 Poster: A snowHead
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Big avalanche at Nordkette today, early afternoon (between my lunch and afternoon breaks - I can see the ski area from the staff room window), skiers left of ski route 6 - one of the old glide cracks ripped down to the ground, and went a long way... Another crack right next to it, presumably rope to go too. Play safe out there, especially on south facing slopes...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Spring is officially here - this morning I saw two birds (sadly just the feathered kind) doing the dirty, so it must be true. However, in some places it's still Winter, so me and my friend Magdalena went in search of high, North-facing slopes. As the snow was so good there on Wednesday, we decided to go check out the area around Kuhtai, and see if there was anything worth skinning for. Turned out there was! We didn't make the peak as about 3/4s up the snow started to get a bit weird, thin crust on 20-30cms of faceted crystals - loosely packed and very sluff-happy. Concerned about the stability, and given the large amounts of avi activity on many other slopes around us, we decided discretion was the better part of valour and headed down. Scored some really nice (shaded and wind protected) old consolidated pow, so we did it again. Photos from Magdalena, as she stole my camera (honestly!):
Views were alright:
DSC01759 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Plenty of space:
DSC01840 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
DSC01849 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Skinny(ish) skis don't slarve properly:
DSC01850 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
DSC01852 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Screw you Other Person's Track:
DSC01855 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
No complaints:
DSC01812 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Dammit tree:
DSC01860 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
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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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Great photos!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for the pics and reports clarky999
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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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clarky999, how bad is this current melt?
Looking at the webcams this week it looks as though the wind has been strong because several chair lifts have not been operating. Is this the case?
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northantsred, Yep, the Foehn has been blowing really hard, upto 130km/h at time apparently, I gather lifts have been closing at Stubai and Axamer anyway. I was skiing in the Arlberg on Tuesday (seems to have been rather less affected), but other than that haven't skied since Sunday (when the photos above are from), so I'm not sure exactly what conditions are like. Snow down in the valley has been ruined, up high there still seems to be plenty, just less than there was. Just what I can see from my flat, but coverage looks to be fine at Nordkette, Patsch and at least part of Axamer. The pistes should still be fine, offpiste on south-facing slopes watch out for rocks, but everything still looks to be skiable. Due more snow this weekend/next week, and a big temperature drop, so nothing to worry about yet.
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clarky999, nice photos, looks awesome need to get there next season for a long weekend with Dan
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Not a day for skiing. It's a little cooler than the last couple of days, though still pretty mild. Very cloudy, most of the webcams (Nordkette, Stubai, Schlick, Kuhtai, Axamer) are shrouded in fog - visibility looks awful. Seems to be snowing at Axamer though, with sporadic light snow at Schlick. Doesn't seem so likely anymore that we'll get the forecasted dump early next week, but should be getting a top up at least.
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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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Might be looking up a bit now actually, raining here (700m at the flat) reasonably heavily (kittens had their first experience of rain, weren't happy!), but from what I can work out through foggy webcams, it seems to be snowing reasonably well at all the resorts mentioned above. Freezing level can't be very low (1000-1200m?) though, so snow on the lower slopes might suffer a bit, we'll see what happens as it gets colder over night.
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I am talking to the snow gods and offering them wonga to drop the temps and let it snow let it snow let it snow . . . 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Not really anything worth talking about in terms of new snow, hot and sunny down in the valley, dark and gloomy up top (Nordkette). Sunbathing and beer in the garden was the order of the day.
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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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Rain at the flat (700m) last night, when I woke up it was clear there'd been snow higher up. Work today so no idea how much, I doubt more than 10cm though. Warm and sunny again now.
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Well we'll be there tomorrow lunch time and probably hit the slopes at Igls or Nordkette for a couple of hours then enjoy the city in the evening.
Bergfex are forecasting snow up to the weekend.
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You know it makes sense.
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northantsred, yep, supposed to get a lot colder and snowier over the next few days. At the moment you can't ski to the bottom of Nordkette, so unless you fancy the park or the steeps, Patscherkofel is probably the better bet for the afternoon.
