The past few days have seen plenty of snow falling all over South Tyrol. This is also the case in Val Gardena/Gröden, where the legendary Saslong is covered in a layer of more than 2 feet of fresh snow.

These are pictures that make the heart of every skier or skiing fan beat faster: The slopes and striking Dolomite peaks of the Val Gardena/Gröden valley look like a winter wonderland after the abundant snowfalls. And this five weeks before the international skiing elite will race on the Saslong for World Cup points on Friday, 20 December (super-G) and Saturday, 21 December (downhill).

These are pictures that whet the appetite of every skier - and also of the top-class ski athletes who will race in the renowned speed events on the classic Val Gardena/Gröden downhill course offered for the 52nd time.

"It's been years since we had so much natural snow in mid-November and of course we are very happy as organizers. This makes the already intensive preparations for the World Cup on the last weekend before Christmas a lot easier. Also, recreational skiers are looking forward to the opening of the skiing season in Val Gardena/Gröden and the whole Dolomiti Superski area", says Rainer Senoner, President of the Saslong Classic Club.

Val Gardena/Gröden will be at the centre of the international ski scene in two weeks' time. From Friday 29 November to Sunday 1 December, Plan de Gralba will host a total of six FIS races in the fast disciplines.