Obergurgl is by far the best bit of night skiing i've tried. Did 5 laps top to bottom with only the rest in the bubble on the way up season before last my Bil and my two juniors (8 and 13 at the time). Not fully lit all the way down but lit enough to see where you are going.
Verdons in Courchevel on the other hand was pretty rubbish, if you ignore that they have the family park to play on.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hinterglemm has a well lit piste, not a massively long run but right opposite the apres bar and proved far too tempting after a few willys and beers!!! I ski much better when relaxed
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The obergurgl one is quite long, will pull out the map and confirm, but i am sure its something like 6km top to bottom its from the top of the festkoglbahn down run 5/6 back to the bottom of the festkoglbahn.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks again - any particular concerns regarding piste conditions at night time? Never done it actually. Ice patches? Rocks?
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The other thing with Obergurgl is that the day its open is the 'ski-display' at the top so if you to the top you can get a good few runs with almost nobody else. Just avoid the hanging around at the top till the end when everyone else hoons it down.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
@PeterSnowhead, not when we did it, it was a great few runs with no ice, boiler plate. It was cold if you stopped for very long though.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Mon 8-02-16 17:55; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thanks again @ansta1
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Several resorts have the option, Söll, Flachau and Hochwürzen (I think) spring immediately to mind, but you have to pay for an evening pass as the weekly daytime pass does not cover nighttime skiing in most places.
@PeterSnowhead, touring at night, especially on full moon nights is very popular in some areas of the Ski amadé region for example. A number of snowHeads who live locally take part in the moonlight tours at Forstau/Fageralm for example, skinning up to the Trinkeralm then skiing back down the pistes to the car parks using either moonlight or head torches.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Samerberg Sue will keep that in mind too, thanks!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Samerberg Sue,
Obertauern has night skiing on Mondays and Thursday from 19:00 to 22:00.
No idea if it's any good as I won't be going till 19th March.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Zell Am See has night skiing on Tuesday / Thursday / Friday included on the lift pass. http://www.schmitten.at/en/winter/highlights/night-slope. From the map it only looks to be maybe 600m long though. I was hoping to try it in March when I'm there but according to that link it is only open until the 4th
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hinterglemm is every night until 21.30, except on Sundays. It is included on the regular lift pass. There is an 'ordinary' piste, fun park and timed slalom run as well as an excellent après ski bar, the Unterschwartzach, from which to observe.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hinterglemm is the best of the limited times I've had. Bonus that it's included in lift pass and you have a fun park, slalom course (with video footage of your run via skiline) and timed speed run - oh and free tubing and good après at bottom.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
We did it in Hinterglemm last year too. Although as it was April it wasn't really night skiing, just later in the day!
I've done it in Söll and Forstau. Söll was the full night piste floodlit thing, Forstau was the night tour described by Samerberg Sue above. Things to be aware of:
1. The snow tends to be hard/scratchy (I'm one of these weird people that likes this), the pistes are generally smooth/bashed and then frozen as the temperature drops.
2. The visibility is very different to daylight (NSS!). Floodlights are weird as you have pools of light and pools of no light and your eyes are constantly trying to adapt. Moonlight is beautiful but you don't see much in terms of changes in terrain. A head torch literally just gives a small pool of light directly in front of you. If anything this is good for your skiing, you can't necessarily see the changes in terrain so your legs have to react as it happens (I'm sure an instructor type could describe this better).
3. You need goggles with clear lenses.
4. There are some nocturnal creatures about, however they are clever and won't get in your way!
5. I was a bit drunk on both occasions. Probably not recommended...
It's certainly quite an experience. I'd do it again without hesitation, but maybe with a bit less liquid encouragement...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Again, thanks all for the suggestions, lots of 1st-hand info - most welcome.
Soll is one of the longest runs.
Hinterglemm is included on the pass.
How about a couple of these both of which I've been to
Reith im alpbactal - this is a small resort just up the road from the main alpbactal area with basically a bubble and one nice longish night run.
Slightly larger is a place called Bergeralm that has a couple of night slopes fed by a bubble and chairlift. The piste interestingly runs alongside and then under the brenner motorway for a short section with a nice bar at the bottom.
