After the sun sets and while the après drinks are being poured, some intrepid skiers are extending their time on the slopes with a spot of night skiing. Skiing down moonlit slopes under a sky full of stars is an exhilarating experience and one that everybody should try at least once. Not all ski resorts offer night skiing, but when they do it’s often pretty spectacular. Here are our pick of ski resorts with the best night skiing.
Trysil, Norway
The sun sets early during Scandinavian winters, so night skiing kicks off at 4.30pm in Trysil ski resort. The six floodlit slopes are open for night time excursions three days each week throughout the season. As the night skiing finishes at 8pm, you’ll still have plenty of time to dance on the tables at Laaven 1790.
Kitzbühel, Austria
Austria’s Tyrolean ski resort of Kitzbühel has fully embraced night skiing. On the Gaisberg slope, the lifts run until 9.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and the floodlights aren’t switched off until 11pm. The mountain huts are open until late so you can enjoy a tipple and a bite between runs.
Kitzbühel offers two floodlit cross-country courses. These are free to use and open from dusk until 9.30pm each night. The loops both begin at Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith and include a 1.4km trail that’s ideal for beginners, as well as a more challenging 4.2km one for more seasoned skiers.
Sölden, Austria
Sölden ski resort makes night skiing a true spectacle with entertainment on the Gaislachkogl. Following a DJ set, the show takes place at 8pm every Wednesday evening from January until March. It has the feel of an on-the-snow circus, with more than 30 of the resort’s professional ski and snowboard instructors taking the opportunity to demonstrate their acrobatic skills.
There’s also a fireworks display, providing the perfect backdrop for the 4km long floodlit run down to the Gaislachkogl base station. If you’re feeling peckish, you can tuck into some warming local dishes, such as dumpling soup, at the Tiroler Stube restaurant’s Wishing Table.
La Clusaz, France
If you’d prefer to ski by moonlight rather than floodlight, head to the French ski resort of La Clusaz. This resort throws extravagant night skiing events every full moon during the winter season. Revellers take the Crêt du Merle lift up the mountain and ski down by the light of the moon. A rather mystical experience punctuated by stops in the cabins on the way down. Live music pours out of the doors, while cups are regularly filled with mulled wine.
To find out more about the best night skiing please call our ski experts today.
