The cancelling of a proposed connection between the Tirol's Pitztal and Oetztal valleys has become something of a line in the sand for future 'marriage' proposals between municipalities whose reliance upon tourism and in particular winter sports has become excessive. It was perhaps surprising that opposition to the connection which was to include new lifts…
Will the intervention of Covid-19 inadvertently prevent environmental encroachment, or merely represent a stay of execution?
In the immediate term Austria's delayed ski season is due to begin on Christmas Eve or January 7th, depending on the resort. Where the Soelden ski area in the Oetztal aims to reopen for business in 12 days' time, further up the valley in Obergurgl and Vent, the slopes expect to receive guests after many…
Glacier protection must not be sacrificed during uncertain times for the winter-sports industry
Aside from my general feelings on the damage that winter sports can inflict upon alpine regions, it has always been the use of glaciers for skiing and snowboarding which has drawn the majority of my ire. It is understandable how the leviathan snow sports industry has managed to convert glaciers in the minds of Austrians…
Will Covid-19 provide the perfect smokescreen for further incursions into Alpine Europe?
As the dust settles cautiously on the beginning of the end of novel coronavirus' first wave, I ponder if what the world has learned during the last six months will be long forgotten once the need for rampant materialism once more kicks in, first during the egregious Halloween/Bonfire Night season before the vulgarity wrapped within…
Pitztal-Oetztal link: Will Covid-19 consign the scheme to history or give it renewed oxygen?
Novel coronavirus necessitated us all to pause and take in what was around us in plain sight all along. Many won't have liked what they saw as the 'look at' me generation co-opted Covid-19 for their Narcissistic ends; others will have been astounded by nature in their gardens and neighbourhoods, while some set off for…
Tirol: Will Austria stand up for its environment and against Climate Change by refusing the Oetztal & Pitztal ski area merger?
Whilst not yet amounting to a charm offensive those 'pro' the development of a link between the Pitz and Oetz valleys in the Austrian Tirol have begun to counter the many arguments against the scheme, whose proponents have up to this point had exclusive use of the floor. The Pitztal has long been seen as…
Proposed Oetztal-Pitztal link a potential benchmark for future development in the Austrian Alps
Controversy caused by the expansion of Austrian ski resorts is nothing new. The Alpine arms race continues unabashed, consisting of resorts intra-competing with neighbouring towns and those in adjacent valleys and provinces. There surely though has to be a time, which could already be upon us, when seeking an edge over the competition could reduce…
Alpine Adventures, Soccer, Central Asian Autocracies & Secessionist Politics 