Zermatt Suspends Summer Skiing as Glacier Melts

29th July 2022

In recent days the freezing level in the Swiss Alps has been at 5,184m – way above the peaks and the glacier slopes in Zermatt.

With no fresh snow and no refreeze overnight the slopes are not good enough for skiing and snowboarding.

Crevases are said to be opening up as the melt accelerates.

The warm temperatures follow a poor winter for snow and the snowpack was 20% below normal at the start of the summer season.

The ski area is now closed but the resort has stressed that the measure is temporary and it will re-open as soon as conditions allow.

The glacier ski area of Zermatt is normally open 365 days per year and offers the highest skiing in the Alps.

View from the top of Zermatt. Image © PlanetSKI

Passo Stelvio in Italy announced last week that it was also suspending summer ski operations, Italian resort suspends summer skiing as glacier melts.

Les2Alpes in France was forced to shut early as we reported.

Another French resort, Val d’Isere, didn’t even open its Pisaillas glacier area for summer skiing.

While neighbouring Tignes is also now unable to offer summer skiing as we reported earlier:

Tignes, France. Image © David Morgan

Tignes, France. Image © David Morgan

Saas-Fee in Switzerland remains open but only for race teams.

Hintertux in the Tirol in Austria is the only summer glacier ski area still open.

However the snow depth has dropped from 8cm to 4cm in the past few days.

The closure of the glacier area in Zermatt will hit many alpine ski race teams that use the resort as a summer training ground.

Ski courses and instructor training will also be affected.

In the autumn Zermatt and the neighbouring resort of Cervinia in Italy hold World Cup downhill races for men and women.

The organisers have not said they have worries for it.

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This article was originally published by Planetski.eu. Read the original article here.