Chaotic scenes erupted across Italy's famed Dolomites mountains this weekend, as frustrated skiers reportedly came to blows amid severe congestion at lift stations. The disorder was triggered by an acute lack of natural snow, forcing the closure of several key runs and creating waiting times of up to 45 minutes.
Warm Weather Wreaks Havoc on Slopes
The incident comes just weeks before Italy is scheduled to host the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Alps. Unseasonably warm conditions have plagued the Dolomites in northeastern Italy, with temperatures hovering just above freezing combined with weeks of dry weather. This has severely limited snow cover across the region.
Efforts to use artificial snowmaking machines offered little relief, as the conditions were too warm for them to operate effectively. This left many pistes turning muddy and unusable. The problems mirror wider issues for Olympic organisers, who admitted this week to a 'technical problem' with artificial snow production at the Livigno site in the Alps, where freestyle skiing and snowboarding events will be held, due to water supply issues.
Chaos and Congestion at the Lifts
Video footage and social media posts from the Dolomites depicted tightly packed crowds of skiers pushing and shoving, with visibly angry faces. The congestion was particularly severe at the connecting lift between Marmolada and the Sellaronda circuit, and on the slope leading to Arabba, which was closed due to insufficient snow.
Skiers attempting to return found themselves reliant on a single chairlift. Normally capable of carrying six people uphill, it had been reduced to just three seats for the descent, exacerbating the bottlenecks. On social media, visitors complained of 'hours of waiting times,' with one describing a '1:20 hour queue' and others branding the situation a 'circus.' As tempers flared, some began calling for refunds on their ski passes.
Climate Concerns Cast a Long Shadow
Marco Grigoletto, regional president of the ANEF ski association, highlighted the unusual weather patterns. "So far, temperatures below freezing have only been below freezing for about six days in our altitudes," he told giornaletrentino.it. He expressed hope that forecasted bad weather from Tuesday would allow snowmaking to resume.
However, the underlying issue is far graver. Experts warn that climate change is severely reducing snow and ice in the region, with glaciers now melting at a rapid rate. This forces ski resorts into an ever-greater reliance on artificial snow. A stark report last year revealed that the largest glacier in the Dolomites could completely disappear by 2040, having lost more than 80 per cent of its surface area since 1888.
While some on social media urged patience, blaming the weather, the weekend's events underscore the mounting pressures facing winter sports destinations. The combination of immediate logistical chaos and long-term environmental decline paints a challenging picture for the future of skiing in the Alps.
