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Although there nearly no natural snow, the slopes at Wexl Arena St. Corona am Wechsel are open, Source: Wexl Arena on Facebook
The unusual weather conditions could also lead to problems in the Alpine forests
Austria is a staple country for winter sports, however, due to the warm winter in Europe, many have seen record-low snowfall and almost springlike temperatures. This has pushed some providers to start offering cable car lift services to hikers, combined with family offers and adapted resting places in the mountains.
The ORF reports that several skiing lifts in the Austrian Federal State of Lower Austria have opened hiking and biking trails. While some also feature skiable slopes, the Großer Ötscher" double chair lift in Lackenhof am Ötscher will not transport skiers, but only pedestrians, this weekend.
Additionally, experts University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna claim that alpine forests are going into ‘spring’ mode and starting to wake up way too early. This can present a major problem for the ecosystem because if winter temperatures decide to take a dive, the frost can damage the buds and the natural ecosystem’s cycle.
Hubert Hasenauer, head of the Institute for Forestry was quoted explaining that pests also become active earlier and are also more violent. He also warned that a lack of snow can lead to drought conditions in forests come spring, as it acts as a reservoir.
Many ski resorts in Lower Austria have decided to adapt to the warm winter situation by opening up lifts to pedestrians, hikers and bikers. For example, Ötscher lifts in Lackenhof am Ötscher, will be open to pedestrians this weekend, while the "Großer Ötscher" double chair lift will not accept skiers at all. Before the end of the year, St. Corona am Wechsel announced the opening of ski slopes and the motorbike park due to the lack of snow.
Opening of Motorbike park at Wexl Arena, 29 December, Source: Wexl Arena on Facebook
In the Gemeindealpe Mitterbach resort, pedestrians will be able to use the Bodenbauerexpress quad chairlift and the Gipfelbahn double chairlift on the weekend. At the neighbouring Mariazeller Bürgeralpe, in addition to skiable slopes, the resort will also offer a three-lake hiking trail from the Bürgeralpe Express mountain station and the "Backside Up" bike route.
At the Erlebnisalm Mönichkirchen visitors can walk to the Mönichkirchner Schwaig. At the Semmering-Hirschenkogel Bergbahnen, pedestrians can use the gondola lift parallel while the hiking trails will not require snow shoes.
Additionally, the ORF reported that despite catering to hikers, resorts will offer skiing in parallel and the weather conditions will not interfere with ski lessons. According to a statement by Ecoplus Alpin GmbH, managing many of the resorts, the shift to hikers is part of local tourism’s push to provide a year-round package.
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