6m of snow on the Stubai Glacier – May spring skiing redefined |

Incomprehensible quantities of snow fell over the Austrian glaciers over the weekend. Not one to miss some spring turns, we headed up to the glacial ice fields to find incredible depths of snow. In places there was almost too much snow to move.

Spring skiing is marketed as short sleeved clients, sipping Aperol’s on sunny terraces, with a background of picture-perfect vistas. That was how it used to be, and this weekend was another instalment of spring skiing 2.0. Tanning weather it certainly wasn’t but the blizzard conditions and time of the year meant that there was nearly nobody to experience the immense snow depths that had deposited on the Stubai Glacier. The revised & reduced ski area meant the highest elevations weren’t accessible but no matter, the snow from around 3000m down to 2500m was so light that we were speculating that we had found ourselves in Hokkaido.

There is snow forecast all week and into the weekend, with the prospect of another massive powder session over the weekend. As well as the unremitting snow giving the ski-obsessed an incredible last burst of winter thrills, the snow should help the glacier through the summer months as the glaciologists fight with warmer temperatures to preserve the vast ice mass. It should also put minds at rest for those contemplating late season group ski events. Nothing is guaranteed, but the end of the season often delivers some of the best snow of the winter.

The skiing on the Stubai Glacier is set to continue until the second week in June and then return in Autumn, as soon as the September snows arrive. For us at Jagged Horizons, we will store the skis only once the snow stops falling. Stay tuned.

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