
Corvatsch
120km of piste, 1,506m vertical, 3,303m summit. North-facing powder skiing in Graubünden, Switzerland.
Corvatsch rises to 3,303 metres above the Upper Engadin valley, claiming the highest mountain station in Graubünden and a commanding 1,506-metre vertical drop. The resort spreads 120 kilometres of piste across 26 marked runs, with 74 per cent graded intermediate and north-facing slopes that hold snow reliably from late November through April. Three aerial tramways access separate sectors at Corvatsch, Furtschellas and Murtèl, whilst the peak station sits above a small glacier that extends skiing well into spring.
Intermediate terrain dominates with wide cruising runs and sustained descents reaching 1,000 vertical metres on several lines. The 9-kilometre Hahnensee piste drops from Corvatsch summit to St Moritz Bad, threading through varied pitch and aspect. Furtschellas offers gentler graded blues for progression, whilst expert terrain includes steep couloirs and marked freeride zones above the glacier. Corvatsch Park ranks among the Alps' larger terrain parks, hosting FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Cup events annually.
The mountain attracts a sports-focused clientele distinct from the neighbouring Corviglia scene. On-mountain dining centres on substance rather than luxury, with the 3,303-metre summit restaurant serving polenta-based dishes and mid-station Murtèl offering wood-fired pizza. Friday night skiing illuminates a 4.2-kilometre run, Switzerland's longest floodlit descent. The Hossa Bar at mid-mountain anchors après activity.
Ikon Pass holders receive seven days' combined access across all St Moritz areas, with Corvatsch included in the Engadin Mountain Pool regional pass. The 2025-26 season runs 22 November to 26 April. Corvatsch suits confident intermediates and expert skiers seeking sustained vertical and reliable snow conditions away from St Moritz's central crowds.
Corvatsch spreads 26 runs across 120 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 74%, with 3 beginner runs to find your feet and 4 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season opened 22 November and runs through 26 April, spanning five months of lift-served skiing. Corvatsch typically operates one of the Engadin's longer seasons, with north-facing aspects and high elevation preserving coverage into late spring. Early-season openings in late November align with the resort's 3,303-metre summit elevation advantage.
Snowfall averages 760 centimetres annually at upper elevations, though recent seasons show variability. The 30-year average sits near 170 centimetres, whilst the 2023-24 season delivered only 80 centimetres. North-facing exposure and glacier presence help maintain base depths above 100 centimetres during peak winter. Limited snowmaking supplements natural accumulation on key runs including the night skiing route.
January through March delivers prime conditions, with February offering the deepest snowpack and coldest temperatures for powder preservation. April extends the season on upper slopes, where spring corn develops reliably on sun-exposed aspects. Powder can linger for days in shaded sectors given Corvatsch's quieter midweek traffic compared to Corviglia.
Friday night skiing runs 7pm to 1am December through January and 7pm to 2am February through April on the 4.2-kilometre illuminated descent. The Corvatsch Park terrain features and halfpipe operate throughout the season. No summer glacier skiing operates despite the summit's elevation. Mid-November through early May represents the reliable window for snow conditions.
Corvatsch occupies the south-western flank of the Upper Engadin valley in Graubünden canton, opposite St Moritz across the valley floor. Base facilities sit between 1,797 and 1,870 metres elevation near the villages of Surlej, Silvaplana and Sils im Engadin. The resort stands 12 kilometres by road south-west of St Moritz town centre, surrounded by peaks including the 3,451-metre Piz Corvatsch summit.
Silvaplana (population 900) and neighbouring Surlej provide the closest accommodation options, connected by free electric shuttle buses running every 20 minutes to the Corvatsch tramway. Sils im Engadin lies 1.1 kilometres from base facilities, whilst St Moritz sits 7 kilometres distant with regular PostBus connections. The valley's lake plateau stretches below at 1,800 metres, flanked by Piz Bernina at 4,049 metres to the south.
Road access follows Route 3 through the Engadin valley, reached via Julier Pass from the north or Maloja Pass from the south. Zurich lies 203 kilometres distant with a 2.5-hour drive via Chur, the Graubünden capital 86 kilometres north. Milan sits 125 kilometres south-west over the Maloja Pass. The Vereina rail tunnel offers an alternative approach from Austria.
Zurich Airport (ZRH) provides the primary international gateway at 211 kilometres, requiring 2 hours 47 minutes by car. Milan Malpensa (MXP) sits 183 kilometres distant. Train connections run from both airports to St Moritz station via Chur on the Rhaetian Railway, with journey times near 4.5 hours from Zurich. Local buses complete the final 8-kilometre transfer from St Moritz to Corvatsch base stations.
Hotels and lodges near Corvatsch, powered by Stay22.

Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
2 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
More Corvatsch intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.