Glacier skiing on groomed ski slopes was introduced in Austria in 1965 and became popular in Austria during the 1970ies. Soon, other ski resorts followed suit and developed ski areas in glacieted terrain. Some glacier ski resorts were developed even from scratch. During the 1970ies and early 1980ies the summers were generally wet and cold allowing for skiing the whole summer month. However, climate change which started to being felt at the glaciers since around the late 1980ies has denied the pleasure of skiing during summer in most of these glacier ski resorts.

Today, the peak seasons in Austrian glacier skiing resorts are in the autumn month, around Christmas and Eastern and in late spring (May, June) for those avid skiers who cannot put their precious skis in the cellar too early. Some resorts (Hintertux, Mölltal, Stubai, Kaprun and Dachstein) offer still skiing during the summer month but depending on the weather conditions during the summer the operation usually ends in early August (with the exception of Hintertux which still offers year-round skiing).

Austria has more than thousand registered glaciers (there is a somewhat official glacier register in Austria), of which about fifteen glaciers (in seven different skiing resorts) are used for groomed alpine skiing and snowboarding. Most of these resorts are also equipped with funparks for freeskiers and snowboarders alike. Some of the glacier ski resorts offer cross country skiing as well. Indeed, some glaciers are highly frequented by cross country skiers since the thin air offers a perfect training ground to get in shape.

Skiing on glaciers has some particular characteristics. First, the slopes are usually more mellow and the cold ice of the glaciers conserves the quality of the snow (especially powder snow) perfect. However, in late spring and more so in the summer month the sun turns the night-frozen snow quickly to slush which prohibits quality skiing in the afternoon. Hence, lifts cease to operate during the summer month usually about 1 or 2 p.m.

A potential dangerous hazard on glaciers are crevasses. All ski resorts are busy to fill open crevasses with snow (or even with rock) to protect the skiers. However, cautious skiing is advised even on the groomed runs. Skiing outside the marked and secured runs is prohibited or at the skier's own risk.

Kaprun / Kitzsteinhorn (Salzburg)

The glaciers beneath the Kitzsteinhorn (3203 m) were the first in Austria opened up for alpine skiing. Operation started as early as 1965. The ski resort experienced a tragic drawback when a fire killed 155 people in an underground cable car in the autumn of 2000. Since then this underground cable car has been out of operation and skiers and tourists are transported by gondolas up to the Alpincenter (2500 m) to the skiing slopes which have a total length of about 40 kilometers. Today the ski operation is usually closed during August and starts again with the first significant snow falls in September.

Kaunertal Valley (Tyrol)

The Kaunertal Valley is a high alpine valley in Tyrol located in the Oetztal Alps, one of Austria's main high mountain ranges. It is a deep and long valley with just a few small rural villages. The glacier ski resort is accessed by using an high alpine road which leads to the tongue of the glacier at about 2700m. The total length of the skiing slopes is about 30 kilometers and the lifts are in operation from September to June.

Pitztal Valley (Tyrol)

The Pitz Valley is another high alpine valley in the Oetztal Alps and leads directly to some of the highest peaks of Austria. Among them the Wildspitze (3764 m) which is the highest mountain of Tyrol covered by thick and large glaciers. The glacier ski resort at the Mittelbergferner is accessed by an underground cable car and offers about 20 kilometers of groomed slopes and several kilometers of cross country tracks. Pitztal boasts the highest cable car of Austria with the lift to the Hinterer Brunnenkogel topping at 3440 m. Amazing views over uncountable mountain summits are to be guaranteed here. Skiing operation is from September to May (or June depending on public holidays). During the summer the underground cable car is used solely for sight-seeing.

Soelden / Otztal (Tyrol)

Soelden is a famous ski resort in the Oetz Valley surrounding by mighty alpine peaks. Apart from the large winter ski resort its glacier ski resort stretches over two different glaciers and is one of the largest in Austria (about 50 kilometers of groomed runs). Today, the glacier resort which is accessed by car using a high alpine road is also interlinked via lifts with the winter ski resort. Skiing operation is from September to May.

Stubai (Tyrol)

The Stubai Valley is very close to Innsbruck, the capital city of the provincial state of Tyrol. There is even a tramway connecting Fulpmes, one of the main villages of the Stubai Valley, with Innsbruck. The glaciers of the ski resort are accessed by two modern gondolas and offer up to 60 km of groomed runs. Skiing operation is usually from September to July.

Hintertux (Tyrol)

Hintertux is a small high alpine village in a side valley of the Ziller valley. Today its glacier ski resort around the rocky peak of the Olperer (3476 m) is the largest glacier ski resort in Austria. Access is with a gondola starting directly from the village. Skiing is guaranteed the whole year round. The total length of groomed runs is about 15 kilometers during summer, about 50 kilometer during autumn and more than 200 kilometer in winter.

Mölltal (Carinthia)

The Mölltal glacier ski resort is located in the mountain range of the Hohe Tauern at the border between Salzburg and Carinthia. An underground cable car and a gondola enables the access to the glacier ski resort which offers up to 40 kilometers of groomed runs (actually only a small part of these runs go over glacieted terrain). Skiing is usually possible from September to early August, in cold summer sometimes even year round.

Dachstein (Styria)

The Dachstein (2996 m) is a rocky limestone massif at the border between Upper Austria and Styria. The ski slopes are accessed with a cable car which from the alpine meadows of the Ramsau (1650 m) south of the huge south walls of the Dachstein massif. The ride with the spectacular cable car alone is a great attraction. Skiing is on a glacier on the Northern side of the massif and it is somewhat limited to two short runs. However, the relatively plain glacier plateau attracts many ambitious cross country skiers. Often, the almost 20 km of groomed tracks are chosen by more than a dozen cross country racing teams as a training ground especially during the autumn month. The thin air at an altitude of about 2600-2700 m is perfect for getting in shape and for efficient cardiovascular training.