Here's a couple of you tube videos I've filmed of soll and Bergeralm. Not the best quality but it gives you an idea. The soll one is only the top half though as the bottom half goes right down to the base.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
PeterSnowhead wrote:
Again, thanks all for the suggestions, lots of 1st-hand info - most welcome.
Obergurgl run is long. All blue, though middle part is mainly path.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Kaltenbach has floodlit skiing on Fridays on the home run, which is a (rather blackish) red. Haven't tried it because we had to take our skis back...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I have done Obergurgl and Zell,
Obergurgl is longer, blue run with some sections of road, accessed by Festkoglebahn and has the wonderful Nederhutte 3/4 of the way down.
Zell is shorter, steeper (red) wider, access is by 2 man chair and has better lights. They have a Europa cup night slalom on the Zell piste so the lights need to be good.
Zell piste is low 700m at bottom so may well be closing on the 4th, I think if the snow is ok and remains cold nights they might extend it a bit.
Overall I think I enjoyed Zell more as you could loop round a few times then pop into a bar to warm up and then go for a few more runs ( I might be a bit biased as my apartment is 75m from the bottom of the night slope).
Any Saalbach/Hinterglemm guys know if the night slope there will be open at Easter and is it included on the Ski Alpin season pass?
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mbeaney wrote:
I have done Obergurgl and Zell,
Obergurgl is longer, blue run with some sections of road, accessed by Festkoglebahn and has the wonderful Nederhutte 3/4 of the way down.
Zell is shorter, steeper (red) wider, access is by 2 man chair and has better lights. They have a Europa cup night slalom on the Zell piste so the lights need to be good.
Zell piste is low 700m at bottom so may well be closing on the 4th, I think if the snow is ok and remains cold nights they might extend it a bit.
Overall I think I enjoyed Zell more as you could loop round a few times then pop into a bar to warm up and then go for a few more runs ( I might be a bit biased as my apartment is 75m from the bottom of the night slope).
Any Saalbach/Hinterglemm guys know if the night slope there will be open at Easter and is it included on the Ski Alpin season pass?
is the Zell run by the lift to the left of the main gondola out of town?
I haven't done the Obergurgl one as night skiing is one day a week and fell on precisely the wrong day for me last year. Will do it this year; it's a Weds I think?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Zell run is Red 6 and uses Ebenburgbahn for access, you can ski down to Cityexpress station but no way back up from there.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I've skied Soll, Hintglemm, Zell at night and by far the best IMHO is Soll. They light up 5 runs here, so it's more like doing an afternoon's skiing, where you can tour around a bit and ski to the base station and back. I think there is about 13kms of piste lit up, whereas you are lucky to get more than a couple on other runs as far as I can see. It isn't included in the lift pass but if you are going to go to the trouble of getting/ keeping all your gear on and making an evening of it, I reckon it's worth the expense to do it properly.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Obertauern does night skiing from the Edelweiss lift twice a week. You could even have a race against a motorbike and sidecar
Yet again, thanks to all - keeping everything noted!!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
boabski wrote:
Hinterglemm is the best of the limited times I've had. Bonus that it's included in lift pass and you have a fun park, slalom course (with video footage of your run via skiline) and timed speed run - oh and free tubing and good après at bottom.
Agreed! Tried the Hinterglemm one a few years back and thought it was great! Nice long run, I think it's red? Well groomed, no ice and as bright as day.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
Agreed! Tried the Hinterglemm one a few years back and thought it was great! Nice long run, I think it's red? Well groomed, no ice and as bright as day
It's quite magical actually -when you're standing at the top and it's glittering in front of you, and the lights of the valley are like pin-pricks in the dark below.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
^ definitely, a wonderful experience
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Nightskiing sucks.
Too cold, no sun, gash scenery, dull pistes, full of tryhards pretending they're having fun.
They have a floodlit piste in Livigno Italy, which is possibly the coldest you'll ever get!
They open it for free skiing twice a week and it's always bloody freezing!
However, a while back, my wife and I did a night descent into Sauze Doulx which was simply magical.
It was a trip organised by the tour operator. You stayed up at the top mountain restaurant at the end of the day's skiing for a nice meal and few drinks then you were issued with a big flare and ski'ed down in a group from the top to the valley below.
It was very cold and dark, but wow; when you came over the last big ridge and saw the town all lit up below you, it was a very magical wonderful experience.
I don't think that they'd allow it these days, Health & Safety would blow a gasket!
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