Summer skiing at the Stelvio Pass
It's almost summertime in the Alps – time to get the lifts running and groom the slopes for the start of summer ski season! Yup, you heard that right. At the Stelvio Pass, one of the highest mountain passes in Italy, there is no skiing in winter due to the insane amounts of snow. In fact, it takes the crews until May to clear the snow from the road. Once the way is clear and the slopes can be groomed, this ski resort on the border between Switzerland and Italy offers an enticing option for summer skiing. Today, Friday, June 1st, marks the first day of the 2018 ski season at the Stelvio Pass.
The snow-sure
Stelvio Pass
has slopes up to altitudes of 3400m. 9km of mostly blue slopes await skiers and snowboarders, although this ski area is also suitable for beginner skiers. Freestylers come for the snowpark, where they can practise their jumps and tricks throughout the summer. Another highlight is dozen or so kilometres of cross-country trails.
Skiing at the Stelvio Pass
The road leading from Trafoi to Bormio reaches an altitude of 2785m and is not viable in the winter. Avalanche blasting happens as late as April in order to help clear the snow. Once cleared of snow, the road is safe enough that skiers and snowboarders can once again access the ski area. In the summer, this stretch of road is a popular choice for cyclists, who train on the steep, winding curves. It is often included in the Giro d’Italia cycling race.
Although the Stelvio Pass is fairly unique in that it opens only during the summer, it is not the only ski area to be open at this time. The Hintertux Glacier, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and the Mölltaler Glacier have year-round glacier skiing. In France, summer skiing can be done at Les Deux Alpes and at Tignes on the Grande Motte glacier. Cross-country skiers can ski throughout the summer on a 7km trail at the Glacier 3000 at Les Diablerets in Switzerland.
Summer skiing at the Stelvio Pass
It's almost summertime in the Alps – time to get the lifts running and groom the slopes for the start of summer ski season! Yup, you heard that right. At the Stelvio Pass, one of the highest mountain passes in Italy, there is no skiing in winter due to the insane amounts of snow. In fact, it takes the crews until May to clear the snow from the road. Once the way is clear and the slopes can be groomed, this ski resort on the border between Switzerland and Italy offers an enticing option for summer skiing. Today, Friday, June 1st, marks the first day of the 2018 ski season at the Stelvio Pass.
The snow-sure
Stelvio Pass
has slopes up to altitudes of 3400m. 9km of mostly blue slopes await skiers and snowboarders, although this ski area is also suitable for beginner skiers. Freestylers come for the snowpark, where they can practise their jumps and tricks throughout the summer. Another highlight is dozen or so kilometres of cross-country trails.
Skiing at the Stelvio Pass
The road leading from Trafoi to Bormio reaches an altitude of 2785m and is not viable in the winter. Avalanche blasting happens as late as April in order to help clear the snow. Once cleared of snow, the road is safe enough that skiers and snowboarders can once again access the ski area. In the summer, this stretch of road is a popular choice for cyclists, who train on the steep, winding curves. It is often included in the Giro d’Italia cycling race.
Although the Stelvio Pass is fairly unique in that it opens only during the summer, it is not the only ski area to be open at this time. The Hintertux Glacier, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and the Mölltaler Glacier have year-round glacier skiing. In France, summer skiing can be done at Les Deux Alpes and at Tignes on the Grande Motte glacier. Cross-country skiers can ski throughout the summer on a 7km trail at the Glacier 3000 at Les Diablerets in Switzerland.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
