The Perks of buying in a Dual Season Ski Resort

Summer skiing is not quite the phenomenon it was back in the 80s. That’s mainly because the skiing is limited, and we’ve got the means to go south of the Equator if we really want to stretch our ski muscles. Despite all this, there are a few very good reasons to buy in a dual season ski resort where the skiing is open in July and August.

As is the case within most national teams, summer is the best time to work on skills and get some focused training to improve your technique before the next season begins. It’s the time of year when there isn't too much terrain open, so working on your skills (be it in the park or elsewhere on the hill) is the best way to make the most of the skiing that is available.

Places like Zermatt, Saas Fee, Tignes and Hintertux open around 20km each, and most of it is devoted to terrain parks, race courses and skills improvement. Because summer skiing is both less popular and limited in terms of slopes available and number of hours they’re skiable for, all resorts with summer skiing have a huge number of activities available after the lifts close.

Many of the more usual activities in the resort are free with a lift pass, with hiking, biking, golfing and swimming common across the Alps, and more unusual activities that range from rope challenges to scooters and slides that lead into a lake. In Tignes le Lac, you can also hire a pedalo and play beach volleyball (something that’s also available in Saas Fee).

In Zermatt, summer visitors will probably have the time that winter visitors don’t in order to visit the various tourist destinations dotted around the famous Matterhorn, as well as stopping off at Europe’s highest viewing platform. Both Zermatt and Saas Fee have snow tubing in summer, with large terrain parks overlooked by restaurants and chill-out zones where skiers can take a break to watch the professionals training.

Ski resorts in the summer months are more relaxed than in the depths of the season; those that ski might only do so for a couple of hours, before going hiking or settling in to watch the ski and board pros doing their off-season training. There's a whole culture in resorts that open during July and August that you won't find anywhere else; if you're planning on heading to the Alps during summer, it's worth thinking about.