 Poster: A snowHead
|
Austrian glaciers had a major snowfall around two weeks ago. Swiss ones are forecast to get a lot of snow in the next 2-3 days, and France is not far behind (with a lot less snow forecast to fall in Austria this time).
I have next Monday and Tuesday free and I'm planning to drive from Brussels with a friend for a 3.5-day season opener. We're flexible on the destination as nothing is booked yet.
I've skied before at Saas Fee and Tignes (but neither in early season, so couldn't really assess the extent of glacier skiing) and early season at Stubai and Hintertux, which were great. It seems to me that the Tignes glacier is a lot smaller than Stubai / Hintertux, but I could be wrong.
Where would you go in my place?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Cervinia/Zermatt!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Judging by the latest wePowder forecast, I'd wait as late as possible... Apparently there's potential for 5 metres of snow to fall in the Southern Alps in the next 12 days... Which would be catastrophic. Even if it stays too warm for snow, that amount of precipitation will likely cause serious problems.
Stubai and Hintertux are probably far enough south to pick up SOME freshies... Probably Hintertux has the better base.
Depending on just how this plays out we're thinking about heading south and touring somewhere next weekend, but that's massively dependant at this stage!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
I'm off to Kaprun for a week from this coming weekend. Kitzstienhorn glacier had the heavy snowfall as you say around 12 days ago, and there is more due there this Wednesday and Thursday apparently. Slopes open down as far as the alpincentre midstation so I've read...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I'd leave it to the last minute then decide, won't be an issue getting somewhere to kip this time of the yera!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I can report that Saas Fee is in excellent condition.
lots of snow expected in the next couple of days
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@horizon, Hintertux is in good shape as is Stubai and the Öztal and Pitztal glaciers. Base yourself in Innsbruck for the day and see where you can play! The forecasts are not too bad at the moment. However if you head towards the areas currently predicted to be dumped on this week, you may end up not skiing at all because the access uplift is closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pitztal could be a good idea - Hoji made it look fun, at least. I've never skied there before so couldn't show you around this time, but I'd be up for joining you for a day or two there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Am going to Hintertux on Sunday 9th returning Friday 14th. Looking OK/good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Looks like we'll have some decent snow no matter where we go. I'm waiting for the snow reports tomorrow and deciding then - let's hope we still find some accommodation but we can drive so not a major issue. I'll then PM the people above who are / may be in the area, would be good to meet up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Saas Fee getting dumped on today and tomorrow...all lifts shut which is very annoying for me on a week of JJC training!
The JJC guys tell me that Saas Fee is much the best glacier skiing experience. More runs, more variety of terrain steepness, less crowded.
I have not been to any others except Tignes and IMHO it is a lot better than Tignes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@rungsp, I've only been to Saas Fee and Tignes during proper winter - hard to compare glaciated areas based on skiing when the whole resort is open. But still, Tignes never seemed to me to have a lot of glacier runs (apologies to any Tignes lovers out there).
Stubai and Hintertux certainly have very decent terrain (size and variety) in November.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@horizon, I concur that Tignes doesn't have the biggest glacier area, it's fine for training but if your wanting to free ski around you have a limited area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
In the car now, on the way home from Stansted after 2 sunny days at Stubai and 1 at Hintertux. Had also planned on skiing this morning - but Tux was stormbound today.
Overall, conditions are excellent for early Nov and the extent of terrain open is pretty impressive. Conditions are mostly packed powder, with a few slick/bare ice bits to look out for. And the run down to the mid station at Stubai has a few rocks.
Despite very busy car parks on Sat & Sun, not too busy on the runs and Hintertux was very quiet yesterday. So a good time had by all.
We skied with Bergmeister when we were out there. He's on a road trip and has also been to Kaunertal, Pitztal and Soelden - with all being reported as excellent over the past week or so.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
It's quite exciting that people are about to start their pre-season ski trips so soon! I think of the glaciers I've skied on, I'd put them in the following order; Hintertux, Kitzsteinhorn, Tignes, LDA. Not a very impressive tally!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@HoneyBunny, there's less than a month left of pre-season so they can't wait much longer!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
| Hintertux, Kitzsteinhorn, Tignes, LDA. Not a very impressive tally!! |
Pretty impressive vs those who have never sampled the delights of skiing outside the main winter season  .
I have skied all of the above (except LDA) out of season and would add that Kaunertal, Saas Fee, Pitztal, Soelden and Zugspitz glaciers are also worth a look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Looks like Stubai after all, best combination of base, fresh snow and weather. Hard decision though, spoilt for choice!
clarky999, see you there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@horizon, sweet! I'll be there on Sat with a couple of guys from work. Are you with Costin again?
@Samerberg Sue, actually they were there when I skied with @horizon last year and tbh there were'nt really any crowds at all!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@clarky999, lucky you the last time I went it was on Pitztal and it was heaving! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Samerberg Sue,
| Quote: |
holding a massive Testival there this weekend
|
Am I the only one who misread that 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
@clarky999, no, Costin couldn't make it so I'm coming with a Belgian friend.
Starting the drive in 6-7 hours, yoo hoo!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Saas Fee was closed Tues-Friday as they had over 3m of snow!
Needed to crawl a JCB all the way up the mountain to dig out the piste bashers.
Knackered the training week with JJC....but the weather makes the rules when it is like that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@irie, just sent you a PM, we'll be in Hintertux from tonight until Tuesday afternoon, give me a call / txt if you want to share some turns.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sue wins.... stubai was mega heeving all weekend why are the locals the worst drivers. ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@geeo, wasn't as bad as it sometimes gets, and not much worse than any early season weekend with clear weather... The only REALLY busy bits (Saturday anyway) where the pistes towards the middle station on the Fernau side and the usual bottleneck at the Rotadl chairlift. Offpiste wasn't too bad, other than the snow being totally atrocious..!
Pah, it's the German, Czech and Polish tourists who don't know the road up and can't drive it at the speed limit who cause problems!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@irie, @horizon, yep, the Eastern Europeans can be out en masse in November, there is also a Hungarian weekend coming up. The Czechs, Poles and Ukrainians completely ignore any of the road rules, but then so do many of the Austrians as they use the Große and Kleine Deutsche-Ecke.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@Samerberg Sue Too right, the silly b*ggers congregate in big clumps on the brows in the middle of the piste. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
No doubt there was a lot of eastern euros but none if any of them do 50km the whole way down the valley cos they only have a 45km journey ahead of them, at least this year they didn't all stop in the underpass before the steep hill to put their chains on for 2cm of slush  and Germans no nothing else than speeding just a bit by default, must be in their test.
Still wasn't as busy as a glenshee powder & sun day so was all good but the pistes were a bit mad and the off piste by sat/sun was done, fri was the best day and getting brand new boots/skis & goggles to try for 2+ hours is amusing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
checking in to report a full ski day, even though at one point I felt as if I was being shot at with pellets.
Plus a proper Austrian apres-ski party in the Hoff-something. For my sins.
fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow. After today I can ski run 3 with my eyes closed. (not that keeping them open makes much difference).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
"at one point I felt as if I was being shot at with pellets."
I've never had that before, it was weird!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Sadly still banned from skiing because I'm still rehabbing after rotator cuff reconstruction surgery in August.
