Ski resorts and cross-country ski areas take stock of the season 24/25

Predominantly good to very good conditions - low demand in February 

A season with long periods of cold and sunny weather is drawing to a close. Ten lifts are still in operation. The result: significantly better than the previous winter, but with around 600,000 winter guests, less good than previous winters with similarly good conditions.

Visitors will be able to ski in the Winterberg ski lift carousel until the Easter holidays, that is relatively certain. From 31 March, the number of active lifts will be reduced. Three lifts will open up five pistes around the Poppenberg. 

Weather during the season 

The abundance of sunshine last season was remarkable. Intense areas of precipitation and storms, as we experienced in the two previous winters, were almost completely absent. Only six days between 23 and 30 January brought rain. Due to many long-lasting inversions, the winter months were more pronounced at high altitudes (1.4 degrees) and only slightly too mild in the valleys. With a maximum of 34 centimetres, the amount of natural snow on the Kahler Asten was also below average. 

The first main season was characterised by changeable weather with some snowfall. Only then, in the period between 9 and 23 January, was there snow down to the lower altitudes and a good, closed snow cover at higher altitudes. February was characterised by long, dry periods of frost, which made effective snowmaking possible. Two short, early spring-like phases set in at the end of February and beginning of March. The middle of March once again brought dry and cold winter weather - just in time for the Snowboard World Cup. 

Visitor numbers 

In the changeable first peak season, the high demand met a comparatively small basic supply. The region recorded the largest influx of visitors from the last weekend of the Christmas holidays until around mid-January. While winter sports conditions were consistent and of a high quality towards February, demand declined despite top conditions. The number of winter sports enthusiasts (alpine and Nordic), winter hikers and event visitors between the beginning of December and the end of March therefore totalled around 600,000. Good for guests: hardly any waiting times at the lifts and free travel on the pistes. 

One of the reasons for this was that the holidays of the Danes, Dutch and Belgians were spread over several weeks, so that the travel was well distributed. The short, spring-like phase at the end of February may also have reduced the enjoyment of winter sports - although it did not detract from the good conditions. 

Demand from the relatively new Danish source market has grown noticeably in the core region on a still low basis. However, the proportion of Dutch guests has fallen significantly. Together with the resorts, the ski area operators will investigate the causes over the summer in order to attract Dutch guests with suitable measures in the coming winter. 

Alpine skiing 

While only a few lifts were running during the Christmas holidays, the range of activities increased significantly after the turn of the year. Snowfall right down to the flatlands awakened the desire for snow experiences and winter sports. The number of visitors increased accordingly. On 11 January, 88 lifts were in operation. Thanks to the wide range of offers across the entire region, this demand could be satisfied and channelled to a large extent. The small ski areas with little or no snowmaking also enjoyed two very good weekends during this period.

Ski and toboggan lifts have been operating on the basis of classic snowmaking since 14 December. By 30 March, individual lifts had run for over 100 days. However, the majority of ski resorts with artificial snow have 60 to 90 days of seasonal operation. The small ski areas without snowmaking were open for 5 to 10 days. 

Cross-country skiing 

In the cross-country ski areas, trails were groomed on natural snow on 15 days. Snowfall and hundreds of kilometres of trails attracted cross-country skiers to the region, especially in January. In the period from 13 to 17 January, the number of trails reached its peak with more than 280 kilometres. The operators of the cross-country ski areas are reporting great interest. The number of days on offer alone was below the average of the past ten years. The Westfeld cross-country skiing centre, which is covered in snow, recorded 74 operating days up to 23 March. The many inversions made intensive snowmaking possible in the cold high valley. The operators there are very satisfied with the course of the season.

Campaigns to promote skiing 

The lift operators have launched various campaigns to promote skiing among children and young people. For example, ten ski days for school classes were raffled off throughout the season. From tickets and equipment to ski lessons, everything was free for the winners. The Winterberg ski lift carousel joined the Kids on Ski campaign, in which guests received free accommodation, equipment, tickets and ski lessons for children up to the age of six in the early, middle and late seasons. 

Due to the good and extensive offer, the operators of the Winterberg ski lift carousel spontaneously decided to organise another promotion in the off-season. School classes were allowed to ski for free from 17 to 31 March after prior registration. Equipment was available at half price. Schools from a radius of around 150 kilometres showed interest. Over 600 pupils took advantage of the offer. The response was consistently positive.