
Silvretta Montafon
141km of pistes, 1,730m vertical drop, 35 lifts across two linked sectors. 2027 FIS World Championships host in Austria's Montafon valley.
Silvretta Montafon spans 141 kilometres of piste across an elevation range of 700 to 2,430 metres, delivering a vertical drop of 1,730 metres in Austria's Vorarlberg province. The ski area ranks among Austria's ten largest and features over 50 per cent of terrain above 2,000 metres, contributing to reliable snow cover averaging 430 centimetres annually. Snowmaking covers 83 kilometres of pistes, and the resort's longest run stretches approximately 12 kilometres from the Hochalpila summit to Schruns. The terrain hosts four dedicated freeride areas with 26 marked routes, plus the 300,000 square metre Snowpark Montafon at Grasjoch.
Terrain splits across 60 kilometres of easy pistes, 45 kilometres of intermediate runs, and 8 kilometres of difficult descents alongside 28 kilometres of freeride routes. The Black Scorpions - seven of the steepest descents - challenge advanced skiers, while the Open Faces freeride venue at Kleine Heimspitze reaches gradients up to 60 degrees over 350 metres vertical. Beginners benefit from dedicated learning areas at Kapell and Garfrescha, both served by gentle slopes and ski school infrastructure. The Snowpark Montafon features 40 obstacles including kicker lines, rails, boxes, and a boardercross course.
The ski area operates across two connected sectors - Hochjoch above Schruns and Silbertal, and Nova above St. Gallenkirch and Gaschurn - linked via gondolas through the valley at St. Gallenkirch. Twelve mountain restaurants dot the slopes, ranging from traditional huts like Valisera Hüsli to contemporary venues. The valley villages of Schruns, St. Gallenkirch, and Gaschurn maintain authentic Austrian character without purpose-built resort architecture. Silvretta Park Montafon at the Valisera base station opened in 2021 with a 600-space underground car park, market hall, and ski school centre.
Epic Pass holders receive limited days at Silvretta Montafon, and regional passes cover neighbouring Montafon Brandnertal areas including Gargellen and Golm. The resort hosts the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup annually in December, and will stage the 2027 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships - the largest winter sports event in Vorarlberg's history. The combination of extensive intermediate terrain, accessible freeride routes, and modern infrastructure suits athletic skiers, families, and freestyle riders seeking an alternative to the nearby Arlberg crowds.
Silvretta Montafon is two mountains rather than one. Nova and Hochjoch are joined by gondolas through the valley at St Gallenkirch, and across 80 runs with 142 kilometres of piste they drop 1,730 metres from 2,430 metres to the valley at 700 metres. Beginner terrain makes up 43% of the network, intermediate 35% and advanced 22%, and over half the network sitting higher than 2,000 metres. The Grasjochbahn links the Grasjoch and Nova sectors, and the HochjochTotale is the longest valley run in Vorarlberg, falling 1,700 metres.
Advanced skiers are well served for a mid-size Austrian area. The seven Black Scorpions are the steepest groomed descents, and four freeride areas offer 26 marked routes, including the Open Faces venue at Kleine Heimspitze, where gradients reach 60 degrees over 350 vertical metres. Snowpark Montafon at Grasjoch covers 300,000 square metres, and a Freeride Infocenter there offers information and guided tours. It suits strong skiers and confident intermediates who want both long cruising descents and real off-piste terrain.
Silvretta Montafon's 2025-26 season runs from 28 November 2025 to 12 April 2026, spanning approximately 20 weeks of operation. Weekend operation typically commences mid-November depending on snow conditions before daily service begins. The resort's position between the Silvretta, Verwall, and Rätikon ranges channels reliable snowfall into the valley throughout winter. Season closures coincide with Easter holidays, after which summer operations begin on selected gondolas from mid-June.
Annual snowfall averages 430 centimetres, with January recording the heaviest accumulations around 127 centimetres followed by March at 92 centimetres and February at 89 centimetres. Nearly 90 per cent of terrain sits above 1,500 metres, and the 83-kilometre snowmaking network secures lower runs during lean periods. Base depths at summit level regularly exceed 180 centimetres by mid-season, though valley runs below 1,000 metres depend on sustained cold temperatures. The resort reports snow conditions with high reliability through daily monitoring.
Powder conditions peak from late January through early February when snow depths reach seasonal maximums across upper slopes. March delivers stable spring skiing with consolidated bases and extended daylight hours. Mid-week visits from January through mid-March avoid school holiday crowds, particularly Austrian Semesterferien in February. Early December and late March offer quieter slopes with generally adequate cover on upper terrain.
The FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup runs annually in December at Grasjoch, with the 2026 edition adding Ski Cross races from 11-15 March as a rehearsal for the 2027 World Championships. Long Nights of the Cable Cars events see Valisera and Versettla stations open evenings with free uplift, live music, and torchlight processions. Night tobogganing operates on the floodlit 5.5-kilometre Garfrescha run accessible by gondola from St. Gallenkirch. Sunrise skiing sessions with mountain breakfast offer first tracks on empty pistes.
Daily snow reports at Silvretta Montafon go back to 1996, 31 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Silvretta Montafon occupies the Montafon valley in southern Vorarlberg, Austria's westernmost province, framed by the Rätikon, Silvretta, and Verwall mountain ranges. The valley stretches 17 kilometres from Schruns at 700 metres elevation through St. Gallenkirch and Gaschurn to Partenen, covering 562 square kilometres - larger than Vienna. Piz Buin at 3,312 metres stands as Vorarlberg's highest peak to the south. The ski area lies 15 kilometres south of the regional town of Bludenz and approximately 40 minutes by car from Feldkirch in the Rhine Valley.
Schruns serves as the valley's main town with the widest accommodation selection, train station access, and direct cable car to Hochjoch. Ernest Hemingway spent time writing in Schruns during the 1920s, documenting the town in his memoir A Moveable Feast. St. Gallenkirch sits centrally with gondola access to both Hochjoch and Nova sectors from the Silvretta Park Montafon base. Gaschurn at 980 metres offers the highest base village and most reliable village-level snow alongside concentrated hotel options.
Road access follows the A14 Rheintal motorway to exit 61 Bludenz-Montafon, continuing 10 kilometres on the L188 Silvretta Bundesstrasse through the valley. From Innsbruck, the S16 Arlberg Schnellstrasse and tunnel connect to the A14 at Bludenz. Swiss drivers approach via the A13 through Liechtenstein to Feldkirch, joining the A14 southbound. No mountain passes require crossing to reach the valley, keeping access straightforward through winter conditions.
Friedrichshafen Airport sits closest at 106 kilometres, approximately 75 minutes by road via the A96 and A14 through Lindau. Innsbruck Airport lies 145 kilometres distant at under two hours driving through the Arlberg tunnel. Zurich Airport connects at 176 kilometres in approximately two hours via the A3 and A13 through Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Rail connections run to Schruns via the Montafonerbahn from Bludenz, which links to main line services from Zurich, Innsbruck, and Munich; local ski buses connect stations to lift bases throughout the valley.
Hotels and lodges near Silvretta Montafon, powered by Stay22.

