The 2026-27 ski season is officially underway at one of Austria’s highest ski areas.
Pitztal Glacier began lift-served skiing Saturday, Sept. 26, opening a limited section of its high-elevation glacier terrain for the first turns of the new season. The resort’s lists ski operations from Sept. 26 through May 2, conditions permitting.
Opening day started early. The first Gletscherexpress departed at 7 a.m., carrying skiers from the valley into the glacier area. Skiing was available from the Wildspitzbahn until 1 p.m., with approximately 1.6 miles of terrain open across Piste 26 and Piste 29.
Those runs sit high on the glacier, where elevation gives Pitztal an advantage when trying to begin skiing while much of the Alps is still firmly in fall.
Skiing Above 11,000 Feet
Pitztal bills itself as the highest ski area in Tyrol.
The Wildspitzbahn reaches approximately 11,286 feet at Hinterer Brunnenkogel, where Cafe 3440 and a panoramic viewing platform overlook the surrounding Otztal Alps. Pitztal tourism officials highlighted that elevation when announcing the Sept. 26 start, saying skiing would begin at elevations reaching 11,286 feet.
The ski offering remains limited this early in the season. Opening-day operations centered on Piste 26, a difficult run beneath the Wildspitzbahn, and Piste 29, an intermediate run. Independent opening-day reports put the combined available terrain at roughly 1.6 miles.
Pitztal’s regional tourism site listed both the Gletscherexpress and Wildspitzbahn as operating on Sept. 26, confirming that skiers were being transported into the upper glacier area.
The resort expects additional terrain to become available as temperatures fall and autumn snowfall improves conditions.
A Long Season Is Planned
The September opening begins what could be a season lasting more than seven months. Pitztal currently plans to operate through May 2, although the resort emphasizes that both opening and closing dates remain dependent on snow and weather conditions.
The neighboring Rifflsee portion of the Pitztal ski network follows a much more conventional winter schedule. Its ski season is currently scheduled to begin Dec. 12 and run through April 4.
That difference illustrates how much Pitztal relies on its high glacier terrain to extend the skiing calendar.
The mountain’s current weather and snow page showed snow at the upper reaches of the glacier heading into opening weekend, while lower elevations remained snow-free. That sharp elevation difference is typical of September skiing, when conditions suitable for turns can exist high above valleys that still look and feel like autumn.
For now, the ski offering is small and conditions can change quickly. But as of Sept. 26, skiers are once again riding lifts and making turns on the Pitztal Glacier.
The Northern Hemisphere ski season is underway.
