The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl sits at the end of the Ötztal valley in Tyrol, combining two linked ski areas across 112km of pistes between 1,793m and 3,030m. The resort consistently opens in mid-November — among the earliest of any non-glacier ski area in the Alps — a product of its position at the head of a dead-end valley that catches snowfall from both northern and southern weather systems. With 25 lifts capable of moving over 43,000 skiers per hour and 21 peaks above 3,000m as the backdrop, the combined ski area offers scale and reliability in equal measure.
The two villages operate as distinct ski areas, each with roughly 56km of slopes, connected by the Top Express gondola — a 3.6km link across the Königstal and Ferwalltal valleys completed in nine minutes. Obergurgl, at 1,930m, carries steeper and more varied terrain including the Hohe Mut sector, regarded as the most challenging in the entire Ötztal. Hochgurgl, based at 2,150m, offers wider, sunnier slopes and the highest lift-accessed point in the combined area at 3,030m. The longest descent — the 8km Wurmkogel run with 1,260m of vertical — links the high terrain above Hochgurgl back to the Obergurgl valley floor.
1237m
Vertical
50
Runs
112 km
Piste
5m
Annual snow
Ötztal Super Ski Pass
Pass
The Terrain
50 runs across 112 km of piste
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl spreads 50 runs across 112 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 53%, with 27 beginner runs to find your feet and 9 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
50
runs
50 runs across 4 grades
Beginner27 runs · 53%
Intermediate14 runs · 29%
Advanced9 runs · 18%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
The 2025–26 season at Obergurgl-Hochgurgl runs from 20 November 2025 to 19 April 2026, one of the longest non-glacier seasons in Austria. The resort's base elevation of 1,793m and summit at 3,030m, combined with average annual snowfall of 4.5 metres, deliver consistent natural coverage from early season through to late April. The valley's dead-end position channels snowfall from both northerly and southerly weather patterns, creating above-average accumulation relative to more exposed Tyrolean resorts.
Snowmaking infrastructure covers the full 112km of pistes, with five on-mountain weather stations managing automated cannon deployment based on temperature and humidity. The season's closing weeks in April attract spring skiers who value uncrowded slopes and well-established snow bases, while the Obergurgl snowpark at the Bruggenboden lift — running two lines and close to 20 obstacles — remains active through the latter part of the season. A three-day or longer Obergurgl-Hochgurgl lift pass also includes access to Sölden and the Hochoetz-Kühtai ski areas under the Ötztal Super Ski Pass arrangement, which covers approximately 360km of piste across 91 lift systems.
Season 2025-2026
20 Nov 2025
Opens
19 Apr 2026
Closes
150
Days open
5 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, and where to stay
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl occupies the uppermost section of the Ötztal, Austria's longest side valley, with the village of Obergurgl at 1,930m and Hochgurgl at 2,150m. The valley dead-ends above Obergurgl, meaning all traffic arrives and departs via the single Ötztal access road — a characteristic that contributes to the resort's unhurried atmosphere. Sölden lies 20km down the valley, and the Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road connecting Austria and Italy passes through Hochgurgl, though it is closed in winter.
Innsbruck Airport is the nearest international gateway at approximately 90km via the A12 and B186 Ötztal road. Munich Airport is a practical alternative at around 170km, with regular bus connections running directly from both airports into the Ötztal. Train travellers reach Ötztal station on the Innsbruck–Bregenz main line, from where connecting buses serve the valley. The resort's compact layout — over 90% of accommodation sits within 250 metres of a lift — makes car-free visits straightforward once in the valley.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
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Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
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Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
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31 Aug 2026
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl Lift System
Twenty-five lifts serve the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area with a combined uphill capacity exceeding 43,000 skiers per hour. The network is predominantly gondola-based — 11 gondolas in total — supplemented by five quad chairlifts, two six-person chairlifts, six T-bars and one surface lift. Six lifts provide direct access from the valley bases into the ski areas, with the majority of the remaining network operating between 2,000m and 3,030m across both sectors.
The Top Express gondola connects Hochgurgl and Obergurgl in nine minutes, operating as the backbone of the combined ski area and enabling full exploration of both sides in a single day. At the Hochgurgl base, the Top Mountain Crosspoint building at 2,175m houses the valley station of the Kirchenkarbahn gondola alongside the highest motorcycle museum in Europe. Lift queues across the combined ski area are notably minimal relative to resorts of comparable scale in the Austrian Alps.
25lifts across 5 types
11
Gondolas
2
6-Person Chairs
5
Quad Chairs
6
T-Bars
1
Surface Lift
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl lift system
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl is served by 25 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 Obergurgl-Hochgurgl intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.