Ski Window


WEATHER in the Carpathian arc turned snowy last week and occasional snow showers will continue through January 27. Thereafter, it may turn considerably cooler with some meteorologists predicting -20C temperatures during the weekend of January 29 and 30. School vacations do not begin until February so crowds continue to be low and the snowpack remains very good with much more snow on the way. From January 29 and 30, Donovaly will feature a two-day toboggan race with international participants. Do not miss it.

Snow conditions and ticket prices valid as January 20

The SPECTATOR's regular ski update
ski resort snow conditions skipass notes
Jasná 40 - 55 cm very good Sk690 12 out of 16 lifts in service
Chopok - South 80 - 110 cm very good Sk500 4 out of 6 lifts in service
Donovaly 50 - 60 cm very good Sk640 13 out of 15 lifts in service
Veľká Rača 30 - 50 cm very good Sk650 All lifts in service
Štrbské Pleso 100 cm very good Sk640 All lifts in service
Plejsy 60 cm very good Sk590 4 out of 7 lifts in service
Skipark Ružomberok 60 cm very good Sk650 7 out of 10 lifts in service
Martinské hole 45 cm very good Sk550 All lifts in service (the surcharge for the chair lift to resort is Sk150)
Zverovka 65 cm very good Sk580 All lifts in service
Lomnnické sedlo 180 cm very good Sk550 Price includes a gondola ride from Tatranská Lomnica
Vrátna dolina 25 - 50 cm very good Sk570 7 out of 13 lifts in service

WEATHER in the Carpathian arc turned snowy last week and occasional snow showers will continue through January 27. Thereafter, it may turn considerably cooler with some meteorologists predicting -20C temperatures during the weekend of January 29 and 30. School vacations do not begin until February so crowds continue to be low and the snowpack remains very good with much more snow on the way. From January 29 and 30, Donovaly will feature a two-day toboggan race with international participants. Do not miss it. With all the new snow, many smaller ski centres are now open for business. In addition to being very affordable, these centres are perfect for those just learning to ski. We recommend Poľana, near Detva (www.polana.sk). Poľana features a mountaintop three-star hotel and three Poma lifts. Another small resort we like is Skalka pri Kremnici (www.skalky.sk), near Banská Bystrica. This resort offers over nine kilometres of alpine ski runs and an uphill capacity of 3,300 people per hour. The area is also the most important cross-country ski centre in Slovakia and home of the country's famous Biela Stopa Nordic race. Skalka currently reports a base of 60 cm of snow, and Poľana, 35 cm. As snow conditions continue to improve, we will highlight additional small resorts in Slovakia in addition to keeping you updated on happenings at the largest ski centres.

Prepared by Roman Millan with John Sherwood, Special to the Spectator


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