
Söllereck delivers a brilliant family-focused skiing experience in the Allgäu Alps, with 13km of beautifully groomed slopes catering primarily to beginners and intermediates. This accessible mountain combines excellent learning terrain with spectacular views extending to Austria's Vorarlberg region. The uncrowded pistes and authentic Bavarian character make Söllereck an excellent alternative to larger, busier resorts, while still providing high-quality facilities and reliable snow conditions throughout winter.
Söllereck is the family-focused ski area above Oberstdorf in the Allgäu, with 13 runs over 14 kilometres and a vertical of 630 metres from 820 to 1,450 metres. More than half the terrain is beginner at 56%, with 39% intermediate and just 5% advanced. A gondola and a six-seat chair do the heavy lifting, backed by three surface lifts and two T-bars. The modern gondola leaves from a base station beside the car park, which makes the logistics easy for parents juggling kids, boots and skis on a busy weekend.
Wide, moderately pitched slopes make this the natural classroom for Oberstdorf ski schools, and a dedicated children's area at the bottom, Söllis Winterwelt, keeps small skiers occupied with practice lifts and figure slaloms. Cruising blues dominate, with a few reds for those who want a little more edge. There is no real steep or off-piste challenge, so strong skiers usually head elsewhere in the Oberstdorf valley. Söllereck suits young families, first-timers and relaxed cruisers who value gentle terrain, easy access and a tidy mountain over technical difficulty.
Söllereck typically operates from December through March, with the most consistent conditions in January and February. The resort benefits from substantial natural snowfall, averaging 3-4m annually, complemented by strategic snowmaking on main runs. The predominantly north-facing slopes maintain excellent snow quality throughout the season, often delivering good skiing conditions well into March. The relaxed atmosphere makes it particularly appealing during school holidays when larger resorts face overcrowding.
Located near Oberstdorf in Bavaria's beautiful Allgäu region, Söllereck sits approximately 180km from Munich and 100km from Memmingen Airport. The resort enjoys a spectacular position with stunning views extending into Austria. This accessible location allows for easy connectivity with nearby resorts including Fellhorn-Kanzelwand, creating diverse skiing options. The Olympic town of Oberstdorf provides extensive accommodation, dining options, and additional winter activities including world-class ski jumping facilities and cross-country trails.
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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.
More Söllereck intelligence: trail map, lift system, resort overview.