The Val Gardena-Alpe di Siusi lift link isn’t dead after all. A South Tyrol court has overturned Santa Cristina’s rejection of the new Monte Pana-Saltria link on procedural grounds, after the council skipped required public information sessions. Opponents want the missing sessions held and a fresh vote, and nothing has been approved. For now it’s still a bus between the two, but a plan first floated in 2017 is back in the conversation.

A section of Whistler Peak terrain will stay closed all 2026-27 season, Vail Resorts has confirmed, with rockslide mitigation work continuing into summer 2027. Peak Express is still expected to run this winter, but locals are already arguing about what’s actually off limits, whether the Whistler Bowl is gone, and why the news landed after pass sales wound down. Here’s where things stand.

Loveland is open. The Colorado ski area started Chet’s Dream turning on Saturday 7 November to kick off 2026-27, with $60 adult lift tickets to mark 60 years of snowmaking. Expect three runs, nearly 1,000 vertical feet (about 300 metres) of top-to-bottom skiing, live music on the Basin Patio and no beginner terrain yet. Here’s what’s open, what it costs and when Loveland Valley follows.

Fried chicken is heading up the Dolomites. From 5 December KFC will run two restaurants on the slopes - one at 2,123 metres at Cortina, one at 1,700 metres at Madonna di Campiglio - and the polenta-and-canederli crowd has opinions. Local politicians, conservation groups and plenty of Facebook commenters are calling it a step too far, while others just want a cheaper lunch. Here’s what’s on the menu and what’s the fuss.

Mt Rose is going for the first-in-Tahoe title, with the Lakeview Express due to spin at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 6. One main lift, three runs and plenty of snowmaking, sitting on the highest base elevation in the region at 8,260 ft. Here is what is open, what is not (sorry, tubing fans), and how the early North American openings are stacking up.

Europe has had a quiet start to November, but our 10-day forecast has Serre Chevalier on 82 cm and Les 2 Alpes on 71 cm. Two pushes are lined up: a western Alps top-up from Friday, then a bigger, wider system on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 that reaches Italy and Switzerland. Full leaderboard inside.

Mammoth just moved opening day forward to Thursday, November 5, eight days ahead of schedule. A snowy weekend and cold snowmaking nights did the work, and our forecast shows up to 33 inches more landing on November 13 and 14. Here is what opens, what the weather looks like and where Mammoth sits among the early Ikon Pass openers.

Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.
Loading trail map...
More Silvretta Montafon intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.