With members of our team basking in Mediterranean sun in Mallorca, others have been wrapping up against the rain and 4 degrees Celsius encountered in Innsbruck. For those marketing summer in the alps and suppliers with well-planned schedules, the never-ending winter is set to cause lingering headaches. It’s mid-May and the off-piste on the Stubai Glacier today was waist deep in places. 19 years living in the Alps and never, ever has there been a spring anything like this. A disaster maybe for those looking to tap into the spring hiking market, but a serious boon for anyone for anyone strapping a powder vehicle to their feet. Records are surely demolished with this spring ski season?
The vagaries of winter weather make it an uncertain business promising late season snow, yet year after year, some of the very best conditions are to be found in April. 2019 has rewritten the calendar somewhat with its freakish snow accumulations that are showing no sign of end. The lifts are still rolling on the Stubai Glacier until June, whilst the Hintertux Glacier will be offering skiing throughout the summer on its slopes beneath the mighty Olperer peak.
Proud to be some of the last in the powder this season, the reality is that the ski season is only temporarily paused over the summer. In the high-altitude locations across the Alps, the skiing should be up and running again in September. Corporate ski groups can experience superb ski conditions and outstanding deals on trips during the autumn, during a time when many get their winter fix in the indoor expos and trade fairs. It is hard to imagine a better winter in the Alps than 2018/19, but then we said the same after the close of the 2017/18 season. These are remarkable days to be skiers or snowboarders in the Alps.
A prayer circle for another winter apporaching this one?
