Leisure time
Ski season at the Zugspitze starts with fresh snow and fog
“Heavy snowfall, poor visibility – but pure joy over tons of snow,” says the spokeswoman for the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn, Verena Tanzer, summing up the start on Germany’s highest mountain. photo
© Angelika Warmuth/dpa
Lots of fresh snow – only the sun was missing for a perfect start to the ski season at the Zugspitze.
With fresh snow, but with frosty temperatures and fog on the Zugspitze the ski season started on Friday. “Heavy snowfall, poor visibility – but pure joy about tons of snow,” said the spokeswoman for the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn, Verena Tanzer, summarizing the start on Germany’s highest mountain.
According to Tanzer, locals with season and annual passes in particular were not put off by the weather and took their first turns at over 2,000 meters altitude. “The first cabins towards the mountain were full.” Three lifts are in operation, eight slopes can be used – more than usual at the start. “Incidentally, we haven’t had so much snow at the start of the season since 2007, at more than two meters,” said Tanzer.
The day ticket now costs 62 euros
Even before the Zugspitze – which is usually the first area to open – winter operations began in the middle of the week with lifts in the Black Forest, followed a day later by the Söllereck in the Allgäu. The heavy snowfall in the past few days had somewhat mixed up the order at the opening of the season.
Winter sports enthusiasts have to dig deeper into their pockets again. Depending on the ski area, it is likely to be between just under four and ten percent. At the Zugspitze and in the Garmisch Classic ski area, a day ticket costs 62 euros, 5 euros more than last season. In Austria, prices are also rising by up to ten percent.
The anticipation was still great. “Season ticket sales are going very well, interest in winter sports is unbroken,” said Antonia Asenstorfer, managing director of the Alpen Plus ski areas and board member of the Association of German Cable Cars and Drag Lifts. After two Corona years and a winter marked by the energy crisis, the lift operators are now hoping for a largely normal winter – with good snow conditions.