Pitztal. The roof of Tirol

The Pitztal is an alpine valley located in Tirol, Austria. The Pitztal is a southern side valley of the Upper Inntal and runs between the valleys Ötztal and Kaunertal.

The Pitztal Glacier is Austria's highest glacier ski resort. The highest point of this large glacier ski area at the end of the Pitztal Valley lies at a staggering 3,440 meters above sea level.

To reach the Pitztal Glacier from the base in Mittelberg you hop-on in the Gletscherexpress funicular mountain railway. After a ca. 8-minute ride with the underground train you will reach the glacier ski area. At the Top station, skiers hop-off at an altitude of 2840 m at the foot of the 14 slopes.

The slopes in the glacier ski area are mainly red though there are also some blue and black pistes. The glacier also has its own Funpark and Halfpipe.

The ski area comprises a total of 22,2 km of pistes located between 1700 m at the base station of the funicular (and the arrival of the signposted, freeride route of "Variante Mittagskogel") and 3440 meters, at the top of the Hinterer Brunnenkogel. The 1700 vertical meters are served by 7 ski lifts (1 funicular, 2 8-person gondolas, 1 chair lift, 1 T-bar, 1 practicing ski lift, and 1 moving carpet in the Kids Land).

The Pitztal Glacier ski area is made up of wide slopes suitable for carving. It is perfect for intermediate skiers. The red run n° 28 (Panorama) from the top is splendid. Extended by red pistes 29 and 23, the slope is long and technical, with a generous view of the surrounding peaks.

The Wildspitzbahn on the Pitztal Glacier is at 3,440 meters above sea level the highest cable car in Tirol. The state-of-the-art lift takes you to the top station on the Hinterer Brunnenkogel (3,440 m) where you can visit the "Café 3440" - the highest café in all Austria. With 61 eight-man gondolas with heated seats, it takes just five and a half minutes to travel the 591 vertical meters from bottom to the top.

There, you can relax and admire the majestic panorama of the Main Alpine Ridge. The huge glass façade guarantees stunning views of the mountains: the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, to the north; the Ötztal and Stubai Alps to the east; the mighty Ortler in Italy to the south; and the Arlberg mountains to the west. And standing there, just three kilometers further south lies the Wildspitze mountain - at 3,770m it is the highest peak in Tirol- and its mighty Taschachferner glacier.

For ski mountaineering skiers, the must-see ski tour in the area is the ascent from the Hinterer Brunnenkogel to the highest peak in Tirol: the Wildspitze, 3,774 m (professional guidance recommended).

The Pitztal Glacier is a well-known spot in the freeride scene. The 3.440 meter high Hinterer Brunnenkogel has everything you need for the feeling of freeriding even in the early winter months: Natural snow, powder and unique descents.

The White 5 ski pass gives you access to the five Tirolean Glaciers. Is valid for 10 nonconsecutive days between October and May for all the lifts and cable cars in the glacier ski resorts of Sölden and the glaciers at Kaunertal, Pitztal, Stubai, and Hintertux.

The Pitztal Regio ski pass allows you to ski at the ski areas of the Pitztal Glacier, Rifflsee, Hochzeiger, Imster, Fendels, and Kaunertal Glacier: 6 ski areas, 76 pistes, 121 kilometers of slopes.

Nearby Rifflsee with its network of slopes up to 2,880 metres above sea level is ideal for families and beginners.

The ski areas in Pitztal are members of Tirol's biggest ski pass network. The Snow Card Tirol offers a huge choice of superlative highlights: 4,000 Slope Kilometers with a Single Ski Pass in 90 Ski Regions spread all over the region.

The fabulous Pitztal Ski Region offers superb skiing from September through May thanks to absolute snow reliability on the glacier slopes and the modern snow management system.

In addition to classic snow-making devices, in Pitztal they also create huge snow storage areas at the end of winter - which help to guarantee the earliest possible start of the next autumn season.

In September 2009 Pitztal hosted the launching event of the IDE All Weather Snowmaker. Pitztal Gletscherbahnen was the second ski resort to order this new kind of artificial snow system.

The Pitztal Glacier presented the technical novelty, setting a new benchmark for a future-proof and environmentally friendly use of the highest glacier ski area in Austria. The IDE All Weather Snowmaker –an innovation from Israel’s IDE Technologies, a world leader and pioneer in water desalination, wastewater concentrators and purifiers– makes it possible for the first time to produce snow without having to depend on Temperature, Humidity, and Wind. It can produce 950 cubic meters of snow in 24 hours by applying vacuum principles.

The early season start in autumn also requires this man-made snow layer between the eternal ice and the natural snow to avoid further glacier recession.