As winter closes out in the northern hemisphere, all snow lovers feel that familiar desire and readiness to throw on some boards and head to the coast to lap up the warm weather and waves. It doesn’t take long, however, for that temporary fix to start unravelling and the snow fever sets in. The nightmares, the cold sweats, the loving glances at the skis every time you’re in the garage.
Its surprising to see how many places offer some form of skiing during the summer months and how close to home they are, especially in the European Alps. We’ve put together a list of top destinations where the thirst for snow can be quenched, some obvious and some more exotic. So pack the car, get some mates and hit the road.
Hintertux Glacier - The Tux
Opening dates: 365 days a year!
The European mecca that is Hintertux has a
reputation as big as its 3250m glacier. A place where dirt bag ski bums and top
level ski racers come together to get their summer ski fix and get the legs ready before winter rolls
through. Sat at the head of the
Zillertal Valley, just short drive or train ride from Innsbruck, the Tux is
well serviced by the year round community of the infamous town of Mayrhofen.
This year there’s 3 metres of snow above 3000m, so its shaping up for a
wholesome summer of soul turns.
Cervinia/Zermatt
Opening dates: June to September
With 27km of high alpine skiing, Cervinia offers up one of the most snow sure places in the Alps thanks to the Plateau Rosa Glacier. Twinned with Zermatt gives you access to Europes highest freestyle park, the area is one of two places that try to offer 365 days of skiable terrain, the other being Hintertux. Soak up the stunning vistas with a limoncello or two after a morning of racing the various ski teams who uses the area as a training camp. Nearby is the infamous Passo Stelvio which gained worldwide recognition thanks to the exploits of Marcus Eder, well worth the drive up the dizzying 75 hairpin turns.
Timberline Lodge in Oregon
Opening dates: October - August. Upper mountain open in September
Mt Hood is a place that should be in the back of every skier and snowboarder, long herald as Northern Americas home of the snow gods it has a legacy that is steeped in historical snow sports moments. Timberline Lodge sits on its southern slopes and has a regular season that runs until August, after this it opens up a chairlift to the Palmer Glacier. The unique thing is that this lift only runs in summer due to the severe weather during winter.
Photo: timberlinelodge.com
Saas Fee
Opening dates: July to April
Saas Fee opens up a little later then most summer resorts, but once they do they stay running until winter kicks in. There’s around 20km of ridable pistes and a top park for all the freestyle fiends looking to dial in their tricks before winter. A gondola whisks you down from the glacier to the beautiful car-free town where all the multi sports can be done.
Photo: switzerland-tour.com
Fonna
Opening dates: May - September
When you hear Norway you think of Fjords, throw in a ski resort and you’ve got a recipe for an epic summer adventure. Fonna ski resort is situated on the Folgefonna Glacier in the northern Norwegian
mountains offering up reliable spring snow and views for days. Serviced by the town of Jondal just 18km away mean you can bank some turns in the morning and finish the day bobbing along the water on a kayak.
Photo: visitfonna.no
Snowdomes
Opening dates: Year round
We can’t talk about summer skiing without mentioning the various indoor slopes that are dotted around the globe. They may be short, they may be busy, but the fact you can ride in any weather is worth its weight in gold. They offer a place to hone in on your tricks with well shaped rail setups and groomed slopes, and are a great place to integrate into the local snow community if you aren’t lucky enough to live near the mountains. In general, these are hot beds of stoke.
Mammoth
Opening Dates: at least the end of July.
Mammoth, where do we start. This year saw them go viral by breaking all records for snowfall with over 700 inches to frolic in, leaving them set up for skiing though to at least the end of July. Something they have named ‘the second season’ where no end dat has been decided on yet.
Photo: Courtesy of Mammoth Mountain
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