With snow on its peaks for most of the year, the uninhabited, rugged wilderness of the Sierra Nevada National Park offers exciting climbing and mountaineering opportunities, along with the thriving ski resort of Sol y Nieve (Sun & Snow). It is the most southerly ski resort in Europe, and despite being small in comparison to other European resorts, it hosted the 1996 world ski championships. The skiing season normally runs from late November to the end of March, but this is dependent on the weather. In the absence of sufficient snow, sophisticated snow cannons are employed to ensure that skiers are not disappointed.