Many skiers in the Sauerland don't want to be dictated by the weather when it's winter. So there is a lot going on in the ski area in Winterberg this weekend. The problem is that only a few lifts are open.
Winterberg (dpa / lnw) - Little snow, but big crowds: Long queues sometimes formed at the few open ski lifts in Winterberg on Saturday, despite or precisely because of the mild weather. "Unfortunately, the supply is small, but the demand is great," said a spokeswoman. Only 5 of the 26 lifts in the Skiliftkarussell Winterberg, the largest ski area in the Sauerland, are currently running. A toboggan lift at the Ruhrquelle is also open. All other ski areas in the Sauerland are closed because there is no more snow on the slopes.
People crowded the open ski slopes on Saturday. GPS-controlled snow groomers are used every night in Winterberg, the spokeswoman said. The snow depth is determined centimeter by centimeter with modern technology and the snow is then optimally distributed. "It's about the question: Where does something still have to go and where can we still do without something." Up until Christmas, the winter sports conditions in the Sauerland were actually good. But then double-digit temperatures with heavy rain and strong winds caused a thaw.
Cold winter weather is still not in sight until mid-January, meaning that the snow cannons cannot produce any new snow. However, those responsible want to prevent even more slopes from having to be closed. "The offer will not get any smaller than it is now," said the spokeswoman.
In Winterberg, the two summer toboggan runs are open in the middle of the ski season. There, the rush is just as great as, for example, in the ice rink in neighboring Willingen.