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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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Weather's a-changing 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Weather's a-changing |
According to the forecasts I have seen it should be snowing today across Tirol and Salzburg districts. Can't see much on the precipitation radars and not a lot on certain webcams ( Wagrain & Seefeld ). Not really sure where todays snow is going to come from?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jimmybog, I think it's supposed to push West into Tirol as the day goes on, snowfall will be heavier a bit to the East.
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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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Snowing 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Snowing |
Excellent!!! Just seen it on the webcams now. Enjoy your day tomorrow!!!
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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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jimmybog, cheers, gotta work until 12, but that's just more time for the old bumps and tracks to get covered (insert glass half full smiley)!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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clarky999, Hey Matt, been back 5 days and the end season ski blues are setting in already.............have sent you a FB message about potential for a quick weekend out in Innsbruck area 19-22.04 to do some day tours, think snow would be any good for 2.5 days ski touring, or too low/ too late in your opinion? Come back to me either PM here or FB if u can with your thoughts. I know its a while off yet and could be a lottery but would appreciate your thoughts and whether there'll be anything decent to skin up/ back-country spring snow options etc?
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Markymark29, replied to you on Facebook, but to sum up:
- I don't really know as previously I've mainly spent time here in uni holidays, and never late April.
- Stubai is likely to be the only lift-served stuff around here (Arlberg, Ischgl, and presumably Mayrhofen, Hintertux, Soelden and Obergurgl will too, but they're a bit further away - though still day-tripable). The resorts around here generally say "closing early April," will have to wait and see when they actually do, maybe later with the snowpack we've got this season
- I'd be surprised, given the amount of snow we have atm, if there isn't good stuff to be found with skins (especially high and north-facing), but I can't 'promise' that with much certainty
- Snow in April certainly isn't unusual, I'm hoping to skin up/in/around some of the (then) closed resorts (always more fun when deserted!), which I think should hold good snow (Axamer Lizum and the Kalkoegel couloirs [incidentally some of the DOWN skis guys climbed/skied a probable first descent there today] and Kuhtai, amongst others), as well as some more 'proper' backcountry.
Do you use TGR at all? You could try pm-ing Klar or marius, both of whom probably know a lot more about the area than me!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 15-03-13 17:55; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just got back today from our short stay in Innsbruck and we were so predictable. Went up Nordkette late wednesay afternoon and couldn't see a thing, looked down the first chute and with visibilty really poor we chickened out deciding that this was NOT the place to rediscover our ski legs!!! Boy did it look steep.
Thursday Morning we went over to Axamer Lizum and had an absolute ball, Friday morning we just missed the bus heading out to Stubai Gelschter(sp) so headed back over to Axamer for a repeat of the day before, I did mention we had fun the day before. Then for Saturday which was a pure bluebird and our final day we had a lot of discussion before deciding that another day in Axamer would be most agreeable and so it turned out that way. One of the best days I have ever experienced, there is so much on offer for such a small hill and we spent a fair time in what must be one the best little mountain huts in the whole of the alps, namely Dohlennest(sp) great spot and great hosts, lots of locals mixing with tourists and so friendly, loved it. What a gem of a resort.
I am sorry we did not explore the area a tad more, but hey . . . . there is the next time for that!
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northantsred, glad you had fun! Axamer has a lot more to it than the piste map might suggest... Saturday looked ace, was gutted to be stuck in work all day. Today was a write-off, Foehn kicked up hardcore, lots of lifts shut and increased the already iffy avi conditions (some friends triggered two small slides on the North-facing slopes off the back of Nordkette on Saturday) - solo touring didn't seem to wisest move.
Yeah, Seilbahnrinne (the couloir under the top cable car at Nordkette) and Karrine are pretty steep at the top!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just got back to Austria last night after a week skiing in the PdS with my family (and scoring pow!), and woken up this morning to snowfall down to at least 700m.
Winning!
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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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You lucky 
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clarky999, make the best of it......the snow gods are looking down on you! Hope it stays nice and cold until 18th!
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You know it makes sense.
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Great conditions in Kuhtai today. Didn't make it up until about 12 o'clock (bacon delivery from my parents last week called for a 'Full English' today!), but still plenty of untouched powder (20-30cms) about. With the sun it was a little denser and more consolidated on the South-facing side, but still surprisingly light and fluffy on North-facing slopes (even in the sun). Only took a couple of photos (on my phone) as I forgot my real camera, and after seeing several fresh slides on only moderately steep slopes we stuck to fairly low-angle terrain - you need to be up and down early for steep pow turns in these temperatures.
