
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, home of the Hündle area above Oberstaufen, covers 19 runs and 18 kilometres between 745 metres and 1,170 metres, a vertical of 425 metres. More than half the terrain is beginner-graded at 56%, with 41% intermediate and just 3% advanced, and no expert runs. This is a low-altitude, easygoing hill where learners are well looked after. Uphill transport is a gondola, a six-seater chair, a surface lift and five T-bars, which is plenty for the size of the area and keeps the lines moving without fuss.
Expect long, forgiving blues that wind down towards the valley, with a handful of reds for those who want a bit more pace. A dedicated children's area at the base and a beginner zone higher up make the Hündlebahn a sensible pick for ski school groups and first-timers. Better skiers can still enjoy a few quick laps, but the advanced share is tiny, so keen riders should treat this as a day-trip rather than a destination. Its modest elevation also means conditions depend heavily on recent weather and the snowmaking.
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.
Daily snow reports at Hinterstaufen go back to 2017, 10 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
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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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.

Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.

The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.

A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.

Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.

Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.

Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.

Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
More Hinterstaufen intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.