Alpenplus areas announce tariffs: skiing pleasure is becoming significantly more expensive

Created: 09/30/2022, 04:53

By: Gabi Werner

At the cash desks of the mountain railways, like here at the Stümpfling in the Spitzingsee area, snowboard fans have to dig a lot deeper into their pockets this year.

The energy crisis is to blame.

© Archive Thomas Plettenberg

For a long time, the Alpenplus ski areas kept a low profile when it came to the new prices for the lift tickets.

But now it's out: fun on the slopes in the district of Miesbach will be significantly more expensive this year.

Bayrischzell/Spitzingsee/Rottach-Egern

– The energy crisis is also making things difficult for the local railway operators.

As early as August, the Alpenplus partners had therefore announced that the prices for the ski passes would be increased.

It is now clear that the jump in prices at Sudelfeld in Bayrischzell and at Spitzingsee will be more pronounced than many had assumed or even feared.

Example of season passes: Adults now pay 420 euros for the ticket in the pre-sale period (October 15 to November 15), up from 360 euros. A surcharge of 16.6 percent.

The season pass for families now costs 895 euros instead of the previous 770 euros, provided it is purchased early.

When buying from November 16, the families even have to lie down 995 euros.

Alpenplus ski areas: day ticket does not exceed the threshold of 50 euros

Egid Stadler, Managing Director of Bergbahnen Sudelfeld GmbH, is well aware that the steep jump in price will not go down well with many guests.

"However," he says, "compared to other ski areas such as Garmisch Classic, we are still in the favorable range".

This is also emphasized by Alpenplus press spokeswoman Antonia Asenstorfer.

The threshold of 50 euros for the day ticket was not exceeded in the association ski areas, which include Spitzingsee-Tegernsee and Sudelfeld in Bayrischzell as well as Brauneck in Lenggries (Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district).

Parking for train guests is free again at Sudelfeld

The day ticket for adults at Sudelfeld – just like at Brauneck – costs 48 euros this year.

So far, skiers and boarders in Bayrischzell have paid 42 euros, which corresponds to an increase of 14.3 percent.

At Sudelfeld, however, the lift users save elsewhere: "Mountain railway visitors can park for free again," announces Asenstorfer.

Most recently, the guests had to shell out a fee of five euros because of the limited parking space.

The increase for the adult day ticket in the Spitzingsee-Tegernsee ski area is even more significant.

There the Brettlfans have to shell out 45 instead of the previous 39 euros this season - an increase of 15.4 percent.

More moderate increase in children's tickets: "We want to remain family-friendly ski areas"

While the final decision on the pricing of the hourly tickets is still pending, the prices for the children's tickets have already been fixed.

"Here we increased a little more moderately," explains Asenstorfer.

After all, the Alpenplus partners strive to continue to be considered family-friendly areas.

"Children should be able to learn to ski with us in the future." That means in plain language: the price for the children's day ski pass will increase from 19 to 21 euros at Spitzingsee, from 21 to 23 euros at Brauneck and from 20 to 23 euros at Sudelfeld.

Railway operators fear that energy prices will go through the roof

"We don't want to burden the guest unduly," assures Asenstorfer.

Against the background of the exploding prices for diesel and electricity - as both the spokeswoman and Sudelfeld Managing Director Stadler make clear - the railway operators had no choice but to pass the price increases on to the users.

There are still existing contracts with the energy suppliers for many systems in the ski areas until the end of December.

After that, according to Asenstorfer, new prices apply.

You have to expect increases of three to six times.

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The Alpenplus areas don't want to mess with the snowmaking

Stadler is aware that the time could come when some people may no longer be able to afford to ski.

On the other hand, the railway operators could not afford to "calculate with a deficit from the outset".

Because one thing is clear to Stadler: the energy-intensive snowmaking in the ski areas cannot be shaken.

"Then it makes more sense, you lock up immediately." Asenstorfer also emphasizes that there can be no secure season in the Alpenplus areas without the production of artificial snow.

"But we will try to make snow as energy-efficiently as possible," she says.

To save energy: there are no seat heaters in chairlifts

Those responsible had already made it clear in August that the railway operators would like to exploit further savings potential.

For example, there are considerations to run the lifts more slowly when there are fewer visitors or to stop using the seat heaters in the modern chairlifts.

At the same time, Asenstorfer assures: "We want to try to provide our guests with a good offer." Always provided that the railway operators do not get in the way of official requirements.

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