The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Mölltaler Glacier is Carinthia's only glacier ski area and the highest ski resort in the province, spanning 2,108m to 3,122m across 36km of groomed pistes and 6.7km of marked ski routes in the Hohe Tauern mountain range. The terrain sits entirely above the treeline, with views across more than 30 three-thousand-metre peaks including the Großglockner — Austria's highest mountain. The resort's Carinthian location on the southern side of the Alps delivers an above-average number of sunshine hours per season, combined with snow reliability that attracts the Austrian and German national ski teams as official training users.
The 7km Eissee FIS run — the highest-elevation FIS descent in Carinthia — drops from the gondola's upper station through challenging terrain back toward the valley, while the Schareck summit at 3,122m provides wide glacier pistes and a snowpark with wave tracks, kickers and a boardercross course. The lift pass also covers the Ankogel ski area, extending the combined skiable terrain for those prepared to travel between the two mountains.
1014m
Vertical
16
Runs
36 km
Piste
6m
Annual snow
The Terrain
16 runs across 36 km of piste
Mölltaler Glacier spreads 16 runs across 36 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 56%, with 3 beginner runs to find your feet and 4 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
16
runs
16 runs across 4 grades
Beginner3 runs · 18%
Intermediate9 runs · 56%
Advanced4 runs · 26%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Mölltaler Glacier
Mölltaler Glacier runs from mid-October through to the end of May, with the 2025–26 season open from 10 October 2025 to 31 May 2026. Annual snowfall averages 5.5 metres across the ski area, and the glacier's position above 2,100m ensures consistent coverage well into spring. The resort's south-facing Carinthian aspect delivers above-average sunshine hours relative to the Austrian average, making it particularly appealing for spring skiing in April and May when crowds thin considerably.
The extended season draws national race teams from Austria and Germany throughout autumn and winter, taking advantage of the perfectly groomed slopes and the Carinthia's highest FIS piste. The Glacier Snowpark typically opens from March, with spring conditions sustaining the kickers and boardercross course through to the season close.
Season 2025-2026
10 Oct 2025
Opens
31 May 2026
Closes
233
Days open
6 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Mölltaler Glacier, and where to stay
Mölltaler Glacier is accessed from the village of Flattach in the Mölltal valley in Upper Carinthia, with the Mölltal Glacier Express funicular departing from the Innerfragant valley station. The resort sits within the Hohe Tauern National Park — Austria's largest national park — surrounded by the Sonnblick massif and within sight of the Großglockner. The nearest regional town is Obervellach, approximately 10km to the east along the Mölltal valley.
Salzburg Airport is the most practical international gateway, roughly 100km to the north via the A10 Tauern Autobahn. Spittal an der Drau, accessible by rail, is the closest major train station, with onward connections to Flattach by bus. For those holding the SkiHit regional pass, Mölltaler Glacier connects into a network spanning 168km of piste across seven ski areas in the East Tyrol region, with the Ankogel also included on the standard glacier lift pass.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Mölltaler 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
Mölltaler Glacier Lift System
Seven lifts serve Mölltaler Glacier's terrain between 2,108m and 3,122m, anchored by one of the Alps' most distinctive access systems. The Mölltal Glacier Express — the longest underground funicular in the Alps — carries skiers from the Innerfragant valley station to the mid-mountain hub in eight minutes through the tunnel beneath the glacier. From there, the Eisseebahn gondola ascends to 2,800m where the Eissee Panorama Restaurant and the main skiing zones begin. The Gletscherjet six-person chairlift reaches the Schareck summit at 3,122m, the highest point in the ski area.
The upper mountain is further served by two quad chairlifts, two double chairlifts and two T-bars opening up the Alteck sector and beginner terrain around the mid-station. The Alteck chairlift accesses the resort's most demanding off-piste lines below the Schareck's east face, while the T-bars at the mid-station provide the learning area for beginners and children.
9lifts across 6 types
1
Train
1
Gondola
1
6-Person Chair
2
Quad Chairs
2
Double Chairs
2
T-Bars
Mölltaler Glacier lift system
Mölltaler Glacier is served by 9 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Mölltaler Glacier intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.