 Poster: A snowHead
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@Markymark29, Really? Still dubious though – I was wearing goggles at the time and surely they’re supposed to do something like that?! Anyhow, both as good as each other now, i.e. not particularly great as it seems to be one of the most delicate bits of the skeleton 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@clarky999,
Just a quick question.. Seems that it will be nice weather in Innsbruck on Saturday. I have some spare hours before heading south to the Dolomites in the morning and am thinking about taking my nephew up for a couple of runs in the seilbahnrinne and Karinne in early hours. Probably will be rock ice but guess it still should be skiable!? What do you think? And second question, on a blue sky day, do you think there will be a lot of people in line when they open at 8.30 - 9.00 for going up there?
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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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@Woosh, doubt it will be rock hard ice unless it gets a lot colder - it's south-facing so gets a lot of sun! Definitely will be skiable, but expect big moguls 
Unless there's an unexpected powder day I doubt it'll be busy. Normally there's only a rush in the mornings when more than 20+cm has fallen.
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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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@clarky999,
Thanks a lot for your answer.
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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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Had some more great skiing over the weekend in the Kalkkögel, including a loop from Axamer Lizum into Schlick, then from Schlick round the back and down Senderstal to Grinzens. A fun adventure, taking in some terrain both Menno and I have had in mind for a while but never got around to skiing.
Menno getting ready to skin near the Dohlennest bar:
First objective was the ridge in the Kalkkögel:
Lower down was still pretty fluffy powder, but the top third was totally windscoured. Menno the mountain goat had no issues, but it was Arno's first time spliboarding anything steep and he struggled a bit. He didn't have any Harscheissen (I was glad of mine!), but I improvised with some ski staps round each of his boards under the bindings which worked surprisingly well.
The first pitch from the ridge down to Schlick faces almost due south and was pretty cooked when we arrived (later than expected due to Arno's struggles) in the rising temperature. One point release slide had released from the warming rock, which concerned me a bit. However chopping a few chunks off the cornice nothing moved, and as the pitch is short, not particularly steep, and spills gradually out to the flats below we decided to ski it - but carefully, avoiding the steeper flanks, and moving quickly to the flats.
Menno went first. The snow was very heavy and sticky, but nothing moved:
Menno and I on the flats below the first pitch:
After that first pitch we were able to stick to slightly different aspects for almost all of the rest of the descent, which still held lovely untracked powder in some really fun playful terrain right the whole way down to the pistes in Schlick. It's a zone I've looked at a bunch, and it didn't disappoint!
Unfortunately I'd forgotten to clear space on the SD card in my headcam on the ridge above, so only have a photo:
This was the view looking back from the top of the Schlick gondola (we started from right in the centre):
From the lifts were traversed across then skinned back up beneath and around the Hoher Burgstall and behind the ski area. Easier going for Arno on this section!
Though as he's from Belgium and this was his first time in the Kalkkögel, passing this plaque may have been a little disconcerting for him...
From the top of the next pass we then had a glorious descent roughly 1000m vert down to Kemater Alm, before taking the toboggan track to the valley. The more shaded slopes still held 5-10cms of really good powdery snow on a smooth base all the way down, and with a wide open slope there was plenty of space between the tracks already there. Felt very stable, so was fun to party shred it together!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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On Sunday my gf and I went to Seefeld to cruise the pistes. Temperatures got up to 13°C! However the snow actually held up pretty well generally, though obviously very springlike. The village was still white. Strange vibes for February though!
Crowds were kinda weird too. Occasionally none, and occasionally mental with bad skiers skiing waaaaaay to fast and way too close together.
Since then it's stayed fairly warm and springlike, especially down in the city, however it seems like it should get colder going into this evening with a bit of snow tomorrow.
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@clarky999,
Great pics & trip report yet again.
PS Please send some snow up to this end of Austria.
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@DB, thanks!
Ha, I would gladly! I've been looking forward to some OÖ treeskiing, but hasn't materialised (for me) yet this season!
BTW feeling much colder in Innsbruck today. Currently doesn't look like we'll get much snow today though, maybe a couple of centimetres.
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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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@clarky999,
Beautiful trip report. Kalkkögel is something special.
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Just got in from a little night ski tour at Birgitzer Alm, near Axams. The tour up was fine apart from the first 100m or so which involved some climbing over roots and stones. There had been a little bit of fresh snow, maybe 5cm at 1800m, so most of the track was refreshed and fairly nice.
It took about an hour or so to get up to the hut at 1800m – you start from the carpark on the corner on the main road up to Axamer Lizum. The food was good and cheap, though the service was a bit grumpy!
