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
5m
Annual snow
Tyrol Pass
Pass
The Terrain
27 runs across 55 km of piste
Kaunertal Glacier spreads 27 runs across 55 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 41%, with 11 beginner runs to find your feet and 5 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
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 2025-2026
3 Oct 2025
Opens
25 May 2026
Closes
234
Days open
5 m
Annual snow
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
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Kaunertal Glacier Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 19 Sept 2026
3113m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Overcast3°C / 10°C · N 18km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
28cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
97cm
Total lifts9
Live open status isn’t available right now.
3 Oct 2025 - 25 May 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 41 hours· Updated Sep 19, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
3,113 mUpdated Sep 19, 2026 at 6:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
5.5cm
Days 8–14
5.9cm
Sun, Sept 20
Overcast
Temp10° / 3°°C
Snow0.0cm
Wind18 km/h N
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.