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Four connected areas, 70 lifts and a World Championship course, yet Saalbach Hinterglemm still runs like a family holiday. Two days on snow and a Worlds Super-G later, here is who it suits, what the Ski ALPIN CARD covers and why Epic Pass holders should pay attention. Big on blues, light on steeps.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.

Saalbach Hinterglemm is back on the FIS Ski World Cup calendar, with two men's speed races confirmed for February 2027. A downhill and Super-G on the Zwölferkogel will replace a scheduled Courchevel stop, following a late calendar adjustment proposed at the FIS Spring Conference. Less than two years after hosting the 2025 World Ski Championships, Saalbach is back in the racing business.

Vail Resorts has dramatically expanded the Epic Pass by adding six major Austrian ski resorts for the 2025/26 season. The strategic announcement brings Saalbach, Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen, Hintertux, and Silvretta Montafon into the network, transforming Austria from a single destination into a comprehensive multi-week skiing option with over 800 kilometres of pistes.

Vail Resorts expands its Epic Pass offering to include Saalbach and Zell am See-Kaprun in Austria for the 2025/26 ski season. This addition provides pass holders access to two of Austria's premier ski areas, enhancing the global appeal of the Epic Pass.

Follow my journey as I tackle "The Challenge" at Saalbach Hinterglemm - Austria's most demanding ski circuit spanning 65km with 12,400m of vertical descent across 32 lifts. Starting at dawn and finishing by afternoon, this ultimate test for skiers and riders showcases why the Skicircus outranks even the famous Sellaronda and White Ring circuits.

The Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm unveils its revolutionary 12er NORD gondola, featuring comfortable 10-seater cabins and enhanced safety measures. This state-of-the-art lift system boosts capacity to 2,600 skiers per hour, marking a significant upgrade for the 2025 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships venue.

The Skicircus of Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn unveils its brand new 10-seater Streuböden gondola, doubling passenger capacity and offering direct slope access from the Fieberbrunn parking area. This state-of-the-art lift features panoramic cabins and sustainable design elements, marking a significant upgrade for the renowned ski resort.
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The Alps are about to swap mild, sunny October weather for something far more wintry. A cold front arrives Tuesday, and SnowStash forecasts have Monterosa Ski out in front with 64 cm over 14 days, ahead of Blatten Belalp (55 cm) and Verbier (43 cm). The snow line should fall below 2000 metres by Wednesday night, and glaciers across Switzerland, Italy and Austria are in line for the best of it. The wind will have a say too.

A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.

Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.

Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.

Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.

Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.

Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.

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.