 Poster: A snowHead
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Ticked off a major ski goal today.
The Serlesspitz looms right over Innsbruck, dominating the view from pretty much anywhere in the city. The North face holds two couloirs, the more Easterly is a particularly aesthetic line (and the most visible from the city); a big slash in the mountain with another hashed across it like a crucifix. I've been staring at this line for over 3 years, ever since I first started spending time in Innsbruck. And it's always been staring back at me; seductive, menacing, hypnotising... Daring me.
I can see it when I drive to work. I can see it when I go to the supermarket. I can see it when staggering to get my bus back from a night out. I can see it when skiing at Nordkette.
Today I finally skied it.
The weekend brought a lot of new snow to Tirol, by today it had stabilised nicely resulting in absolutely perfect, consistent, consolidated powder. I had planned to ski tour in the Kalkkögel, but my mate Tracy (http://anderson-images.com) suggested Serles instead. I jumped at the chance.
We toured up from the eastern flank, before heading up into the couloir. I quickly learned that kick turns on steep terrain are very difficult on 193 skis when you have short, inflexible legs... In powder it was ok, but I'll be investing in some shorter touring skis for next season. As it was, we didn't quite make the top of the couloir, stopping about 50 metres short. The next part involved and even steeper, extremely narrow section with concave snow walls on each side... Kick turns every 3 metres just wasn't happening for me.
Still, the descent was absolutely epic, and all that I'd hoped for. Perfect snow, and enough room to let loose a little. I didn't ski it as hard as I could have, still being a little tentative charging on dynafits, but it was still the best skiing of the season for me.
Photos below, the ones of me (yellow jacket, blue salopettes) are from Tracy (http://anderson-images.com).
Pretty certain that's the first and last time it's been skied this season.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 25-01-19 10:53; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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kudos
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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, great photos. If that's the way you take it easy, I dread to think what you're like flat out! 
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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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That looks fantastic - were you the only group in there?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good work. Well done.
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Arno, as far as I'm aware, only group this season!!
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looks awesome!
shirley stretching will be cheaper than buying shorter touring skis 
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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, wow - you'd think people would be up there at every opportunity
or is that just a subtle way of saying you have bigger cojones than anyone else in Innsbruck? 
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Arno,
If it was somewhere like Cham (or if there was a lift to the top), then it would be skied all the time. Thankfully we're not in Cham though! All the friends who I've pointed it out to before just thought I was insane, but not that many people seem to be into 'freeride touring' around here. That's starting to change a bit (the Kalkkögel gets almost as tracked as the main resort area these days), but most people seem to consider Serles and Nockspitze as too dangerous. I know Marius and Klar from TGR have skied it before, Tracy skied it last season, and there are a couple of videos floating around where people have roped in from above, but it's seen more as late season mountaineering objective rather than a ski descent. There's a million other similar shots on the mountain just behind it too...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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clarky999,
Nice.
Is this the route you took?
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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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Great photos!
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm getting confused, always thought the Nordkette was north of Innsbruck. Assumed the pic was looking north so the most easterly would be the couloir on the right  oder habe ich alles durcheinander?
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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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Good work. I'm flying into Salzburg on Monday - can you please tell it to stop getting warm and threatening to rain?
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Poster: A snowHead
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DB, I don't think this line is on the Nordkette
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Arno wrote: |
| DB, I don't think this line is on the Nordkette |
Thanks - I'll be driving past Innsbruck on the way to Obergurgl next week and want to know where to look.
Looks like it's over by Fulpmes on the right hand side when driving south along the A13/E45
http://goo.gl/maps/HuxAD
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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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Yep, the photo is looking roughly south to the north face of Serlesspitze. It's a little before fulpmes when driving to stubai glacier.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Amazing....
so satisfying when you tick a long thought about objective... 
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FAQ
