Area development
Reduction of the slope area in favor of more quality and nature conservation
The number of ski runs has not increased for a long time now. The number of ski resorts peaked in the 1960s and 1970s. Driven by the unusually snowy 1960s, ski resorts sprang up across the entire Rothaar Ridge. In the wake of the snow-poor 1980s and 1990s, many of the small ski resorts, mostly in the remote mid-altitude areas, ceased operations.
The area used for winter sports has been declining for years. 34 ski resorts, which formerly had 42 ski lifts and 64 hectares of piste area, have ceased operations. The actual piste area has decreased by 13.7 per cent.
Growth of the season days - reduction of the slope area
The Wintersport Arena Master Plan, developed in the 1990s, came into use in the early 2000s. It ensured a leap in the development of slope quality, lift comfort, snow reliability and thus the number of operating days. However, an expansion of the ski slope area did not take place in the course of this.
Instead, since the 1980s, the area of slopes used for winter sports has been reduced. This was clearly done in favor of more quality as well as in favor of nature conservation. This is because most of the redeveloped areas are now under nature conservation. Large parts of the still active ski areas are also under nature protection
Concentration in a small area
Almost 90 per cent of the total ski area is concentrated within a five-kilometre radius of the Kahlen Asten. Yet even here, nature lovers can discover vast stretches of countryside untouched by winter sports. The reduction in the areas used for winter sports has not only improved the quality of the winter sports on offer; by concentrating activities on a few high-performance sites, pressure on sensitive areas has been eased.
The vast majority of the forests remain largely untouched by winter sports operations and provide a safe haven for local wildlife, which needs particular peace and quiet during the winter.
The current ski slope area of the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena covers 248.3 hectares. In total, the proportion of ski slope area amounts to around 0.047 per cent of the total area of the Sauerland/Siegerland-Wittgenstein region under consideration. In contrast, the Sauerland alone boasts 40,000 kilometres of hiking trails, some of which are heavily used. Only a very small proportion – such as car parks or buildings housing ski-slope catering facilities – is sealed surface. Meadows make up by far the largest proportion.
Approximately 159 hectares are covered by artificial snow, representing around 64 per cent of the total ski slope area and around 0.030 per cent of the total area of the Sauerland/Siegerland-Wittgenstein region under consideration. Ski slopes are not monotonous sports areas and, for the most part, are not sealed surfaces. They consist largely of meadows and near-natural areas, some of which are of high ecological value and are preserved through extensive use and maintenance. 18.5 per cent of the ski slope areas in the Sauerland/Siegerland-Wittgenstein region are either FFH sites or nature reserves.
In the Willingen ski resort, the figure is as high as 42 per cent. These protected areas were largely designated within ski resorts that have existed for a long time.