The first part of the ski down on fresh snow in fields was pretty nice, but when we got to the Rodelbahn, it soon got a bit trickier. From about halfway down this track, it was a few mm of snow on rock hard sheet ice. I could snowplough it for a while, but then it became to unpredictable and I didn’t want to risk another hospitalising face plant, to I took my skis off and put my boots back into walk mode. This was ok for a few mins while I could walk in the soft snow at the side, but when that became too slippery as well, it was a nightmare. The last 200m was done one slow step at a time, with a couple of heavy-ass falls (thankfully onto soft tissue) and I managed to clip my ear on my ski edge, but it’s just a small cut and a bruise.
Everything is gonna hurt in the morning, and I’m expecting some impressive bruises too so if you’re gonna go touring, stay high and keep away from the Rodelbahn!
Snowing heavily up at Axams and even a bit here, though it’s quite wet here. Tomorrow could be reasonable, I suppose.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Normal people having smashed themselves up....
Special people.......
Glad you didn't proper hurt yourself.
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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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@Dave of the Marmottes, be reet. Though there was one point as I sat on my bum in the middle of the track after falling again, where I seriously contemplated whether I could bum-slide the rest of the way  I like those trousers though.
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I seriously contemplated whether I could bum-slide the rest of the way
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Embrace your inner snowboarder!
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You know it makes sense.
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@leggyblonde, Haha! I really wished I had crash pants, this morning's bruises are classic snowboarder – bum and upper thigh!
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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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Posted this on the snow reports thread, probably worth noting here. Raining and 8deg at 2000m in Mayrhofen, Ahorn and Penken this morning. Rain cleared this afternoon but temps up Penken were 10deg. Very very mild, snow was getting pretty slushy. First time Austria for me, Mayrhofen seems a nice resort. Lifts up in the valleys very busy, but moved through okay. Need to find more wide open runs for me though, everything seemed to be very tight and very busy. Still, 5 days left.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The other resorts in the valley should be a lot quieter@hinesy32 particularly with no weekend visitors
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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compostcorner wrote:
is it possible to ski from axamer lizum to gotzens, i notice on some piste maps theres a run but not on others.
Someone asked the same question last year - turned out there was and I think they said it was a good ski. I hadn't and still haven't skied it, so can't give accurate information, sorry!
Apologies as this is almost certainly too late for the OP, but yes it is. I was the person asking last year, but haven't been on this thread much this year as I don't think I will make to Innsbruck this season sadly.
You just head up the old Bergitz chair lift in Axamer to the top of the black run and head down the nursery slopes behind the refuge. At the bottom of the run you will see a track on your right. Try to keep some speed as this is a long shallow track through the trees, but it eventually spits you out at the top of the Gotzens red run. This is a great run and a perfect way to round off your day. Certainly beats waiting for the bus.
NB if you are staying in Mutters (as I was), you traverse across this piste and pick up the Mutters run home.
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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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Sorry for the lack of updates lately, been a little busy.
Had a few fun days skiing since my last post, but nothing to write home about. Missed a few really great days due to work and other commitments though - there's been a fair bit of snow since.
At the weekend I skied Seefeld, mostly just pistencruising with my parents who are out for a visit. But the snow was great! Probably around 10cm fell Friday and Saturday nights. On Saturday the resort was EMPTY - maybe 5 cars in the car park. Lots of people for blue sky powder on Sunday though.
It's been raining all day here in Innsbruck, but snowing fairly heavily high up. Rest of the week should be good in places like Nordkette, Seefeld, Arlberg, etc. It seems like Seefeld in particularly has been/is getting more snow than forecast.
ATM no issues re. Corona virus. A lot of events have been cancelled (anything over 500 people outside/100 people inside forcibly so), and it seems ALL apres ski in Ischgl has been closed plus a couple of schools and the university. But otherwise ski resorts seem to operating as normal. HOWEVER I think there will be a few announcements tomorrow.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just to contradict that slightly, I’ve just been up to Seefeld this evening and it was raining at the top. About 10cm fresh had fallen, but it was sooooooo sticky it was really hard to ski as your body ends up overshooting your skis! And my skis were fresh from the waxing iron, so it definitely wasn’t that. We were soaked and only did two runs. Like trying to ski candy floss in a downpour
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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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@Scarlet, yep! I also went up to Seefeld for dinner around an hour after writing that, and the snow had turned to rain. Shame, as there'd been quite a bit of snow down to the village! My parents said it turned to rain around 6pm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Obviously this news has broken across multiple threads already, but the Tyrolean State Government have ordered all ski resorts closed from Sunday 15th, and all accommodation (hotels, apartments, etc) closed from Monday 16th to restrict the spread of Corona virus.
I understand the same applies in Salzburg and Vorarlberg.
As yet it does not seem to apply in Oberösterreich and Steiermark. But that is probably a matter of time (more announcements/press conference at 2pm I believe).
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@clarky999, is this going to affect your job?
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@munich_irish, shouldn't do, other than working from home the next few weeks. I'm lucky in that I will be needed for the communications side of things - hopefully anyway!
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FAQ
