Winter sports - Ski season on the Zugspitze starts with fresh snow and fog
The ski season began on the Zugspitze on Friday with fresh new snow, but with frosty temperatures and fog. "Heavy snowfall, poor visibility - but pure joy over masses of snow," said Verena Tanzer, spokeswoman for the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn, summing up the start of the season on Germany's highest mountain.
According to Tanzer, locals with season and annual passes in particular were not deterred by the weather and made their first turns at over 2000 meters above sea level. "The first cabins up 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 this much snow at the start of the season - over two meters - since 2007," said Tanzer.
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 over the past few days had somewhat disrupted the order of the season opening.
Winter sports enthusiasts will once again have to dig deeper into their pockets. Depending on the ski resort, it is likely to be between just under four and ten percent. On the Zugspitze and in the Garmisch Classic ski area, a day ticket will cost 62 euros, 5 euros more than last season. In Austria, prices will also rise by up to ten percent.
Nevertheless, the anticipation was great. "Season ticket sales are going very well, interest in winter sports is unbroken," said Antonia Asenstorfer, Managing Director of Alpen Plus ski resorts and board member of the Association of German Cable Cars and T-bar Lifts. After two coronavirus years and a winter dominated by the energy crisis, lift operators are now hoping for a largely normal winter - with good snow conditions.
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- Verena Tanzer, who is a spokeswoman for the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn, celebrated the fresh snow and fog that marked the start of the ski season on Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze.
- As a result of the heavy snowfall, winter sports enthusiasts in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, located in Bavaria, had the opportunity to enjoy their leisure time and engage in activities such as skiing and tourism, despite the foggy conditions.
- With over two meters of fresh snow at the start of the season, this year's ski season on the Zugspitze is shaping up to be one of the snowiest in recent history, according to Verena Tanzer.
- Winter sports enthusiasts looking to hit the slopes in Germany will have to budget accordingly, as day ticket prices for some ski resorts, such as the Zugspitze and the Garmisch Classic ski area, have increased by up to five euros compared to last season.
- Despite the added costs and the challenges posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and energy crisis, interest in winter sports and tourism remains high, with season ticket sales going strong trying to make the best of the coming winter ski season in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
