 Poster: A snowHead
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| pleasehelpme wrote: |
@Langerzug, yes, my point was more related to stanton's comment on avalanche danger being high. I haven't been over to St Anton yet so was interested to hear if the conditions are substantially different over there.
I realise having home runs shut is a real pain in the neck for lots of people and I wouldn't claim otherwise (not least because my edges are shot, so I'd rather take Steissbachtal right now than the black). But I'm sceptical that this is avalanche related [and I see stanton is now dropping cryptic hints about darker forces]. That's based on 1) my observation (derived from the zero pits I've dug, to be fair) that the general avalanche risk looks pretty low now - there are glide cracks visible all over the place (I mean literally every aspect), but following the rain, wind and sun I think the snowpack has probably consolidated a fair bit and areas that were in significant danger of sliding are likely to have gone (or to now be bridged by the crust). And 2), if the resort wanted to make an area safe they could do...throw enough bombs and you're laughing (I'm not saying that's not expensive, but they could deal with it if they wanted to). |
The Avi level is still 3. Every day on my way in to Anton I'm seeing more full depth cracks appearing and other getting larger....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Langerzug, ok, I was specifically thinking of the blue in St Anton, which is arguably a bigger deal than the Zug home run, but I didn't say that so fair point. And yes, I knew that.
And no I don't want to suggest that I know more than the authorities - it's self evident that I don't.
But I still don't buy that the resort couldn't make these runs (well ok, Steissbachtal) safe if they wanted to. So while they might be shut due to avalanche risk, there's an underlying cost reason for this.
But whatever, I'm off skiing (on the piste...)
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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?
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@Sitter, cheers, interesting that it's larger than in Zurs (the bottom lifts here have been retiring 2).
And yeah, fair enough on glide cracks - I've been trying to keep an eye on done of them for continued movement, but there are so many all over the place it's tricky 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pleasehelpme, Steissbachtal "cost reason" is not the reason. there is another issue.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Steissbachtal is also often closed at end of season. This is just an exceptional early season, with lots of snow, and high temperatures to follow.
Making Steissbachtal avalanche safe would also mean barricading the famous Schindlerkar and Mattun routes with avalanche barriers. It would ruin St.Anton's free ride image.
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Looking good for mid/ end next week, plenty snow due. Just right for our arrival Lech 20th and then St A 27th for the week. Anyone about those weeks?
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@welshflyer, Will PM you - hopefully see you next week.
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We popped over to St Anton first thing on the Flexenbahn (passing over a small group of goats grazing in a large glide crack!) and immediately noticed a difference in the snow - markedly better than we'd been skiing in Lech, Zurs & Warth. It was in generally really good condition, with way fewer scratchy sections on the piste. The exceptions being Kandahar (probably not a massive surprise...), and maybe some of the lower bits on the home runs.
There was also less evidence of rain or wind crust off piste on the St Anton side. You can see really marked rain/wind effects up to about 2200/2400m in Zurs, but there didn't seem to be anything above about 1850m in St Anton, and even then it seemed to depend more on aspect. That meant the off piste was still quite fun (so much for spending today on piste  ).
On avy stuff, the danger level was showing as 3 at the bottom of the Valfagehrbahn, but the freeride board on Kapall was showing 2 at all elevations for both morning and afternoon (maybe more in keeping with the Tyrol general bulletin today). And also interesting that the Mattun & Mattunjoch weren't shown as closed on the board...they weren't shown as open either (the board was blank for those two, which seemed a bit weird), but there weren't any ropes or signs trying to dissuade people from going down Mattun, and if I hadn't looked at the board I'd have assumed it was open. We did see a fair few people dropping into the valley on Mattunjoch, but it looked like it would have retired quite a lot of navigating between glide cracks and avalanche debris. No thanks 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Forgot to add that the vis closed in during the afternoon, and it's now snowing. Not super-hard, but if it kept up we'd maybe have 10-15cm in the morning (but in not daring to dream that's what happens!).
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| stanton wrote: |
| @pleasehelpme, Steissbachtal "cost reason" is not the reason. there is another issue. |
You tease us Stanton. More hints please?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ok @stanton, now you have our attention
Why is Steissbachtal closed?
You can tell us?
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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.
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Ok @stanton, now you have our attention
Why is Steissbachtal closed?
You can tell us?
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Sorry cannot say..im sure before to long the reason will be out on the open
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You know it makes sense.
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😂😂
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@peanuthead, I’ll tell you next week....I’ll ask my local friends, I think I know why actually but want to check first.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Markymark29, I will let you divulge the real reason but you might want to be careful as your a frequent visitor 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@stanton, we both know the reason is none other than avalanche risk. There is no other reason, it is purely for safety reasons.
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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?
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If the authorities are closing the main blue ski run back to the town other than for safety reasons I may be ending my regular visits to the resort.
