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Top 5 Place to go Summer Skiing in The Alps

Across the Alps a number of ski areas offer summer skiing on their thousands of year old glaciers. Some resorts offer park skiing with sun soften ramps and nice soft  landings. Other areas offer summer race courses and freeride options. Here is a look at 5 of the best places to put down some summer turns in the Alps.

Hintertuxer

Hintertux, Austria

The Hintertux Glacier is Austria’s only ski resort that is open 365 days of the year. Summer skiing is offered off of nine lifts and extends from an altitude of 3,250m down to 2600m. Located just 90km from Innsbruck Hintertux is arguably the best-known glacier in Europe.

kitzsteinhorn2

Kaprun/Kitzsteinhorn, Austria

The glacier at Kaprun isn’t open all year but runs for most of the summer, only closing for a few weeks after the winter season for maintenance. The ski area during the summer months is smaller than the other european ski options but this “small” summer facility offers up some big skiing. The summer terrain at Kaprun is more aggressive than many resorts winter terrain.

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Tignes, France

Due to presence of the Grande Motte glacier, Tignes used to offer year-round skiing. However, the glacier has been receding over the last decades and now closes for a few weeks each year. The glacier is usually open from around 7:30am until 1pm; this helps make the most of the snow and also preserve it by closing it in the afternoon. As of 2005 the glacier had shrunk by around 25 vertical metres (80 feet) compared to a 1982 survey. It seems likely that the glacier will eventually be split into two by the rock spurs which are starting to become visible.

Zermatt

Zermatt, Switzerland

There is a good range of summer skiing on Zermatt’s glacier; helped partly by the altitude. The skiing starts at over 3800m. The pistes are a mixture of blues and reds and the stunning views alone are a reason to head up there. Geneva, Zurich and Sion are the nearest airports. The trains from Geneva and Zurich are frequent and take roughly four hours.

Saas Fee

Saas Fee, Switzerland

Summer skiing at Saas Fee kicks off at the beginning of July. The glacier is home to some Warren Smith ski courses and several competitions in their park over the course of the summer. Saas Fee’s close proximity to Zermatt means you can combine a both areas into one trip.

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