 Poster: A snowHead
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A big group of friends are going to St Anton in March and have invited us to join them, it looks like a great trip and we’d sorely love to go.
Unfortunately I damaged my ACL (amongst other things) in Tignes last Christmas and have spent all year sorting myself out after the surgery. I haven’t skied since.
I’ve read that St Anton is quite a tough resort with crowded pistes and lots of moguls. I’m a slightly timid intermediate as I only learnt to ski at 28 and this would be my seventh week. I’m happy to go down any red but not confident on black runs. Moguls don’t concern me, but I’m worried that my knee will feel differently after a couple of days! My gut feel is that St Anton would be a really tough week for me, but can anyone provide any other opinion on the resort? Is Lech easy to get to from St Anton?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When did you have the surgery? I went to St Anton a number of years ago, and would class myself same as you, not confident on Black runs but would do them if I had to. We had a great week. We went over to Lech a couple of times, you need to get a bus for the middle bit, but it is well worth it.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 19-11-13 12:40; edited 1 time in total
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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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aussie82, plenty of easy piste skiing in St Anton and in Lech (which is pretty easy to get to via the bus)
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Or ski to Alp Rauz (just short of Stuben) and take the short bus ride to Zurs, then ski from there to Lech.
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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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The pistes aren't that tough in St Anton, it's the off-piste which lots of people go for - some of which is quite gnarly I believe.
I coped (just about) with a torn calf muscle a couple of years ago, especially around Lech.
The only one to be careful of is the 'happy valley' home run at the end of the day which can be very crowded. There are alternative ways down though. Just finish early and get a good spot at the Mooserwirt 
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aussie82,
It's the end of the day when the home runs get moguled out and busy that won't do your knees any favours.
You could just opt to stay away from runs such as happy valley and take the lift back down at the end of the day.
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aussie82, I had ACL and PCL reconstructive surgery in 1999 to bring an end to my rugby career - probably long overdue by then anyway. I have a fantastic knee brace which totally chilled my fears when I was in Chamonix, (which has under-rated blues/reds masquerading as blacks in other resorts) a few years ago and has never failed me if I try anything too close to my comfort zone (similar to yours I would say).
Its really all in the mind if your surgery has been deemed successful
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 19-11-13 15:37; edited 1 time in total
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simonmj66, which brace do you have?
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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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From what I have seen of St. Anton from Chalet Girl there look to be lots of flattish pistes.
I would have thought that with a knee brace you would be fine if you avoided the moguls.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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simonmj66, thanks, same make as Physio was just suggesting and she said hinged as well, thanks very much!
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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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'From what I have seen of St. Anton from Chalet Girl there look to be lots of flattish pistes. ' Emwmarine not sure that's the best way to judge a ski resort?!
Having spent last season in St. Anton and going again this season there's a few changes:
Happy Valley due to an avalanche is vastly changed this year which means there's an easy cruise up to a 6 man lift which will then enable you to take a bubble down if you don't fancy end of day home runs.
The pistes in general are quiet around March time, not dead but nothing on school hols. There are a lot of easy pistes, and the only aspect which I would think would cause trouble would be run number 2 (kandahar black) into run number 1 (blue) which gets pretty mogul-y at the end of the day.
There are ways to avoid this such as getting the bubble down, or if you want to end up at the Moose/KKs/Taps with your friends you can approach it from Gampen lift where you can use blue and red pistes to get to Moose/KKs and only half a very small stretch of busy piste down from Apres. Mind you the pistes are nothing like making it down from the Folie in VT mogul wise, Kandahar (2) is the most taxing run and can be busy at the end of the day but it's not a hard black.
Also as others say Lech/Zurs are very nice cruisy runs completely different to St. Anton and free to use with your ski pass. A lot less crowded to. There's always Rendl the other side of St. Anton as well for nice fairly gentle piste.
HTH!
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| mbydmt wrote: |
'From what I have seen of St. Anton from Chalet Girl there look to be lots of flattish pistes. ' Emwmarine not sure that's the best way to judge a ski resort?!
HTH! |
Next you'll be telling me there isn't a hairy ski shop worker who climbs up to the jhighest off piste bit on his knees in the dark before the ski lifts open.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks guys, especially mbydmt, – this is so very useful. I feel better about going for it now.
NickyJ, – I had my knee repaired in mid-March but my rehab has been a bit slow and pokey due a bit of life stuff and also I had an MCL repair as well which isn’t the nicest thing to get over (hurt far more than ACL). Hopefully by March, I’ll be golden, but at the moment I still can’t run on my knee which is apparently the end stage of physio.
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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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aussie82, Some "knee medicine" in the Mooser' before you hit the last stretch in the dark will help your knee. Honest Guv' 
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Poster: A snowHead
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St Anton isn't too difficult in terms of pistes. The blues and reds are probably a bit harder than your average resort, but there isn't many slopes which are extremely difficult. You'll be fine. The worst bit is the motorway piste back into St Anton from Gampen and Galzig at the end of the day. The light can be poor, and combined with lots of people +moguls makes for an irritating descent. Either stay at the top, have a beverage and wait for the crowds to descend, or head back early. Failing that just get the last lift down and meet your mates in the pub. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Also, if you are happy on reds then you'll handle St Anton no problem. Go for it, it's the best ski area in the world, IMO.
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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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aussie82, I am sure you will be fine by then, just work hard on the Physio till then. It took me 6months to be let back to hockey training with strictly no tackling, though my running still felt very flat at that stage. 12months is quite doable. Best of luck.
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aussie82, I did my ACL, somehow managed a week's skiing just 3 weeks afterwards (couldn't let the family down !). Thereafter spent several years pre-op having annual ski trips and just 'getting by'. Eventually had the surgery. The recovery period and physio afterwards was a killer to the point that I almost regretted surgery - but it got me in the gym. From there on in, built up the quads with lots of cross-trainer work and haven't looked back. Went skiing about 9 months after surgery. Far fitter than in my youth and now get much more enjoyment from my skiing.
NickyJ, is right. Gym work and physio, 12 months is doable. Running still feels weird 5 yrs later but is possible - the impact is hard on the knee after ACL hence my preference for the x-trainer. The cold in the mountains does affect the metal pins holding my knee together but the key is strong quads for stability.
Good luck
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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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aussie82, I fractured my Tibial Plateau (in bits), ruptured the meniscus and stretched the MCL on 1st April this year. I was on crutches for 3 months following the surgery and lost loads of muscle. I skied at Hemel on Saturday, albeit strapped up and under orders to get a brace for my trip to Val d'Isere next week. I had a great day, no pain although my knee muscles have stiffened up as a result. I have been rehabbing pretty hard for 4.5 months (gym/physio 4 or 5 times a week) and probably need to keep it up for at least another 3 months to improve dynamic function and eccentric strength as well as bulk up quads, adductors and VMO
If you can find time to do more physio/gym work then you should be absolutely fine by March - loads of time yet. What does your physio say?
I can't run either.....
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 19-11-13 22:48; edited 1 time in total
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damobloke1, For MCL the OP definitely needs strong VMO and adductor as well as quads to help prevent further injury. Depends on the success of the repair (my surgeon wouldn't intervene surgically as success rate is not great so it's exercise all the way); skiing is a risk to further MCL damage but it can be mitigated.
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aussie82, it would be worth getting your physios advice on a brace for your knee as well. I was doing just that today (the ACL recon was a complete success btw it is subsequent damage which I am now focussing on keeping what's left of my knee).
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NickyJ, I have an appointment on Monday night at an Orthotist that Jonathan bell recommended - not looking forward to the bill but I'll have to go with what's in stock as I need it for next Thursday 
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