Dachstein Glacier Ski Area Austria
Dachstein Glacier ski area in central Austria provides amazing freeride skiing adventures for the intrepid. The highest ski area in the region, Dachstein Glacier has skiing potential over an extended season plus backcountry possibilities to nearby Krippenstein & down into Ramsau. Up until recently a fully functioning ski resort, nowadays, aside from the gondola ride up to the glacier plateau, everything else is human powered. Lift-assisted skiing on Dachstein Glacier ceased a few seasons ago due to environmental & economic issues.
Situated in a spectacular location between the ski areas of Schladming & Krippenstein, Dachstein Glacier has a multitude of other activities to undertake on the mountain, plus cross-country ski trails and the Austrian National Skitour route from the gondola top station all the way past Krippenstein and into Obertraun village.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Skiing is theoretically possible at Dachstein Glacier all year round IF the cable car is running, AND the snow on the glacier is in good condition. The cable car climbs 1,000m vertical from 1,700m to 2,700m for most of the year, but with some notable exceptions (see ‘Operating Times’ below). The previous ski lifts (surface tows & a chairlift) served around 450m of skiable vertical on the glacier side of the mountain, much of which would still be skiable from winter into spring and early summer (but without the lifts to assist you!). When the winter snow arrives and the valleys fill in, freeride descents of 1,000m vertical or more are possible back down to the cable car valley station or all the way down to Ramsau village via the Ramsau Skiweg. The Ramsau Skiweg starts at the cable car valley station and runs for over 5km all the way into Ramsau. It can be done by ski or on sled (rodel). The trail passes several fantastic mountain hüttes including the historic Brandalm & convivial Dachsteinhaus. Further along the range, other descents are possible down to Ramsau via the Guttenberghaus.
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Ski Maps
Check out the outdated ski trail map for Dachstein Glacier below. It still shows all the lift infrastructure which has since been either dismantled or decommissioned. It does however show the potential ski routes for touring & other shenanigans.
For more interesting descents & ski-touring, the freeride map for Dachstein Glacier displays several more of the possibilities.
Dachstein Glacier Cable Car Operating Times
The Dachstein Glacier cable car operates to the following general schedule:
- Late December (just before Christmas) to early January (until the end of the first week) - Open Daily from 8am to 4.20pm
- Early January (from start of the second week) to early April - Open 6-days a week from 8am to 4.20pm, but is CLOSED on Tuesdays
- Early April to late May - Closed
- Late May to early November - Open daily 8am to 5.20pm
- Early November to Late December - Closed
Lift Passes
The normal ski pass for Dachstein Glacier is now called a 'Ski-touring Ticket'. It includes the toll for driving on the Dachstein Toll Road (see below for more detail on the Dachsteinstraße). It is not clear whether the reasonably expensive ticket includes multiple use of the cable car on any one day, or if it is just for one up and one down journey ...... hmmm, we don't like not knowing and will find out!
Ramsau am Dachstein - Rittisberg Skiing & Snowboarding
Arrayed across the broad plateau around the village of Ramsau are several ski lifts & trails well-suited to (in fact targeted at) children, families & beginner. The Ramsau Skiweg from the Dachstein Glacier cable station intersects two of the ski lifts as it approaches the village. The major lift is the new Rittisberg chondola (combi chairlift & gondola), serving 350m of vertical up to a highest lifted point of only 1,500m. Twelve other surface tows & conveyors make up the rest of the infrastructure, with much of it disconnected from each other. Total length of ski trails (not counting the Ramsau Skiweg) is about 13km, with the longest a 3 to 4km gentle slide down from Rittisberg called the Märchenabfahrt. Check out the ski trail map for Ramsau am Dachstein - Rittisberg below.
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Where is Dachstein Glacier Austria?
Dachstein Glacier straddles the Styria (Steiermark) & Upper Austria states of central Austria, 88km (less than 1½hr) by road south of the city of Salzburg via Filzmoos. The closest major airport for intercontinental travellers is at Munich in Germany, 255km away, or just under 3hr drive. The airport at Salzburg (SZG) can be used for travellers from the UK or within Europe, but all others are likely best to use Munich (MUC) international airport.
The nearest village to Dachstein Glacier is Ramsau am Dachstein on the Styria side of the mountain, the centre of which is just 9km (15 min drive) away, nestled delightfully on a forested plateau above the Enns River valley (Ennstal). The major ski town of Schladming is down in the Ennstal, just 16km (30min drive) from the Dachstein cable car station.
With a rental car, driving up to the cable car base of Dachstein Glacier is via the Dachsteinstraße, which runs for the final 5km of the journey up the mountain. Dachsteinstraße is a private toll road, with a fee per vehicle payable upon exiting the road. Holders of a cable car ticket can validate their ticket and drive the road for free. Car parking at the cable car station is free.
On public transport, it is easy to get to Schladming by train from Munich via Salzburg and then take the RVB bus or a taxi to Dachstein or Ramsau. From Munich airport the journey usually requires 3 trains - the S8 line to Munich Ost, change to Salzburg, then a final change from Salzburg to Schladming. Journey time should be just over 4hr. From Salzburg station, the train to Schladming takes around 90min.
RVB buses run from Schladming (at the base of the Planai gondola) up to Dachstein Glacier via the Ramsau village & plateau on route 960. The 960 bus usually runs at least 4-6 times per day in each direction, with both morning & afternoon services. If travelling up on the bus, no toll road payment is required for the Dachsteinstraße, just the price of the bus ticket. Total journey time from Schladming to Dachstein cable car is about 50min.
Dachstein Ski Accommodation
Situated in a broad, elevated plateau above Schladming & the Enns River, the pretty village of Ramsau am Dachstein provides numerous stellar accommodation options for staying in the region. Whilst Schladming shivers in the full shade of winter, Ramsau basks in sunlight. At around 1,200m altitude, Ramsau will likely have snow for much of winter and with all the winter activities on offer locally can certainly provide a wonderful taste of winter in Austria. A full range of hotels, apartments, pensions, farm-stays & full holiday homes are scattered throughout the valley in amongst a few local ski tows & cross-country trails that criss-cross the region.
In the centre of the village try the family-run 4-star Aktivhotel Pehab. For a budget-friendly alternative, the Mountain Hostel is just a short drive from the village. Several superb hotels like the Hotel Lindenhof & Hotel Lärchenhof are worth a look, even as an alternative to staying in bustling Schladming!
Lovers of getting closer to the real action will possibly prefer to stay at the Berghotel Türlwand, situated at 1,700m altitude, just across the road from the Dachstein Glacier cable car base. The hotel is 'ski-in' during winter off the main freeride route down from the glacier.
Search & book here for all Dachstein Glacier ski accommodation.
Activities
Dachstein Glacier has a number of 'tourist' activities along the summit ridge that may interest visitors. A suspension bridge, 'Ice Palace', 'Sky Walk' and the 'Stairway to Nothingness' are worth a few minutes of your time, particularly if you have never experienced such things before. Down in Ramsau village, amongst other activities there are winter walking trails around Rittisberg, and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the valley.
See the Dachstein Glacier map below for some details on activities.
Review
The Powderhounds visited Dachstein Glacier on a lovely, sunny Saturday in January 2022, and despite some great snow conditions, unfortunately found the access cable car closed for 'maintenance'! We will try to re-visit sometime in the coming years. More information about this European ski area will come after our visit. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, new photos & insights.
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