
Balderschwang sits in the Allgäu Alps as Germany's highest village resort at 1,044m. This family-friendly destination boasts exceptional snow reliability and uncrowded slopes, offering 40km of varied terrain. The resort maintains its authentic Bavarian character while providing quality skiing experiences suitable for beginners and intermediates, with several challenging runs for more advanced skiers seeking a proper workout.
Balderschwang is a village ski area in the Allgäu Alps near the Austrian border, with 37 runs and 41 kilometres of piste between 1,000 and 1,500 metres. That 500 metre vertical is served by a double chair, a quad, a six-seater and eight T-bars. The grading runs 39% beginner, 35% intermediate and 26% advanced, with no expert terrain, so there is genuine variety for mixed groups. Pistes sit mostly among open slopes and trees, which helps in poor weather, and the area is large enough for a full day of varied skiing.
Hochschelpen is the larger side of the area, with the longer pistes dropping toward the village, while Riedberger Horn is gentler and better for families and learners. A short connecting lift links the two, so you can move between them on skis. Freeride routes exist off the main slopes, but conditions need local judgement. Balderschwang suits groups with mixed ability, intermediates wanting quiet pistes, and families after a village base without the crowds of the bigger Allgäu names. Advanced skiers will find enough to enjoy, though experts will want more steeper variety.
The ski season in Balderschwang typically extends from early December through mid-April, with the high-altitude location ensuring consistent snow conditions throughout winter. January and February deliver the most reliable powder days, while the later season often brings brilliant sunshine and well-maintained pistes. The resort's north-facing slopes hold snow exceptionally well, complemented by snowmaking capabilities on key runs.
Located in Bavaria's southwestern corner near the Austrian border, Balderschwang offers a secluded mountain experience while remaining accessible. The resort sits approximately 160km from Munich and 100km from Memmingen Airport. This border location provides visitors with the opportunity to explore both German and Austrian Alpine cultures. The surrounding Allgäu region delivers stunning scenery, with magnificent mountain vistas and picturesque valleys defining the landscape.
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Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.

Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.

Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.

The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.

Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.

Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.
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