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@welshflyer, Many people (including myself) have been dropping in there from the neighbouring off-piste and quickly getting in and out, that's a vastly different situation to the lift company, the team who manage the pistes letting 10,000's of people down there in a continuous stream all day long. There have been frequent times over the last 25 years that we have been visiting that the same situation exists. They are being cautious, and frankly who can blame them? I think it will likely open as the weather cools and after the big dump late next week if it stays really cold.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Being a frequent visitor but not piste expert what is the issue with this being closed? Is this the run that goes under the pylon?
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@DanFuller, No its Happy Valley, the run that comes down under Tanzbodenbahn and under Mattun, the main way back from top of Valfegehrbahn.
Its not a huge issue in fairness becasue there are other ways down, ie Kandahar or Galzigbahn lift, but many less experienced skiers who do not perhaps always know their way around end up like lemmings on Kandahar (black steep mogul piste) rather than taking the option of traversing across and going down on the Galzigbahnlift.
Only reason I suggest its a point of discussion here is that Stanton believes there is a reason why the run remains closed other than for av safety reasons (large risky slopes above).....he clearly has some top secret knowledge that nobody else is privy too. Quite amusing really......not so for the poor folk who end up stranded half way down Kanadahar though!
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Ah yeah the Kandahar is a Fitzwilliam when it’s moguled up and busy. Would it make sense to piste that whilst this major run is closed?
No one likes to get a lift down do they, be it macho ness or knowing your limits.
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| pleasehelpme wrote: |
And no I don't want to suggest that I know more than the authorities - it's self evident that I don't.
But I still don't buy that the resort couldn't make these runs (well ok, Steissbachtal) safe if they wanted to. So while they might be shut due to avalanche risk, there's an underlying cost reason for this. |
I'm guessing you can't avi control in darkness (esp above a piste) there could be an early morning ski tourer out and about. At this time of year by the time it's light the lifts are open shortly afterwards and skiers/boarders are dropping in the slopes (piste and offpiste) even though they are technically shut. Probably a better idea to shut the piste rather than risk blowing someone up.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The lift doesn’t stop at KK/ Mooserwirt either! 😂😂
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
| The lift doesn’t stop at KK/ Mooserwirt either! 😂😂 |
All the Apres Ski Bars can be accessesd with the free Ski Bus No 3 up to Dengert/Moos
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You know it makes sense.
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Weather
Towards Tuesday the high-pressure area will withdraw eastward and a very changeable and increasingly colder getting air current from the Atlantic will settle in. This will signal the full return of winter.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| DanFuller wrote: |
Ah yeah the Kandahar is a Fitzwilliam when it’s moguled up and busy. Would it make sense to piste that whilst this major run is closed?
No one likes to get a lift down do they, be it macho ness or knowing your limits. |
Kandahar is a piste! Was teaching over at Gampen this afternoon, and looking towards the blue that comes from Valfagehr to Tanzboeden, it was just a solid black line of skiers. Some looked to be doing the (sensible) thing and getting on to the chairlift, but there were still masses heading to Kandahar and down that, little black dots everywhere! Even dropping slightly down Bachseite and traversing along towards the bottom end of Happy Valley isn't much of an option, where Steissbachtal joins the blue down from Gampen it's stacked high (not looked properly, difficult to tell if they've pushed a lot of it up with piste bashers, or it's the bottom end of one of the many slides). Might try to get some photos if I get chance.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Sitter wrote: |
| DanFuller wrote: |
Ah yeah the Kandahar is a Fitzwilliam when it’s moguled up and busy. Would it make sense to piste that whilst this major run is closed?
No one likes to get a lift down do they, be it macho ness or knowing your limits. |
Kandahar is a piste! Was teaching over at Gampen this afternoon, and looking towards the blue that comes from Valfagehr to Tanzboeden, it was just a solid black line of skiers. Some looked to be doing the (sensible) thing and getting on to the chairlift, but there were still masses heading to Kandahar and down that, little black dots everywhere! Even dropping slightly down Bachseite and traversing along towards the bottom end of Happy Valley isn't much of an option, where Steissbachtal joins the blue down from Gampen it's stacked high (not looked properly, difficult to tell if they've pushed a lot of it up with piste bashers, or it's the bottom end of one of the many slides). Might try to get some photos if I get chance. |
Where they all lining up like lemmings and then flopping over.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Is a multi day Arlberg pass valid from 3pm the day before?
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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?
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@hd, pretty sure it is
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@aewynia, We’ll be about for sure, give me a shout. Don’t really do fast and furious though.....more into the deep stuff and plenty of it hopefully! 
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OK Folks
SNOW this week coming in tomorrow & Wednesday, unclear how much but expect at least 0.5M+ 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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..
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 16-01-18 15:35; edited 1 time in total
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Rumour in the German Alpinforum: Schindlergratbahn is to be replaced within two years by a gondola ('einseilumlaufbahn') with topstation near Valluga-towlift
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FAQ
I’ve ridden one down before when I was a newbie
).... would be nice to meet up at some point though, if you don’t mind?
