. Some of that snow was even stored in snowdrifts to ensure continuity.

The result? One slope. Just one. But at this time of year, one slope is enough to dream again.

For those who cannot wait

With the ski season in South America ending and New Zealand becoming increasingly inaccessible for many European teams, having skiable snow in Europe in September is a luxury. Especially for clubs and racers who need to touch snow as soon as possible.

To reach the ski area, one must drive up to the Grawand cable car, which has been transporting tourists since September 12. From its upper station, at 3,212 meters of altitude, the training area is accessed.

The gem still awaits

The Leo Gurschler, a legendary slope named after the resort's founder (July 12, 1975), remains closed. This slope is a classic for technical and speed training, used by national teams and World Cup racers. It is expected to be ready by early October, if conditions remain stable.

For now, we will have to settle for a more modest slope, but perfectly adequate for the first turns of the season.

An early winter

The resort trusts that it will not have to close again until May. Temperatures have already dropped significantly, and although the glacier cameras show no new snowfall since September 10, the cold is sufficient to preserve what is there.

Meanwhile, Hintertux could open in the coming days and in Norway, Galdhøpiggen has also begun preparing slopes, though no definitive date has been announced. If the weather permits, it could be this very weekend.