Jasná Chopok 2025/26 season opening: dates and events

The north side of Chopok has long been regarded as the most reliable terrain for the start of winter. Its altitude, terrain and an extensive snowmaking system mean that once the first steady frosts arrive, the snow cannons can run practically non-stop. Piste bashers go out at night and in the early morning, and by the turn of November and December machine-made snow can already build a solid base on the main pistes.

Representatives of Tatry Mountain Resorts, the operator of Jasná, stress that they want the season opening to be the real thing. Marián Galajda, head of communications at TMR, says plainly that the pistes are being prepared as if the resort were entering the middle of winter, not a test phase. The idea is that skiers who come for the opening weekend have normal terrain to ski on and can calmly get back into shape after the summer break.

Which pistes will open first

Everything depends on the weather, but for the season opening Jasná is mainly preparing the sections that are the first to hold snow every year. The most important stretch will be Biela Púť, a wide and well-known piste on the north side of Chopok. It is a classic opening run, with plenty of room, a gentle profile and a regularly groomed surface. This is where many skiers start their season, because Biela Púť lets them brush up on their technique without pressure, work on their turns and get back into the rhythm after several months off. The piste bashers work here every day, and getting to the lower part of the lift system is simple and intuitive.

The second key area is Priehyba, the pistes around the mid-station. This section lies higher, so the snow lasts longer and temperatures drop below zero more often. The pistes around Priehyba are being prepared so that they can be linked with Biela Púť to make longer runs. Skiers can start in the upper part, ski down through Priehyba and finish on the lower sections leading towards Biela Púť. It is this set of sections, joined into one logical line, that adds up to the announced ten kilometres or so of skiing.

This season the resort is preparing a floodlit piste near the chalet area for the opening weekend. The section is fully lit and has easy access to the lower lifts, which makes it ideal for evening skiing. The final decision on opening it for night skiing is due to be announced just before the opening, after a last assessment of the snow conditions.

Winter Jasná Opening

The season opening at Jasná has long been a party as much as a sporting occasion. Winter Jasná Opening has become a well-known event that draws skiers and snowboarders every year not only with good skiing but also with an extensive music programme and extra attractions.

On Friday 28 November the resort is already running in winter mode, and once the lifts close the action moves to the Happy End club. The first instalment of the winter programme starts there in the evening. First comes music linked to Radio Melody, then the band Duchoňovci takes the stage, and the rest of the evening is filled with DJ sets. Happy End fills up with guests in helmets and jackets coming straight off the slopes, and with people who come to Jasná for the atmosphere and the party side of the season opening as well. Friday is meant as a warm-up for the main day, but by that evening it is already clear that the season really has begun.

Saturday 29 November starts with normal skiing on the pistes, while an extensive event programme runs at the resort alongside it. From the morning, from around 08:30, the Partner Village is open: a partner zone laid out along the resort's main hubs. This is where brands working with Jasná show their new products, run short activities and provide a musical backdrop for the whole day. Skiers pass the stands between runs and stop for a moment to look at gear, talk to company representatives or simply take a short break.

In the early afternoon some of the events move to the area around the Björnson hotel, where the plan is a party in the style of a traditional Slovak zabíjačka (pig-slaughter feast), with regional food cooked on the spot and local music.

The highlight of Saturday's programme, however, is set for the evening at Happy End. This is when Dieter Bohlen is due to take the stage to perform Modern Talking songs. The organisers have also announced, among other things, an ABBA-themed show, saxophone sets by Saxofrancis and sets by DJ Mikias and DJ Just Dave. This block of events is set to run late into the night and, as is tradition, close the first winter weekend at Jasná. For many of the resort's regulars, this is the evening that marks the start of a new season.

Agnieszka Kaszuba / skionline.pl