Did St Anton and the wider Arlberg miss a PR trick?
In a winter which made headlines for green pastures in place of white pistes not extending the winter season by a week or 2 at the end of the 2024 might seem a missed opportunity.
Whilst it might not have been economically sound, surely highlighting the best snow conditions of the winter would remind out there that the end of the winter season can be extraordinary?
Corporate event planners who are scrambling to get January or March dates in a normal season need to recalibrate the perceptions of season. Climate change is real and season durations are becoming more tenuous, but there are resorts that buck the trend.
Ski tourers will enjoy the best snow conditions of the season.
Closed to the timing of an atomic clock on the 21st April 2024, the St Anton and wider Arlberg ski region closed agonisingly prematurely.
Gone were the blossoming gardens in St Anton village, the blue skies over the Valluga and the sight of short sleeves on mountain hut terraces. Replaced by plummeting temperatures and massed snow systems, the Arlberg received serious snow accumulations.
One group who won't be sad to see the lifts stop rolling are the ski tourers. Mountains to themselves and deep, deep powder to feast on.
Why do they not keep it open longer?
A few winters ago, Kitzbühel would open its Pass Thurn ski sector as early as October, and to great fanfare. The message was one of a long, snow sure season, even if the streets weren’t thronged with visiting skiers in autumn.
Should St Anton stay open longer on a weather whim, it wouldn’t make economic sense. But if they were to leave a few key lift arteries open for an extra week or 2, it wouldn’t cost the earth and would be great PR for them. It would also offer the ski tourers a bit of company as well!
Lech am Arlberg was also looking pretty special:
