Start of the ski season near Kitzbühel: The white band

For some, the annual discussion about the consequences of the ski circus in the winter sports regions of the Alps is certainly cold. But the fact that the fun started in the low-lying Kitzbühel ski area last weekend has once again led to heated discussions in Austria.

"At a good 20 degrees you have to worry about the ski slope," mocked Greens from the affected city Mittersill on Facebook to the collected remains at the Resterhöhe. And: "In times of a climate crisis, one could also experience an image damage." A representative of the party told the station ORF that the mountains would provide enough free time even without snow.

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The WWF also criticizes the 700 meters winter. "The photos from the start of the season impressively show that respect for nature in winter tourism is getting more and more lost," said Josef Schrank, landscape ecologist at the Austrian Environmental Association. Apart from this piste in the Pinzgau is currently possible only in the much higher glacier ski resorts in the Alps skiing.

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The mayor of Mittersill, however, can not understand the excitement. Wolfgang Viertler told the ORF program "Zeit im Bild" that he believes "that is a bit churned up by Fridays for Future". On the contrary, the slopes used mainly by ski clubs for training purposes would even yield some advantages: The athletes would no longer have to go anywhere, and snow would be recycled for the slopes.

Mountain railway boss Josef Burger said the "standard" turn, the last season's snow was stored under a tarp and thus protected from heat. Not even 13 percent of the amount of snow was lost over the summer months. For him, but also something else. Burger told the ORF: "It's about added value." It's important for the season ticket holder to be able to use as many days as possible. "

And this offer of up to 200 possible ski days per year is apparently also accepted. Hundreds of winter sportsmen were already wagging on the narrow strip on Sunday.