High temperatures and deteriorating ice conditions have forced Zermatt Bergbahnen to temporarily suspend public summer skiing on the Theodul Glacier for the first time since 2022. The Swiss resort, home to Europe’s highest lift-served slopes, is the continent’s only ski area attempting year-round operations.
Persistent heatwaves, a lack of overnight cooling, repeated thunderstorms, and shifting glacier dynamics made safe slope maintenance impossible for guests. Officials added that the extreme weather has drastically increased technical challenges for maintaining lift operations.
The closure marks the first time Zermatt has halted public summer skiing since late July 2022, when similar heatwaves, rain above 4,000 meters, and high freezing levels forced a temporary shutdown. Operations resumed nearly two months later after cooler weather and fresh snowfall restored safe conditions.
“Zermatt Bergbahnen is temporarily suspending summer skiing operations for guests on the Theodul Glacier due to the exceptional weather conditions of recent weeks. The training slopes groomed by Zermatt Bergbahnen will remain available to individual Swiss Ski Teams for training on a limited basis.”
The temporary closure of summer skiing on the Theodul Glacier applies exclusively to recreational guests. Maintenance and preparations for training slopes continues during the closure.
Resort officials are monitoring conditions daily and plan to resume public skiing as soon as natural weather patterns allow. The resort affirmed its ongoing commitment to working alongside Swiss-Ski and international sports federations to offer summer training whenever environmental conditions permit.
