Closing resorts when there are tons of snow! Grrr!

[fivat]

Many resorts in Switzerland have closed on last Sunday. I was very angry on Monday when watching the Webcams and the fresh powder, with winter conditions!

It's really silly to close the resorts in function of Easter date, which was very early this year. One should choose the date in function of nature: end of April is a reasonable date in the Alps (note that the biggest resorts always close at the end of April or May... and that Zermatt is open all year!).

OK, the directors of the resorts say that there are not many skiers/snowboarders after Easter... Well, I understand this, but if it's a question of money, they should stop opening the resorts on early November when there are only stones and artificial snow. This artificial snow is very expensive to produce, but the goal is to announce in the newspapers that it's already open! Only marketing!
Note that from an ecological point of view, it's ridiculous to produce tons of artificial snow on November and close the resorts when there are tons of natural snow on the beginning of April.

I'm very angry as you can feel it!

Now my question: what is the situation in the other countries? France, Italia, Germany, Austria, USA, Russia, etc. Are they as silly as Switzerland?

Patrice Fivat

[kurtsk8]

in the Orobian Alps the situation is similar , only one station is still working and tomorrow are predicted 30 cm of new snow.

only one sad ( ) opinion : Nature is not predictable , Employment contracts are

[fivat]

Nature is not predictable , Employment contracts are

Hmm, there is a Swiss resort ("Les Crosets", in the domain "Les Portes du Soleil" linked to Avoriaz, France) which has decided to postpone the date of closing! One week more! So it's possible to change the employers contracts

Some old people told me that in the past the resorts were sometimes postponing the date of closing late on May!

Patrice Fivat

[kurtsk8]

Some old people told me that in the past the resorts were sometimes postponing the date of closing late on May!

not all is lost
brutal translation of "Non tutto è perduto" ( in Italian it sound better )

[Silver]

In France, few resort postpone their closing date. Generally only the big resorts (Val d'Isère, Tignes, Val Thorens ...) do it. Even Les Arcs close end of April this year ! Needless to say it is even worst in southern Alps, no matter there is lots of snow! Some are also closed for summer although they do have snow!

I totally agree with you regarding the expensive cost of artificial snow used in November and early December when resorts lack of snow just to promote the resort. But money is ruling this world my friend...Money create and kill sports (alpine discipline is an example of this). It also explain the sometimes silly policy implemented in your favorite resort...


Silver

[pokkis]

We have all nortehrn slopes open till beginning of May, most some weeks longer.
Like this one which is steeper than it looks in pic
http://www.ojankaivajat.org/forum/downl ... .php?id=34

[crack676]

@patrice:

Engstligenalp (Adelboden) is open till 4. may
http://www.adelboden-lenk.ch/winter/de/ ... hp?navid=4

Titlis is open too:
http://www.titlis.ch/fahrplan.php?

[Vitaly]

In Russia, Ural region, we've finished season at last weekend 06.04.2008


and then two days was rain! All snow is dead! +15*C

[starikashka]

Patrice, stupidity has no nationality and geographic border it depends only from director`s personality and number of visitors. We have a resort near of Moscow called Yahroma, this was closed even their slopes were in very good condition. 1 lift for a slope that has 400 m lenght cost 50 eurocents very expensive stupidity , nearest resorts there had lot of visitors at that time.

[RicHard]

Well, in the center of italy, there are resorts (Roccaraso) that close at the end of march with meters of snow and resorts (Campo Imperatore) that sometimes closed in the first week of may (with 5mt of very wet snow but... 5 mt!).
I remember one year I went on saturday to surf on the snow in campo imperatore (10km far from Rome) and the day after I was under the sun with my costume at 20Km far from Rome.

[Schneewurm]

Yes, last Monday we had the hole day incredible light powder-snow down to 600-700 meter. Look at the picture tooken after lunchtime on a small swiss-ski-area with big snow, but for a small-budget liftticket at about 20 Euro.

[Felix]

Well my local resort the Hochkar stays open at least till 27.04. Even though it's very low, due to location and north-east facing slopes conditions are very good here every year for spring season. However Krippenstein and Dachstein both closed, even though they have up to 6m of snow... I would have loved to go freeriding there once more.....

Some resorts like the Arlberg are still as crowded as in high season, for Austria this year better go to one of the many smaller resorts than Ischgl, Soelden or Arlberg for good spring snow. Except for Obertauern, Ischgl and Arlberg all non-glacier skifields still open are rather private than public skifields.

[Viviane]

In Belgium and Holland the slopes stay open all year
Just something to get you all set up some more.
No more kidding, I can understand the anger! We watch the webcams allmost every day and noticed that allmost all the good areas have indeed tons of snow ad yet some to come. But we "flatlanders"as the call us, don't have a clue about it. Nevertheless even we think it is absurd to close with such conditions.
Just one thing the world turns about: Money, money, money!
Really a shame!

[Le Fanfoué]

Hello,
For me it's not finish, Courchevel close on 27 april.
It was a good year for the snow.
But generaly, I take my skis for the end of season, I like to run outpiste.
A+
Fanfoué

[harald]

Of course economy matters. If not there would hardly be alpine resorts at all. In contrast to many other sports arenas they are highly commercial. About opening and closing for the season it is based on people's mentality. For some reason many want to start to ski (and board) early even in under-optimal conditions. Therefore the artificial snow, which also produce a very good surface for natural snow, hiding rocks and stones and is very resistant to mild periods. Without man-made snow, many resorts would not be able to open at all, or have a very short season. Man made snow in november makes it possible to run in April.
For some reason Easter is a mental barrier for people with respect to stop skiing, whenever it is. It is the same in Norway. People are fighting to go out in November and December when it is dark, short days, long lift lines and only few slopes at the resorts are open. The resort managers have to adapt to this fact. This week-end (Friday-Monday) I spent at two Norwegian Mountain resorts, lots of snow, excellent conditions, daylight till 2030 in the evening and almost empty.
Even if some smaller resorts are closing down http://www.hemsedal.com/ and http://www.skistar.com/trysil/ and some others have open til May 4 and there are masses of snow.