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Autumn on the Glaciers
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

Over the last couple of season I've become aware that there's more to the autumn opening of glacier skiing or riding than just race training. I'm toying with bringing my usual early season trip, ( a long Mid-December weekend to Val Thorens) forward.

Does anyone have any expeirence of recreational trips to the glaciers in Autumn. My research indicates Tignes, L2A, Hintertux, Piztal and Engelberg as likely candidates. (Sadly, last Octobers opening of Cairngorm does not put it on my list?

How limited is the riding?
Are opening hours 9ish to 4ish? October onwards?
Weather? autumn squalls or endless high alititude sunshine. Any tendency to be storm bound?

Any feedback appreciated.

Thnx
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

SussexSnow, welcome to snowHeads snowHead My only experience of glacier skiing was in May, so I can't help....but it might be worth reading the thread on summer skiing in Tignes and Glacier summer skiing. I'm also sure that PG and Easiski will offer more answers.
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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?

Yes, I read the summer articles and thought, "Well, what do you do after summer...."
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I thought the October skiing at Hintertux well worthwhile. There's an operation called World Class Skiing, run by a group of BASI trainers, which I can recommend if you want to do some pre-season training there.

Here's their website.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

snowHead Welcome! snowHead
I did three autumn weeks on the trot at L2A, and was lucky with the weather by all accounts, not one day we couldn't get up to the glacier. That said, it's pretty much impossible to predict conditions in advance.

I suppose you can at least get to the Tignes glacier via the funicular when wind stops the Jandri Express bubbles from working, but then that would mean conditions were pretty extreme and skiing/boarding 'unpleasant' to say the least on the exposed slopes at altitude. What's more on Saturday and Sunday just gone, even if you could get up to the Tignes glacier via the funicular you could only ski down or on the protected Leisse run because of the conditions - fortunate that the excellent cover enabled skiing back down the runs to Val Claret.

On the subject of L2A the one half-term week that the glacier opens is also the Mondial du Ski/Surf week, 3 days of each with a one day gap in the middle. Noisy (especially when the boarders are out and about Wink )... but advantages as well as disadvantages, new equipment trials, loads of concerts/demos etc etc going on both on the glacier and down in the resort....

I'm no expert on the joys of boarding so can't compare the two snowparks - although I've seen excellent reports for both.

davidof was there last year, here is his report.

.... and an article I did the year before (Acrobat pdf file).....

and I'm sure easiski (L2A instructor) can fill you in on any specifics you need to know...
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You'll need to Register first of course.

Thanks for that too. I'm a boarder but their service looks brilliant. Was Hintertux crowded with teams training or is there room for to do you own thing?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

SussexSnow wrote:
Over the last couple of season I've become aware that there's more to the autumn opening of glacier skiing or riding than just race training. I'm toying with bringing my usual early season trip, ( a long Mid-December weekend to Val Thorens) forward.

Does anyone have any expeirence of recreational trips to the glaciers in Autumn. My research indicates Tignes, L2A, Hintertux, Piztal and Engelberg as likely candidates. (Sadly, last Octobers opening of Cairngorm does not put it on my list?

How limited is the riding?
Are opening hours 9ish to 4ish? October onwards?
Weather? autumn squalls or endless high alititude sunshine. Any tendency to be storm bound?

Any feedback appreciated.

Thnx


I've not been to L2A in the Autumn but I have been to the others, additionally I've been to Kaprun, Stubai and Solden. Mid November sees Obergurgl opening which is excellent.

Opening hours are variable, if we're getting reasonable low temps then 9-4 is about right, much ealier then it's more like 8-2.

There's no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the Austrian glaciers have the edge over elsewhere and of these the Stubai is excellent in October, I've skied/boarded down pretty low in October in the Stubai. If you had a week you could tour a few of the Austrian glaciers, I've done this before and I just ski somewhere for the day then go find the tourist office and get them to find me a B&B or failing that just knock on a few doors of B&B's. This way I just go where I hear the skiing is best for that day and I stay there until I fancy a change.
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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!

