Winter sports arena Sauerland: Good winter season with two strong peak seasons

The Sauerland winter sports region has drawn a mixed conclusion. Two successful peak seasons made for an economically important season. While the persistent cold weather benefited the areas with artificial snow, the smaller resorts lacked natural snow. Some lifts will continue to operate until April 12th. The FIS Snowboard World Cup finals, one of the season's highlights, are still to come.

The persistent cold helped the snow-covered areas.

The winter of 2025/26 was cold and persistent, but not a winter with significant natural snowfall. There were 40 days with frost on the Kahler Asten mountain. January, along with 2017 and 2021, was among the coldest beginnings of the year in the last 15 years. At the same time, the snow depth reached an average maximum of 47 centimeters. More than 20 centimeters of snow lay on the ground for 26 days. This was very beneficial for ski resorts with snowmaking systems. They were able to produce snow in several phases and ensure coverage during the two peak seasons. Smaller ski resorts with little or no snowmaking had a significantly harder time. They lacked natural snow. Cross-country ski areas also missed out on natural snow. The Westfeld cross-country skiing center had a clear advantage with its snowmaking system.

Two peak seasons carried the season

The two peak seasons are economically crucial. The Christmas holidays went very well in the core region. The beginning of February, with the Danish school holidays and the Lower Saxony mid-term break, also went very well. The first part of the Belgian and Dutch school holidays was equally positive. The second part of these holidays still went well, weather permitting. With increasingly spring-like temperatures, demand declined somewhat despite a wide range of options and good conditions. Local guests enjoyed beautiful spring skiing during this period and were very satisfied.

January bridged the gap

January bridged the gap to the second peak season. The month remained consistently cold. During this time, the ski resorts with artificial snow built up snow reserves, thus ensuring a successful second peak season in February.

Different circumstances, different outcomes

The season varied depending on snowmaking capacity, investment resources, and visitor numbers. Large ski resorts were able to take advantage of the consistently cold weather and maintain a wide range of high-quality offerings for an extended period. Medium-sized resorts also benefited from the consistently cold spells. At the same time, they are feeling the increasing cost pressure more acutely. The costs for snow production, energy, personnel, grooming, and modernization are particularly noticeable here. Smaller resorts often operate more flexibly and develop individual strategies. However, in a winter with little natural snow, they reach their limits more quickly if snowmaking is only possible to a limited extent or not at all.

Operating days alone say little about economic importance, but rather about the quality of the winter season. Medium-sized ski resorts had 60 to 90 operating days this season. Smaller resorts had up to 20 days. The Winterberg ski lift carousel alone will have 137 operating days by the end of the season, but at least five of those weeks will be of minor economic significance.

Cross-country skiing: decent, but heavily dependent on natural snow conditions.

The cross-country skiing season was quite successful. With a maximum of 31 days of natural snow trails, the winter surpassed many previous years. The last time there were more trail days was during the pandemic winter of 2020/21. The number of available trails peaked on January 11th with 402 kilometers. Another strong period followed at the end of January and beginning of February. The Westfeld cross-country skiing center played a special role, as its snowmaking system ensured almost 70 days of operation. The stadium area there will remain open until March 15th.

Strong signals also from competitive sports

Athletes from the region are sending another positive signal. Para cross-country skier Sebastian Marburger from SK Wunderthausen won several World Cup races this winter, finished the season in second place in the overall Para Cross-Country World Cup standings, and won silver in the sprint at the Paralympics in Milan/Cortina. Jan Stölben, also a member of SK Wunderthausen, underlined his talent with his fourth consecutive German championship title in the freestyle sprint. Internationally, he reached the World Cup final at the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, finishing sixth. Jan Dragowski from SC Girkhausen also made a strong statement as a young athlete. He secured a spot on the German team for the Junior World Championships in cross-country skiing in Lillehammer. The Westfeld Cross-Country Skiing Center also provides important training opportunities. For example, Sebastian Marburger trains in Westfeld when training facilities are unavailable in Wunderthausen.

Continued good conditions

Conditions remain good even at the end of the season. The snowpack is stable. Weather reports indicate a return to cooler temperatures and a chance of some snowfall. Several lifts in the Winterberg ski area will continue to operate until April 12th. Winter is thus making a final appearance in its closing phase.

Transition to the next season begins

At the same time, parts of the region are already transitioning to the next season. Some lifts also operate in the summer, for example in the bike parks and for transporting mountain bikers. The Willingen Bike Park opens on March 28th. The Winterberg Bike Park follows on April 24th. The Green Hill Bike Park and the Olpe-Fahlenscheid Bike Park are already open.