
Hocheck offers an accessible skiing experience in Upper Bavaria, with 8km of well-maintained slopes catering primarily to families and intermediate skiers. This compact resort combines excellent learning terrain with several more challenging runs, all within easy reach of Munich. The uncrowded pistes and authentic Bavarian character make Hocheck particularly appealing for those seeking quality skiing without traveling to distant Alpine destinations, while the reliable snow conditions ensure consistent experiences throughout winter.
Hocheck is a small Bavarian hill above Oberaudorf, close to the Austrian border, with eight runs and eight kilometres of piste dropping 362 metres from 852 metres to 490 metres. The grading is 38% beginner, 50% intermediate and 12% advanced, with no expert terrain. Elevation is low, so the area leans on grooming and snowmaking more than natural cover. Lifts are straightforward: a quad chair, two surface lifts and three T-bars handle everything, which is plenty for a mountain of this scale and means you can see most of it in a couple of hours.
What distinguishes Hocheck is the evening programme. A long floodlit piste runs on several nights each week, making it a popular after-work option for locals and visitors based in the Inn valley. A floodlit toboggan run of around three kilometres adds appeal for non-skiers in the group. By day, the mix of easy and mid-grade pistes suits families, improving intermediates and anyone wanting a short, convenient session. Advanced skiers get a few steeper pitches but not much more, so it works best as a quick local outing, not a full-week base.
Hocheck typically operates from December through March, with the most reliable conditions in January and February. The resort has invested in extensive snowmaking technology, with coverage ensuring consistent skiing regardless of natural snowfall patterns. The predominantly north-facing slopes maintain good snow quality throughout the season, preserving conditions after storms. The relaxed atmosphere makes it particularly appealing during weekends when larger resorts face overcrowding.
Daily snow reports at Hocheck go back to 2017, 10 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Located near Oberaudorf in Upper Bavaria, Hocheck sits approximately 80km from Munich and just 15km from the Austrian border. The resort enjoys a beautiful position with views extending into the Tyrolean Alps. This accessible location makes it extremely popular for day trips from Munich and the surrounding regions. The charming town of Oberaudorf provides excellent accommodation options and traditional dining serving authentic Bavarian specialties in a truly picturesque Inn Valley setting.
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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.

Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
1 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
More Hocheck intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.