Winter sports in crisis mode: Ski lifts fight with little snow!

Winter sports in crisis mode: Ski lifts fight with little snow!

Holzelfingen, Deutschland - The winter season 2025 has produced mixed results in Baden-Württemberg. In the northern Black Forest in particular, many ski lift operators were able to record an average season thanks to artificial snow. Nevertheless, only a few lifts were in operation, and climate change also seems to leave its traces here. On the Swabian Alb, the balance was unsatisfactory and the operators woke up over a significantly shortened season.

The operators of the winter sports arena in Holzelfingen, in the Reutlingen district, were satisfied with 20 out of an average of 25 snow days, which they could record thanks to technical snow. In Genkingen, the lift operators were able to cover their expenses through two weeks tobogganing and two skiing weekends. In contrast, the WSV Albstadt-Tailfingen did not report any skiing because the amount of snow was not sufficient; Only 15 centimeters of snow fell in Albstadt.

challenges from climate change

liftwart Jürgen Estler expressed his disappointment over the season, especially in view of the club's 100th anniversary. Ernst Herrmann, an operator from the northern Black Forest, emphasized how important snowmaking is for the general record of the season. There were about 65 skiing days at the Seibelseckle in one year, which is somewhat below the record of 120 days. Nevertheless, high number of visitors were recorded.

in Unterstmatt is satisfied with around 50 lift days, but notes that fewer visitors came than expected during the carnival holidays. Rainer Haberstroh from the flour head reported 35 skiing and a fluctuating temperature. The operators in the northern Black Forest continue to believe in the future of winter sports, although they perceive climate changes that have a negative impact on snow reliability.

The influence of artificial snow

artificial snowmobments plays an important role in the debate about winter sports, both in Baden-Württemberg and in the Alps. According to information from Marmota Maps , it enables low-located slopes from the start of the season to the end of snow. More than 67 % of the slopes in the Alps is artificially snowed. This technology has increased significantly in recent years, but it is also expensive and requires considerable water and energy consumption.

In order to snow, for example, a hectare slopes with 30 cm snow, about 20,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 1,000 m³ of water are required. Artificial snow can make it easier to maintain the slopes in a way, but it also has an impact on the natural water cycle and can bring serious ecological consequences, as nabu

The challenge for many ski regions is to find a balance between the requirements of ski tourism, economy and nature conservation. While climate -neutral approaches are already being followed in some highly developed regions, such as Ischgl in Tyrol, other areas continue to fight with the fundamental problems of continuing climate change and the associated shortening of the snow season.