Austria, Europe
Dachstein West
Ski 51km of pistes across Gosau, Russbach and Annaberg in Austria's UNESCO Salzkammergut. 872m vertical, 24 lifts, family-friendly terrain.
Season 2025-2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
6 Apr 2026
Days open
121
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Dachstein West spans 51 kilometres of pisted terrain across 46 runs between 745 and 1,617 metres, delivering 872 metres of vertical drop beneath the dramatic Dachstein massif. The regional lift pass unlocks 160 kilometres across eight interconnected ski areas including the Freesports Arena at Krippenstein.
Terrain splits 29% beginner, 65% intermediate and 6% advanced - ideal for families and improving skiers. The 44-kilometre Dachstein Tour ski circuit connects all three base villages while the Wilde Hilde run challenges experts with a 67% gradient.
Gosau, Russbach and Annaberg retain their traditional Upper Austrian character with rustic mountain huts and minimal après-ski. Children's areas include Fredy-Land and Zwisiland in Gosau, Bärencamp in Russbach, and Fuxi Kinderland in Annaberg - all with dedicated ski schools and magic carpets.
The resort operates within the UNESCO World Heritage Salzkammergut region, offering exceptional value compared to larger Austrian ski areas. The Marcel Hirscher race course with timing and mogul pistes like Donnergroll and Schwarzreiter add variety for confident skiers seeking challenge.
872m
Vertical
46
Runs
51 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
46 runs across 51 km of piste
Dachstein West spreads 46 runs across 51 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 65%, with 13 beginner runs to find your feet and 3 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
46
runs
46 runs across 4 grades
Beginner13 runs · 29%
Intermediate30 runs · 65%
Advanced3 runs · 6%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Dachstein West
Dachstein West operates from 5 December 2025 through 6 April 2026, running continuous ski operations during peak periods with partial service in early and late season. The four-month season delivers approximately 120 days of skiing when conditions permit.
Annual snowfall averages around 315 centimetres with peak accumulation in January and February when summit depths typically reach 55 centimetres. Snowmaking across 122 kilometres compensates for the mid-mountain elevation, ensuring groomed pistes remain skiable throughout the season.
February offers the most reliable snow coverage alongside March's 19 sunny days on average - the brightest month of the season. January brings the Gosau Balloon Week featuring the spectacular Night of the Balloons with illuminated hot-air balloons above Hornspitz.
The Children's Snow Festival at Fredy-Land draws families in late December and early January with free activities including tubing and llama hikes. Ski touring enthusiasts gather in March for the charity ski touring event on Russbach's 3.6-kilometre Atomic Backland route.
Season 2025-2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
6 Apr 2026
Closes
121
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Dachstein West, and where to stay
Dachstein West straddles the border between Upper Austria and Salzburg, with Gosau in Upper Austria and Russbach and Annaberg in Salzburger Land. The three villages sit within the UNESCO World Heritage Salzkammergut region beneath the 2,995-metre Dachstein glacier.
Hallstatt lies 15 kilometres east, while the imperial spa town of Bad Ischl sits 20 kilometres north. Salzburg city centre is approximately 70 kilometres northwest, reachable in under 90 minutes by car.
Motorway access comes via the A10 Tauernautobahn exit at Golling from the south or the A1 Westautobahn exit at Regau from Vienna and Linz. Free parking is available at all three village base stations with paid parking at seven euros per day in Gosau.
Salzburg Airport sits 70 kilometres away - approximately 45 minutes by car. Train connections run to Bad Ischl on the Salzkammergut railway, with free ski buses linking Bad Ischl, Hallstatt and Obertraun to all three resort villages throughout the season.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Dachstein West, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 14 Aug 2026
1617m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear14°C / 27°C · SW 12km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
0cm
Total lifts24
Live open status isn’t available right now.
6 Dec 2025 - 6 Apr 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 45 hours· Updated Aug 15, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,617 mUpdated Aug 15, 2026 at 6:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Sat, Aug 15
Mainly Clear
Temp27° / 14°°C
Snow0.0cm
Wind12 km/h SW
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Dachstein West snow report
Planning a day at Dachstein West? Our snow report combines official mountain data with live weather so you know exactly what conditions look like right now, from the 745m base to the 1617m summit.
Snow measurements
Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 745m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 872m higher at 1617m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Dachstein West's 745m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
We pull Dachstein West's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 48 lifts, including 4 quad chairlifts and 5 6-person chairlifts.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.