
Altastenberg delivers a quintessential Sauerland skiing experience with 8km of well-maintained slopes catering primarily to families and intermediate skiers. This historic resort, operating since 1912, combines traditional character with modern facilities, offering reliable snow conditions throughout winter. The uncrowded pistes and authentic western German atmosphere make Altastenberg particularly appealing for those seeking quality skiing within easy reach of the Ruhr Valley population centers.
Altastenberg spreads 17 runs across 9.9 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 41%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 6 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Altastenberg typically operates from December through March, with the most consistent conditions in January and February. The resort has invested significantly in snowmaking technology, with extensive coverage ensuring reliable skiing regardless of natural snowfall patterns. The Sauerland microclimate often delivers surprising powder days, particularly during cold continental weather patterns. The comprehensive grooming fleet maintains excellent piste conditions throughout the winter, even during challenging weather periods.
Located in North Rhine-Westphalia approximately 150km east of Cologne and 170km northeast of Frankfurt, Altastenberg offers exceptional accessibility for millions of Germans living in the densely populated western regions. The resort sits adjacent to the historic town of Winterberg, providing extensive accommodation and dining options. This central location makes it an ideal weekend destination, with excellent motorway connections from major cities. The surrounding Rothaargebirge mountains offer additional winter activities including cross-country skiing, winter hiking, and Germany's renowned bobsleigh track.
Hotels and lodges near Altastenberg, powered by Stay22.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.

I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.

The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.

The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.

Selwyn Snow Resort has called an early end to its 2026 season, a day after Victoria's Mount Baw Baw did the same. Rain on Thursday stripped what was left of the snowpack, and the cold nights needed to rebuild it through snowmaking never arrived. It's a rough result for a resort that only just found its footing again after being burned to the ground in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and a multi-year rebuild. Here's how the season fell apart, and where Selwyn's been since the fire.
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Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
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Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Altastenberg, summit conditions (800m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
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 Altastenberg's 600m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Altastenberg snow data is collected through a combination of on-mountain reports and weather forecasting services, giving you both official resort updates and independent forecast data in one place. The mountain is served by 7 lifts, including a quad chairlift.
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Altastenberg's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.