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The Arlberg Snow Report 2019/2020 (MArch Weather -- Variable --Snow On and Off)

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Looks stunning out there, cold, fresh snow and blue skies!! Enjoy whoever is out!!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
https://www.tt.com/panorama/gesellschaft/16480797/st-anton-verneigt-sich-vor-einer-grossen-sportlerin
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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?
How's the new Schindlergratbahn running?
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Snow forecast saying warner with no snow over next 9 days? Can anyone see anything with a better outlook?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
mk28 wrote:
Snow forecast saying warner with no snow over next 9 days? Can anyone see anything with a better outlook?


Nope looks warm until 5th jan, freezing level over 2200m
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Come 4th for 2 weeks on a off piste course so hoping it changes
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@mk28, there is plenty of snow here to last the entire season....
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@mk28, there is a suggestion of some snow around the 8th of Jan but it is so far away it might just disappear like morning mist.
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@mk28, bring your skins

Problem with St Anton is if there hasn't been fresh snow for a week or 2 every conceivable track within a 40 minute hike of anywhere is tracked out.
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I suppose that actually skiing conditions upper there are good, I mean, schindler mountain, mattun bowl, albona, zurs..etc etc. But down to the valley it isn't a lot of snow (40cm in st anton), so, how are the conditions of the routes going more down to the valley: Hinderer Rendl, vordere rendlspitze, malfontal, Mariokopf down to langen, schongraben, stierfall, etc.??
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@AlTom, They are all skiable and pople are ..... but we are only 4 weeks into the season the rain has affected the south facing lower egress variants i.e Ice,Crud,Rocks ---- you take your chances….. the Helicopters have been in non stop use abseits der Piste this last week and I expect them to be cranking up airlifts this week ..


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sun 29-12-19 11:07; edited 2 times in total
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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.
@AlTom, remember it’s still very early season
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 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
follow on from above …. Piste Rescues

Pistenhilfe have reverted back to the traditional Rettungsbahren (Piste Rescue Stretchers). They have invested in a new fleet..

Helicopters for environmental reasons are only being used for most serious or by request...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Sure it's still early season, and that's why I'm asking. I could have the first half of january off and still not decided where to go and it seems there is more snow in central/western alps.

However forecast are really bad for coming weeks....not significant new snow for next 10 days...
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Steissbachtal closed again around mid morning, the usual Kandahar carnage ensued...

Regarding heli rescues and the blood wagons, somebody I know who used to be a Pistenretter said that they used the heicopters a lot as to have one stationed in St Anton, it has to be used a certain number of times, that may well have changed as I have seen the blood wagons out a bit more so far this season.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I assume there are glide cracks opening up on the south facing slopes above the Steissbachtal?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
You can see a bunch of Fischmäuler on the right in this webcam shot.

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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?
@nozawaonsen, that's what I thought too but not really easy to confirm looking at a webcam image. Assuming it is cracks it seems very early in the season, maybe its down to the mild weather.
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@munich_irish, it’s heavy snow on the grassy slope. It’s been very cold for the preceding few days. They are just beyond the thin line of trees. Given what happened in Andermatt they will need to be doubly careful.
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The Andermatt thing was not good though very lucky no serious injuries or worse. I can understand being cautious especially with the forecast for mild sunny weather. Last year there was a snow wall built along side the piste, I guess that must be on the cards again though too late for the busiest few days of the season.
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When I was out before Xmas in the warm spell there were slides down to bare grass
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
http://mountainacademy.salomon.com/en/demo/47/glide-snow-avalanche
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Will be Blue Sky clear weather until at least the weekend...
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https://www.sn.at/panorama/oesterreich/58-jaehriger-in-st-anton-bei-lawinenunglueck-verstorben-81362794
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That happened around lunchtime...

For anyone whp thinks its safe off piste right now...

Take this as a wakeup call
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Very sad news
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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.
This was on the local news here. He was skiing with his wife and two sons when he was swept away. Very sad indeed.
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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
News report locally, so sad...

