Early Season Resorts
There are various options to get away early in the season, by which I mean anytime before December in the European hemisphere. These are by no means all tried and tested, so any updates from your trips would be welcome. Here are a few you could try if you’re close by, and others that might be more suitable for a week away. Whatever you decide - enjoy your first taste of freedom on snow!
Dachstein Glacier, Austria
The Dachstein Glacier, near Ramsau has got to be one of THE best know places for early cross country skiing. But did you know that it is currently closed until May 2024 because they are doing a major restoration of the cable car?
At an altitude of 2700 m, from July to November there is an opportunity to enjoy 1,5 kms of diagonal and skating trails, as shown by Route 1 on this map.
The panorama trail has fabulous views and pure mountain air. However, as you can see from the photos is a winding practice loop only and would become rather monotonous after a few hours of training.
There are no prices currently available until the restoration work is completed, but I would imagine with the cable car access as well, the ticket price would not be cheap.
One of our old favourites! Levi opens their cross country skiing in the 1st week of October where they lay a few kilometres of stored last season snow. This is at Dreivi, which is at Bus stop 9 on the ski bus route. This year, because of their snow storage, they have laid a 4.2 km strip. Levi has a good infrastructure for a holiday, but you might want to wait another month for the snow to start falling and more tracks to be available before you hop on a plane.
Ruka, Finland
Ruka offers a long cross country season from October to April on groomed trails, many of which are lit. The first ski trail is laid around 13 October and you can check the status of trails online. They are also trialling a multi purpose all year round Vuosseli outdoor trail around Ruka's Vuosselijärvi and Rokova area, with a dedicated section only for skiing. It is planned that this will be available from late Autumn 2023. Webcams.
Bruksvallana, Sweden
Bruksvallarna is one of the world’s most snow secure ski resorts. The natural snow normally arrives in late October/early November and they are able to prepare around 50 kms of cross country tracks. The entire Nordic Ski trail system opens in mid-December where more than 300 km of ski trails await you.
Kiruna, Sweden
In September 2023 there was an incredible 38 cms of snowfall in this northern Swedish town, not seen since 1905. The previous record for September was in 1932 when they had 21 cms. Kiruna offers 63 kms of cross country ski trails, 28 kms of which are lit. There is a sports stadium at the Matojärvi sports arena, in connection to the Matojärvi World Cup track. You can rent skis at Camp Ripan and the Café Sport Luossavaara and the tracks start around the corner. Most of the tracks are free but for the fee-based ones, you need a ski pass. The season for cross country skiing goes from the end of October until the end of April. More information on their website. Ski track information for grooming conditions and routes.
Beitostølen, Norway
There tends to be a reasonable amount of snow for cross country skiing in Beitostølen each year. Take a look at the webcams on the resort page to see the latest situation.
Leutash, Austria
The cross-country skiing season in Leutash starts, weather permitting on 17.11.2023 with a snowfarming trail. This is easily reached from Seefeld by bus or car, and consists of a 3km track with a hill for practise. There is plenty of accommodation to book in Seefeld, and some in Leutasch, but this is less scarce in early season. The season kicks off properly in mid December in Seefeld with the opportunity to try out new skis. These photos were taken mid December 2022.
Pitztal, Austria
Pitzal generally has 108.5 kms of trails, and 21.7 kms of these tracks go along the valley from Wiese up to Mandarfen, which stands at 1,743 metres and has ideal conditions even in warmer winters. The panoramic views along the trail follow the mountain river Pitze. The newly installed
Pitztal Glacier Cross-country Ski Center - in close vicinity to the Mittelbergbahn lift - offers professionally groomed Nordic skiing tracks for classic-style cross-country skiers and skaters.
From autumn to spring cross-country skiers can ski at altitude on the top of the Pitztal Glacier at 2,760 metres against a breath-taking backdrop (prices cross-country skiing lift ticket glacier).
St Leonhard im Pitztal, Austria
Rifflsee Lake sits at a high elevation in St. Leonhard, Pitztal Valley, and receives lots of snow and a longer ski season. It is usually open from mid-September through mid-May and the loop at Rifflee has a 3.7 km loop that climbs to 2,250 metres above sea level.
Plätzwiese, Italy
This area is situated in the Braies Valley, a short distance from Dobiacco, on the 2000 Plätzwiese/Prato Piazza high plateau The unique circuit is also recommended for beginners and experts alike and is 6.5km with a height difference of 5 ms. There are also some lovely views of the famous peaks of the Dolomites ( Hohe Gaisl/Corda Rossa, Cristallo and Tofane).
It is accessible by public transport and the timetable is available on the website https://suedtirolmobil.info/en/
Location - Valley entrance Braies – road junction to Plätzwiese/Prato Piazza – continue to Ponticello. From Ponticello to Plätzwiese/ Prato Piazza there is a traffic regulation from December to April (driving up is only possible until 10 am and after 2 pm). Snow tyres or snow chains are mandatory but there is a shuttle service available.