Lots of snow down in the car park/by the base station - lifts close on the 7th but the touring season will be a long one!
IMAG0523 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
No competition for freshies - with very minimal traverses out/back from the lifts you can score fresh tracks all day:
IMAG0525 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Plenty of room:
IMAG0524 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
A 'McKuhtai' schnitzel burger and wiessbier in the sun to carry on the healthy-eating theme:
IMAG0526 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Hard to make out, but a couple of tourers had released some slides on their way up - looked like they triggered them whilst kick-turning (slides then ran back over their skin track).
IMAG0530 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Nothing wrong with staying conservative on terrain choices at the moment - warm sun, fresh snow and steep slopes aren't a great combination. There were at least two avalanche fatalities in Austria today.
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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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Miserable weather this morning = allround demotivation for the planned mission to the Kalkoegel. After a (much needed!) looong lie-in I headed over to Patsherkofel just as the sun started to come out a bit, just to stretch the legs a bit. Lifts are closed already so pretty much had the mountain to myself, lovely skin up (didn't go all the way to the top, stopped about 4/5ths of the way up when I started to reach cloud-level, couldn't be bothered to deal with greyness and low-vis). Ski down was even better, no grooming since the last (fairly minor) snowfall seemingly, so really really nice corn the whole way down.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Skied at Schlick 2000 for the closing day yesterday, entertainingly the bottom gondola broke about 4 hours before it wouldn't have been a problem... Resort hired a couple of (snow-chained) taxis to take people up to the middle station, all upper lifts working fine. Barely anyone about, and awful visibility. Surprisingly cold, with some really great snow. Offpiste was nasty refreeze crud, but on piste was really nice grippy hardpack with a light dusting of chopped fresh on top.
Found out today that Nordkette will be staying open for a while, though with a brief colsure (8-12th April) to do some maintenance. Happy days, still plenty of snow in the upper couloirs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been raining heavily in Innsbruck, snowing up top at Axamer Lizum, Stubaier Glacier, Nordkette, etc.
Lazy day after starting work at 6 most of this week (would have gone up Nordkette for a couple of runs, but lifts are closed for maintenance until tomorrow), tomorrow should be good though. Hopefully the weather clears up a bit, it's really dark and miserable atm!
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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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Pretty damn good weekend overall! 20cms ish of snowfall high up over Friday night, warm days, blue skies and lots of sun Saturday and Sunday. Trixi has to study for exams atm, mates either had visitors or thought "it's too late in the season for anything but park now man, I'm gonna go skateboarding," so ended up playing alone.
On Saturday I decided to go for my first foray up into the Kalkkoegel Mountains, by the ski resort of Axamer Lizum. The Kalkkoegel are rather dramatic limestone mountains, sometimes called the 'Tirolean Dolomites.' The resort is now closed, but still has loads of snow - car park was busy, though most people were just skinning up the pistes. I skinned a couple of hundred metres up the pistes from the carpark, skinned up left into a small valley, then up a couloir. Lots of people had got there before me (I'm lazy and wanted a lie in!), but there was still lots of room to find fresh tracks - and the skin track was already set, win! Powder had already transformed by the time I was up there, but there was still plenty of top notch spring snow and corn to be had.
Looking pretty badass from the car park - the obvious couloir top left was the objective:
DSC02214 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
It was pretty warm by the time I got up into the valley, and I witnessed three small-ish wet slides. They make a horrible hissing noise, which sounds really sinister when you're alone! Thankfully there are several glacial moraines, which provide relatively safe travel routes.
DSC02190 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Would have been skin track stoke, but I was having a few technical difficulties, and lots of photos turned out to be totally unfocussed:
DSC02178 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Here you can see the couloir, nice bit of gradient, and mostly protected from the sun. I didn't attempt the last steeper pitch, concerned about the warmth and further slides.
DSC02185 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
It's a really cool spot, not visible from the ski area, as you tuck in behind other mountains. You can see my tracks on the left, working back down the valley. The obvious notch is the entrance to another couloir, steeper and narrower - one for another day!