Been to Solden a few times in late oct, early November. Always had good snow. One year they opened down to 2000m, fresh powder with the odd rock! Can reccommend it thoroughly. First (?) FIS race of the season seems to be there sometimes as well - so check as the resort will be full! Had all sorts of weather. Tends to be low precipiatation at that time of the year... Solden is open 9-4.30 ish. Pitztal always looked nice as well - you can see it from Solden. Solden has a fast gondola on one of the glaciers so you can get some serious milage in - I'd doubt you could ski a bigger vertical in a day anywhere else in the autumn. Also skiied L2A, Zermatt in the autumn, Solden better I reckon.
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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.

Have skied on either Kaprun, Hintertux or Sölden glaciers in Autumn each year for the last 4 years.

Cons -

Weather - high chance of fog / mist / strong winds maybe even rain. Lifts can be closed.
Snow - coverage can be poor. Good off-piste is unlikley.
Lifts - Normally only the highest lifts are open. More than a couple of days on the same few lifts gets very boring.
Nightlife is almost as bad as Ipswich.


Pros -

Flights are normally dirt cheap
Traffic on the roads is light
Accomodation is plentiful and cheap
Chance of significant dumps
Chance to see some skiing pro's and very good amateurs in action
Hardly anyone there - If it does dump the powder doesn't get tracked out. Lift lines very short. Great time for learners.

Pencil in possible weekends and book a flight last minute (Thursday for the weekend) depending on short term (3 day) weather report.

Some of my best days skiing have been in October.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads

Yes, the three/four day way of doing it is extremely tempting. We've honed the Geneva/Val Thorensl ong weekend in December and May and are keen to role the format out to the Autumn

Thanks again to all for the contributions

Driving time from Munich to the Austrian glaciers?
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

DB wrote:
Good off-piste is unlikley.


And spectactularly dangerous since there's insufficient snow cover on the glaciers. There's been a number of fatalities over the years at this time of year.
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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.

Yes, a friend of mine was at Sas Fee early season, his brother went one side of the piste marker and he went the other - off-piste. He ened up being rescued from the crevasse.
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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

DB. Not sure about the nightlife- depends what you like I guess, but have had some rocking nights in Autumn in Solden. Though never been out in Ipswich so can't compare...!
Also, if you go to Solden, check out the bar above the Salomon Centre. Get a table with one of the best views I have ever seen from the window of a bar. Singing, bearded Bavarians have been banned by the owner - great!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.

Solden seems pretty wild all the time I go there, if you like that sort of thing Very Happy
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I was in Saas-Fee on October 31st last year for a long weekend. We drove in blizzard conditions for the last hour of the journey and the dump meant that the slopes were not open until 10.30 am the next morning. The conditions were fantastic. HOWEVER..the Saturday was unbelievably crowded with racing teams. Then they all left and Sunday was empty. Truly fantastic.
As DB said, the hotel was cheap and I think we just booked the day before on a hotel auction site.

I am no boarder but the snow park was open and there was also ski testing going on that weekend.

I would be happy to do that again ths year Smile
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

SussexSnow wrote:

Driving time from Munich to the Austrian glaciers?


approx. times give or take 15 mins with little traffic (Dec to Mar is likely to take longer)

1. Munich to Kaprun, Sölden or Hntertux = all 3 hours.

2. Salzburg to Kaprun = 1 hr 30 min.

3. Innsbruck to Kaprun = 2 hr 30 min.

4. Innsbruck to Hintertux = 2 hrs.

5. Innsbruck to Sölden = 1 hr 30 min.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

& Innsbruck to the Stubai, around 30mins
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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?

Once again, thanks for the data dumps in reply to the questions. Hopefully it will help not just my self but others.

If anyone needs info on tripping to Val Thorens early or late season via Geneva Airport there is the report of our pioneer trip on a friends site. Staying in Formule 1's at te airport and Albertville as well as in the resort.

http://www.snowgo.com/archives/trip_reports/index.php
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