Kaunertal Glacier
Ski Austria's steepest slope on 55km of Tyrolean glacier terrain, spanning 2,150–3,113m, open October to May.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
9 Oct 2026
Closes
17 May 2027
Days open
220
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.
Kaunertal Glacier is one of Austria's highest and most snow-reliable ski areas, spanning 2,150m to 3,113m across 55km of pistes and 36km of marked ski routes deep in the Tyrolean Alps. The resort is home to the Black Ibex — Austria's steepest groomed slope — with a gradient of 87.85%, steeper than the Mausefalle at Kitzbühel's famed Streif. The mountain sits on the Austrian-Italian border, with three summits exceeding 3,000m and a 360-degree viewing platform at the Karlesjoch that sweeps across Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
The glacier terrain is predominantly above the treeline, set in a wide north-facing bowl that preserves snow quality throughout an exceptionally long season. A single lift pass covers both the glacier ski area and the family-focused Fendels resort further down the valley, as well as the Feichten village lift — making the combined offering well suited to mixed-ability groups. Despite the calibre of the skiing, lift queues remain rare, a consequence of the resort's deliberately remote setting.
963m
Vertical
27
Runs
55 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
Tyrol Pass
Pass
The Terrain
27 runs across 55 km of piste
Kaunertal Glacier sits between 2,150 and 3,113 metres, so its 27 runs and 55 kilometres of piste lie entirely above the treeline. The 963-metre vertical is split evenly between 41% beginner and 41% intermediate terrain, with 18% advanced and none graded expert. A wide, north-facing bowl preserves snow into a long season, and the Weißseejochbahn lifts skiers to 3,044 metres beneath the 3,535-metre Weißseespitze, which keeps the upper mountain open and uncluttered. Everything here is high, groomed and wide, with no forested descents to break up the day.
The standout piste is the Black Ibex, a groomed pitch with a gradient of 87.85%, steeper than the Mausefalle on Kitzbühel's Streif. Off-piste is the other draw: the area has 36 kilometres of ski routes and a free Pistenbully shuttle to the Nörderjoch, from where a freeride descent drops 1,100 vertical metres to Fernergries. Queues are rare, but those lines are serious glacier terrain, so a guided descent such as the Glacier Safari is the sensible choice for anyone unfamiliar with the conditions.
Terrain split
27
runs
27 runs across 4 grades
Beginner11 runs · 41%
Intermediate11 runs · 41%
Advanced5 runs · 18%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Kaunertal Glacier
Kaunertal Glacier operates from early October through to late May, one of the longest guaranteed seasons of any ski area in the Austrian Alps. The 2025–26 season runs from 3 October 2025 to 25 May 2026, with the glacier elevation and north-facing orientation delivering consistent natural snow across the full season window. Annual snowfall averages 5 metres, and the resort's position above 2,150m means snow quality holds well into spring when lower-altitude areas have long since closed.
The extended spring period draws a dedicated crowd of freestylers and freestylers to the Snowpark Kaunertal, with the annual Spring Classics event a fixture on the Austrian freestyle calendar. The combination of reliable snow coverage and minimal lift queues makes mid-season visits particularly rewarding, while October and November openings attract race teams and early-season skiers seeking uncrowded glacier conditions.
Season 2026 - 2027
9 Oct 2026
Opens
17 May 2027
Closes
220
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Kaunertal Glacier
Daily snow reports at Kaunertal Glacier go back to 2017, 10 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
135 cm
Snowiest day
24 Jan 2018
29 cm
This winter · 2026-27
so far
397 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Kaunertal Glacier, and where to stay
Kaunertal Glacier sits at the head of the 28km Kaunertal valley in the Landeck district of Tyrol, accessed via the Kaunertal Gletscherstrasse — the fifth-highest paved road in the Alps, climbing 29 hairpin bends to the glacier base at 2,750m. The access road is toll-free for valid lift pass holders. The nearest town with services is Feichten im Kaunertal, 21km below the glacier base, with the regional hub of Prutz a further 11km down the valley at 884m.
Innsbruck Airport is the closest international gateway, approximately 90km to the east via the A12 Inntal Autobahn to the Landeck exit. Train services reach Landeck, from where bus connections run into the valley. Visitors driving from Germany can approach via Füssen or Garmisch to Imst and Landeck. The deliberate remoteness of the location — the Kaunertal road is a toll road for non-skiers — contributes directly to the unhurried atmosphere on the mountain that the resort is known for.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Kaunertal Glacier, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Wolf Creek Opens on Halloween Weekend as Colorado’s Early Season Gathers Pace
Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Resort Opens for 2026/27 With More Than Two Miles of Skiing
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Installs 16 Automated Snow Guns on Birds of Prey Ahead of Record World Cup
Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
29 Oct 2026
Arapahoe Basin Opens First for North America’s 2026/27 Ski Season
Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
28 Oct 2026
Sulden am Ortler Pushes Its Season Start Back a Week to 7 November
Sulden am Ortler has called off its 31 October opening. The South Tyrol ski area has pushed its 2026/27 start back to Saturday 7 November, citing current weather and snow conditions and saying it will use the extra week to get the slopes in the best possible shape. The season is still scheduled to run through 2 May 2027. Elsewhere in Europe, around a dozen areas are already open, led by Sölden’s 30 kilometres of groomed runs.
28 Oct 2026
Pinheiro Braathen Wins Sölden Giant Slalom Opener by 0.48 Seconds
Two days at Sölden, two races decided by a hundredth somewhere on the podium, and one very quick Brazilian. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen led from the first run to win the men’s World Cup opener by 0.48 seconds, with Loïc Meillard second and Marco Odermatt third. River Radamus charged from 15th to fourth on a rutted course, and Britain’s Freddy Carrick-Smith banked his first World Cup points. Braathen still hasn’t lost a giant slalom since Olympic gold.
25 Oct 2026
Alps Snow Forecast: Up to 64 cm Headed for the High Glaciers as the Snow Line Drops
The Alps are about to swap mild, sunny October weather for something far more wintry. A cold front arrives Tuesday, and SnowStash forecasts have Monterosa Ski out in front with 64 cm over 14 days, ahead of Blatten Belalp (55 cm) and Verbier (43 cm). The snow line should fall below 2000 metres by Wednesday night, and glaciers across Switzerland, Italy and Austria are in line for the best of it. The wind will have a say too.
20 Oct 2026
Four Dead After Avalanche Near Ski Portillo in Chile
A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.
18 Oct 2026
Kaunertal Glacier Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 29 Oct 2026
3113m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear-5°C / -2°C · E 6km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
27cm
Base depth
18cm
Season total
29cm
Typical winter 397cm
Lifts open4 / 9
9 Oct 2026 - 17 May 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 44 hours· Updated Oct 30, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
2,920 mUpdated Oct 30, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
7.5cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Fri, Oct 30
Mainly Clear
Temp-2° / -5°°C
Snow0.0cm
Wind6 km/h E
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Kaunertal Glacier snow report
See what's happening on the mountain at Kaunertal Glacier right now — snowfall, snow depth, and weather data to help you plan your day in Austria.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Kaunertal Glacier is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 963m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
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 Kaunertal Glacier's 2150m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
We pull Kaunertal Glacier'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 18 lifts, including an aerial tram and 2 quad chairlifts.
When to check
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Kaunertal Glacier's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.