Row over Austria's early ski resort heats up among environmentalists A singular bright strip of snow stands out against Austria's autumn green surroundings as the early opening of a ski slope at the weekend sparks a row with environmentalists. Ski slopes in Europe's Alps usually open from mid-November but in the fashionable ski town of Kitzbuehel in western Austria, a 700-metre-long (2,300 feet) track using recycled snow has already opened. For enthusiasts, especially young competitors in the region, they say skiing in October is "a chance not to be missed". But for conservationists, it's "just grotesque in the era of climate urgency".