Monte Kaolino
Monte Kaolino is a sand dune in Hirschau, Bavaria, Germany. It consists of 35,000,000 tonnes (34,000,000 long tons; 39,000,000 short tons) of sand, a by-product of kaolinite production over the years. The sand dune is now used as a ski resort for sand skiing and sandboarding, in addition to other activities.
| Monte Kaolino | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Hirschau, Germany |
| Coordinates | 49°32′3.95″N 11°58′0.70″E |
| Vertical | 120 metres (394 ft) |
| Runs | 3 |
| Lift system | 1 funicular |
| Terrain parks | Yes |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | Monte Kaolino |
Sand-skiing and sandboarding
By the 1950s the pile of sand had grown large enough that people experimented with skiing on it, and in 1956 a ski club was formed. Uniquely to this hill, skiing is done directly on the sand and as a result, its operating season is inverse with ski areas elsewhere - it only opens in summer, even though the area does snow in winter.
The hill is the only sandsports facility equipped with a ski lift, and used to host the Sandboarding World Championship until 2007. A smaller scale competition, SandSpirit, is still held every year in July. [1]
Development
The area was extensively renovated in 2007. In addition to the ski hill, there are also camping facilities, a pool, a geopark, and trails.
In 2009 a funicular elevator to the top of the hill was installed.[2]
See also
References
- "A Sandboard World Cup is Held Annually in South America". Surf the Sand. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- "Liftanlage" (in German).