DSC02184 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Last pitch back to the piste the snow was a bit heavier. Skin track up on the left.
DSC02196 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Looking back up the piste, the skin up to the valley is on the left before the wall:
DSC02198 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Even just the piste back was great, corned over, and nice to carve.
DSC02200 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Today I went up to the Stubaier Glacier, intending to just have a chilled day skiing slushy pistes and bumps. It ended up not being as warm as I expected, at least until about 2pm. There were still places to find lift-served freshies early on:
DSC02217 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Steep couloirs in the background for anyone feeling brave/likes to get up really early:
DSC02306 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
More steeps, not too sure how to access this though, think it may be easier from the other side?
DSC02251 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
I'd packed my skins just in case, and spotting an old skin track into a big bowl, thought I'd go check it out. 'Twas pretty tasty!
DSC02245 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
A guy from Munich spotted me going up, and as I came down, started up himself. Turned out he'd put the track in a couple of days ago. I waited for him to ski down, to get some pictures. My tracks on the right 
DSC02275 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
DSC02307 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
This dude got pretty damn rad, the couloir's a lot steeper than it looks here. Notice the crevassed section he goes over... Probably totally safe given the snow cover, but the idea of skiing over crevassed totally freaks me out!
DSC02227 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Day wouldn't be complete otherwise
DSC02302 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
It's always gratifying (read smug-inducing!) to admire your handiwork over the valley as you sip your beer!
DSC02300 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Complete snow cover at the moment, if anyone is in need of a cheeky weekend away to finish off the season, Stubai would be a great choice atm!
DSC02217 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
Only downside to the day was stupid lifties thinking they know better, and hurting my skis! I'd put my skis in the gondola rack at the bottom, stayed in no problem. At the middle station, dude takes them out, turns them around, and jams them back in again, ripping off a chunk of topsheet. In a resort that prides itself on it's freeride and freestyle terrain, you'd think lifts and lift staff would be able to deal with a fairly standard set of mid-fat twintips! Damage won't affect how they'll ski, but it's still pretty annoying, and would certainly affect re-sell value... Anyone reckon it's worth trying to get a couple of beer vouchers or something out of the lift company?
DSC02316 by Clarkleberry Finn, on Flickr
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Worth pointing out the avi risks at the moment, been 2 rising to 3 over the day, which has been pretty consistent with what I've been seeing - frequent we slides, up to reasonable sizes, on all aspects. If you want to ski anything much over 30º, get up early, find something in the shade, or preferably both.
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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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Love the two sets of tracks. I'm amazed something so prominent didn't see more people skiing it.
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clarky999, great report mate. I will definitely be back to try out the other resorts you mention. We liked Axamer so much we just went back there 3 days running!!! there is so much variation for such a small resort.
I have to say that on the back of my weeks family trip to Chamonix the pricing levels in Austria were a lovely reminder of why I should forget France and head to a friendly welcoming country that doesn't set out to rip off the tourist. 
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Cheers!
meh, I was surprised too. By the end of the day most lift-served stuff was pretty tracked out (though the park rats kindly left a big pitch right by the park track-fee!), with only a couple of small groups skinning up to various places. Maybe the forecasted roasting weather put people off. Huge expanses of terrain accessible with skins though.
northantsred, yeah, Axamer's ace! Tbh, I haven't even skied all the lift-served offpiste yet, and barely scratched the surface of the touring potential. There's much more terrain up there than the piste maps suggest.
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Planning on going to Stubai for a long weekend soon so will be watching your sport reports with interest for the next week 
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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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lynseyf, with work/etc I'm unlikely to be up there before Sunday, but with the forecasted cooldown/snow I'd be surprised if conditions are anything other than excellent. Good snow cover all the way to the valley last weekend, with the Wilde Grube and 'unofficial' offpiste routes under the gondolas were open/skiable right to the bottom.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 18-04-13 22:06; edited 1 time in total
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Thanks clarky999, will be next thurs-sunday so will maybe give you a shout next week to check conditions, driving from Munich so have a few options but my boyfriend hasn't been to Stubai yet so fancied a visit.
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