Swiss Glacier Known for Summer Skiing Closes Indefinitely

As Europe tangles with a swelteringly hot summer, one Swiss resort that typically offers summer skiing, Zermatt, has suspended its usual operations, citing high temperatures and a lack of cold weather at night.

Zermatt Bergbahnen said in a release that the uncooperative conditions mean that it’s no longer possible to provide safe, high-quality skiing. 

“The safety of guests and staff is always our top priority. At the same time, we attach great importance to ensuring that our guests can enjoy good and safe conditions throughout the entire operating season,” said Martin Hug, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen, in the release. “If these conditions are no longer met, operations will be responsibly adapted to the natural circumstances.”

Zermatt had to close down the Theodul glacier at Klein Matterhorn for public summer skiing because it‘s too hot
by
u/buerglermeister in
skiing

View the original article to see embedded media.

Perched high on the Theodul Glacier, Zermatt’s summer ski offerings include a terrain park and training slopes for elite ski racers. It spans about 13 miles of trails.

While the area is closed to the public, race training was set to continue in the coming days on a limited basis at the time of Zermatt Bergbahnen’s announcement on July 31. 

Hans Flatscher, Alpine Director at Swiss-Ski, thanked Zermatt Bergbahnen and said: “We have found superb conditions on the Theodul Glacier since the end of June.”

“We are very grateful that at least some of our teams will have the opportunity to complete training sessions … despite the challenging circumstances,” he said.

The closure to the public also only impacts summer skiing for guests, which will resume “immediately” once the conditions allow it, Zermatt Bergbahnen said. 

The announcement comes as Western European nations struggle with intense heat and wildfires. Just days ago, Switzerland recorded its highest temperature of 2026: 103 degrees Fahrenheit in Basel-Binningen.

World Weather Attribution, a group of researchers that analyze the connection between extreme weather and climate change, found in June that fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in a few decades.

Related: The Best Ski Movies Are Made in a Parking Lot Behind 7/11