
Hinterstaufen delivers an authentic Bavarian skiing experience in the Allgäu Alps, with 7km of carefully maintained slopes catering primarily to families and intermediate skiers. This compact resort maintains a traditional Alpine character away from mass tourism, offering uncrowded pistes and spectacular mountain panoramas. The manageable size makes it perfect for beginners and children, while still providing enough variety to keep improving skiers engaged throughout their visit.
Hinterstaufen spreads 19 runs across 18 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 56%, with 11 beginner runs to find your feet and 1 advanced or expert run when you want to push.
Hinterstaufen typically operates from mid-December through mid-March, with the best snow conditions usually found in January and February. The resort's snowmaking capabilities cover key runs, ensuring reliable skiing throughout the winter despite its relatively moderate altitude. The north-facing slopes hold snow exceptionally well, often maintaining good conditions when other nearby areas experience thawing. The relaxed atmosphere makes it particularly appealing during peak holiday periods when larger resorts face overcrowding.
Located near Oberstaufen in Bavaria's beautiful Allgäu region, Hinterstaufen sits approximately 180km from Munich and 50km from Lake Constance. The resort benefits from easy access via excellent road connections while maintaining its secluded mountain character. This location provides visitors with opportunities to combine skiing with exploration of the charming Allgäu countryside and traditional Bavarian villages. The nearby town of Oberstaufen offers additional attractions including thermal spas and traditional restaurants serving authentic regional cuisine.
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Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.

Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.

Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.

Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.

Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.

Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.

Silvretta Montafon wants to retire one of its most distinctive lifts. The plan: a single 10-person gondola running direct from Schruns to 1,870 metres, replacing both the two-stage Hochjoch cable car and the 1985 Kropfen chairlift in one move. Capacity jumps from 620 to 3,000 people an hour, and the mid-station transfer disappears entirely. The public hearing lands August 27, 2026 - construction hasn't been confirmed yet, though lift databases are pointing to 2027.

Dolomiti Superski's general assembly has unanimously re-elected Andy Varallo for a third consecutive term, running through 2029. Alongside the leadership renewal comes a bigger shift: a Smartpass that puts your ski pass on your smartphone, more AI in guest services, and an expanded Dolomiti Supersummer program. The 46-year-old Alta Badia cable car entrepreneur says the region's marketing is moving beyond skiing alone, toward positioning the Dolomites as a year-round destination.
The lift system at Hinterstaufen features 5 installations efficiently serving the mountain's varied terrain. The network includes modern chairlifts and surface lifts that maintain steady uphill capacity without lengthy queues. With a vertical drop of 350m, the lifts access diverse skiing zones across the mountain face. The main chairlift delivers skiers to 1,200m, offering magnificent views of the surrounding Allgäu landscape and nearby Staufen mountain.
More Hinterstaufen intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.