Avalanche departure with death in verwall group

After a ski touring climb to the gamskarspitze (2621 M) in the malfontal in the verwall group in the municipality of st. Anton a. A intended a family of four from Germany (58 m, 58 w, 25 m, 23 m, 23 m) from there towards st. Jakob A.A. leaving. Just below the gip rock they entered the steep northern slope and crossed it individually. When the 58-Year-old entered the slope as third, approx. 100 m above him a snowboard avalanche. The man was captured and carried away by the avalanche. The victim was no longer able to trigger his avalanche backpack. After an avalanche length of approx. 750 m, it was completely spilled. The family members tried to locate the victim using lvs device, but they did not succeed. The close gallus3 flew a first responder to the scene of accident, which was able to locate the very spilled in difficult, rough terrain using lvs device and probe. The buried was dug up and reanimated. This was last-finally in vain. He died at the accident site. The Tourers were experienced equivalent partners, equipped with an appropriate emergency equipment.
Machining Department: Pi st. Anton A.A.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Weather

Perfect New Years Day !!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@stanton, not sure it is ever "safe" off piste. In the high mountains there are always risks of one sort or another. We can try to minimise those risks and take precautions with equipment and knowledge. In the end it is a personal decision to balance the enjoyment of being in the mountains against the risks, some are happy with a higher level of risk and others not. I agree far too many people go off piste without taking into account the risks but not all people are in this category. From what little we know these people seemed to have been well equipped and experienced. Even guides can get caught by the unexpected.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
munich_irish wrote:
Even guides can get caught by the unexpected.


I knew two (there has been more) local Ski Techers/Guides over the last 30yrs who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@munich_irish,
Quote:
not sure it is ever "safe" off piste.

It isn't actually guaranteed to be safe on piste either. I just barely missed getting taken out by a huge slide on the trail that leads from Schindler back to the Schindler chair (ski route), and also just missed on the valley run in Kleinwalsertal / Kanzelwand... also several slides on piste so far this season
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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?
I thought the ski routes are avalanche safe. I mean, anything can happen anywhere, a pisteur was killed last season in Crans Montana on piste due to an avalanche who started above, but aren't Arlberg ski routes supposed to be safe and not requiring avalanche equipment?
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@drporat, they do some avi control of ski routes, but the routes are not checked at the end of the day, nor are hazards marked etc.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@kitenski, thanks. I don't care for marked obstacles on the red ski routes* and it's Arlberg so there are always people there. I am just worried re: enhanced avi risk. Gonna be there again in a week with a friend who has no avi kit, planned to do the ski routes together
*Edited: don't care since I'm not rushing there.
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@drporat, just keep an eye if they are open or not! Saw plenty of people skiing closed routes when I was there. They could have loads of snow but be shut due to avi risk. Sometimes they have a lone shut sign and not roped/fences off like French resorts do.
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@drporat, there is a lot of confusion around "ski routes" and it varies from resort to resort. My understanding in the Arlberg is that a ski route is indicated by a single line of markers (as opposed to pistes where there are markers to either side). The route is secured from avalanche and other hazards only along the line of the markers, it is not however patrolled.

Quite how this works in practice is rather hazy. Schindlerkar referred to above has a line of poles in the middle of a wide piste bashed run which then narrows down to a path around a cliff with fencing to protect against the drop off the side but the path is subject to stonefall (generally light but even so it could cause injury) especially on warm afternoons. Mattun has a line of poles and no piste bashing but the area is very wide and the line of poles is not necessarily the most sensible route or easy to follow even in bright conditions. Osthang is a lot of big fairly steep moguls under the main lift. Even more confusing is Madloch which is pretty much treated as a piste and is a key part of the White Ring / Run of Fame circuits but has a number of more difficult variants alongside. I cant even remember if there are poles (there must be) as you simply follow the bashed runs and signs. Lots more too including some pretty difficult stuff like Schindler Steilhang, the route from Kappal through the cliffs to the bottom of Mattun and some of the Lech routes.

Assuming you keep to the "ski route" itself there should be no need for avi bags but you do need to be confident in your skiing ability and be able to navigate your way around if you loose sight of the poles. I do think keeping Madloch as a ski route is asking for trouble, so many ski down it and not all would really have the necessary skills if they got lost or conditions are not good.

There is always a small risk of avalanche even on piste as was shown in Andermatt the other day.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@munich_irish, thanks. I remember Madloch has red diamond signs and poles
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The itineraries are supposed to be avi controlled within, IIRC 3m, each side of the marker pole. Is/was on the paper piste maps, but don't have one to hand to check. In terms of instructor level, you have to be a Landeslehrer (level 3) to be able to take clients on a ski route (the Madloch run to Zug is an exception), which is the level required to be able to teach outside the marked pistes.
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@drporat, You do not need Avi Equipment in the Arlberg Controlled ski area (inc the marked itinery routes) all you need is common sense.

Avi Bags/Ruksaks take up to much space in Gondolas, Cable cars..

Anyone wearing them should take them off and be obliged to hold them above their heads Shocked

The avalanche mentioned above was well out of the controlled area & no amount of Avi Kit would of helped in this incident


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Wed 1-01-20 16:10; edited 1 time in total
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