April 23, 2024
In a winter that made headlines for green pastures in place of white pistes, not extending the winter season by a week or two at the end of 2024 might seem like a missed opportunity.
Whilst it might not have been economically sound, surely highlighting the best snow conditions of the winter would remind event planners out there that the end of the winter season can be extraordinary.
Corporate event planners who are scrambling to get January or March dates in a normal season need to recalibrate their perceptions of the season. Climate change is real and season durations are becoming more tenuous, but some resorts buck the trend.
Shutting operations with the precision of an atomic clock on the 21st April 2024, the St Anton and wider Arlberg ski region closed agonisingly prematurely.
Gone were the blossoming gardens in St Anton village, the blue skies over the Valluga and the sight of short sleeves on mountain hut terraces. Replaced by plummeting temperatures and massed snow systems, the Arlberg received serious snow accumulations.
The ski tourers are one group who won't be sad to see the lifts stop rolling - mountains to themselves and deep, deep powder to feast on.
A few winters ago, Kitzbühel would open its Pass Thurn ski sector as early as October and to great fanfare. The message was one of a long, snow-sure season, even if the streets weren’t thronged with visiting skiers in autumn.
It wouldn't make economic sense if St Anton stayed open longer on a weather whim. But if they were to leave a few key lift arteries open for an extra week or two, it wouldn’t cost the earth and would be great PR for them. It would also offer the ski tourers a bit of company!