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With temperatures above freezing in all state capitals around noon on Dec. 24, elevator operators now expect the sun to shine next weekend. A broadcast from the APA revealed that they were satisfied with compliance with the crown’s security measures, but less with income.
Interest in skiing for the first time this winter was limited in Tyrol and Vorarlberg until the early afternoon. “The situation is very relaxed, the number of skiers is manageable; for us it is a good test to settle into the season,” said Vorarlberger Seilbahnen spokesman Andreas Gapp. He stressed that ski fans behave in a very disciplined way: “People take the situation in Corona seriously. Almost everyone comes with their own mask.”
In addition to Corona, in the opinion of Franz Hrl, managing director of the Gerlos ski area and president of the professional ropeway association of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, bad weather has spoiled a better start to the winter season. “I could have greeted everyone personally today,” Hrl said. It is mainly the locals with their children who are on the slopes, but there are also a relatively good number of ski areas with a high proportion of second homes, says Hrl: “We are far from bringing costs,” he emphasized.
The spokesman for the Salzburg cable cars, Erich Egger, reported today that a “test with few people” went quite well, which is also attributed to the rainy weather. Many had already queued up very early, the largest number of people had been before ten at night. Overall, the number of skiers, mostly local, remained manageable. People were very disciplined, so Egger, there were only very few problems. For example, some guests had valve FFP2 masks, which was not allowed. The controls are difficult when people wear tube scarves over their masks.
A similar image was presented in Upper Austria with a similar climate. In the Dachstein-West ski area it was said that not much happened. The Wurzeralm reported 500 skiers in the morning, the Hss at Hinterstoder 1,000. However, the guests were also praised for their discipline, most of them had brought their own FFP2 masks. The traffic concept worked well too, a spokeswoman said.
It was also manageable in the Krnten and Styria ski areas. Webcams from both small and large ski areas on both sides of the pack showed few people, mostly young people and students, and free slopes. Elevator clearances could easily be maintained due to lack of crowds. In some large ski areas, like Schladminger Planai, staff in yellow jackets were available at the lift stations with the words “Information Equipment” on them.
The small family ski areas, which opened in western and eastern Styria on December 24, had a very good visit, but there were few cars in the parking lots. The Weinebene, which is located exactly on the border between Krnten and Styria, does not want to open until Christmas Day. There was also little happening at Lachtal near Judenburg and at Riesneralm, Hochwurzen near Rohrmoos, Hauser Kaibling, Planai, and Galsterbergalm near Pruggern in Ennstal.
In Krnten, the situation was the same with relatively few winter sports enthusiasts. Fog in Nassfeld, slightly better weather in Turracher Hhe in the Styrian-Krntner border area and in nearby Falkert took their toll.
On the Hochkar and Tschers slopes in Lower Austria, around 500 guests took the opportunity to ski until the afternoon. Andreas Buder, authorized representative for Hochkar Bergbahnen and managing director of the tscher lifts, was “relieved”. He described the good mood in the ski area. The mandatory use of FFP2 masks on the Hochkar four-seater chairlift “was observed by all”.
