 Poster: A snowHead
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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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@stanton, me too, and waited for a bus driving backwards several times.
The situation is obviously not safe for busy winter traffic.
That it also comes handy for Lech to prevent traffic is just secondary.
Hahntennjoch is closed as well in winter, not much difference.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Well, actually you will see hundreds of Strolz boots skiing...you will lose count
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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High, dense cloud = flat light = many staying in bed. Slopes and lifts were so quiet, even in Zürs this morning.
Work continues on Steissbachtal. One of the access tracks looks close to complete. It appears that a dam/barrier is being built under the fish mouths under Schindlerkar. Looking forward to skiing all of Bachseite.
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| ulmerhutte wrote: |
| Steissbachtal being groomed this morning. |
Yep, spotted that. Thought at first they were putting in ridges along the bottom as they did last season to stop people skiing along it, but they had the red in to it groomed too. Good timing too with the half term weeks coming up.
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Folks dont hold out hopes for Steißbachtal...
It may open for the kids holidays but the Next storm is brewing and on ira way
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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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Noticed yesterday that at least 6 piste bashers were working on Steisbachtal (happy valley), opening up?
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@davidthornton, there have been snow walls built in previous seasons, not sure there has been any actual slides from above. The problem is that there is potential for glide avalanches which are pretty much impossible to predict or to trigger with blasting. If it did happen it could bring tons of compacted ice and snow down onto a busy piste, a barrier of snow would probably offer little protection. The responsible people will want to be very sure that the risk has all but gone away before the piste is opened again.
The cracks themselves are dangerous too, there was a fatal accident last year involving a Brit who fell into one.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Snow Alert ..
Official Weather
The weekend promises rather mild weather conditions. A strong cold front, approaching on Sunday night, will result in a significant change in weather and temperatures. Extremely wintry cold conditions are expected again and snow may fall for a considerable time especially starting next week.
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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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The groomers have been working the glide cracks below Schindlerkar. I did not see it happening, but I assume that one of the machines acted as the anchor point, while the other, being a winch-cat, did the work. Even still, it must have close to the safe working pitch angle limits of a winch-cat.
Much of Steissbachtal piste has now taken shape. Barriers have been built along the piste where glide cracks exist above. The piste could be open tomorrow, but I suspect that Sunday is more likely.
Cracking good day today. Classic Arlberg weather. Not too crowded either.
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| Alex A wrote: |
| jw83113 wrote: |
@Alex A, there are great runs all over St Anton including the less visited parts like Rendl and Stuben (Albonagrat). The flexenbahn connection to is useful especially for getting to Zurs but people miss out on some of the best skiing in St Anton because they are so keen to get to lech/zurs/warth/schrocken rather enjoying the place they are staying.
If however you want to ski the other areas then it's best to do Lech/Zurs one day via the flexenbahn and have a seperate trip to Warth/Schroken a different day by taking an early ski bus to Lech, that way you get to ski the areas properly, not just the same few runs that every other person trying to do the ring of fame is on. |
Great to hear! Thanks for the advice. We are driving as well, so will have the luxury of the car with 4x4 and winter tyres etc. So it's worth driving over to Warth/Schroken then it sounds like? Really looking forward to skiing in Austria as I'm a bit of a French / US person normally, so fancied a change this year. Also going to ski Silvretta Montafon for a couple of days at the start as staying close by in a pension, before going to chalet in St Anton. |
Driving to Lech is definitely the way to go. Drive straight to the Schlosskopf lift car park as it's free with your lift pass. You have to put your ticket in the machine, but pay for it by tapping your lift pass. We've found starting and ending here provides the most amazing day.
You can choose to
1) go over to Warth and spend the whole day around this side of Lech, or
2) ski down to the the Rufikopf and do the best parts of the Weiss ring. RufiKopf - Zurs Trittalpe - Seekopf - Madlochbahn - Zug
Doing these two itineraries on separate days means you can move at a less pressured pace. Even do multiple runs of slopes you liked and it's so easy to get back to the car park at the end without panicking you missed a lift.
Have a great week. We're there on the 16th and can't wait.
In spite of the negativity on this forum. Arlberg is as fun as you make it.
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You know it makes sense.
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@steviedsolve@hotmail.com, or Plan B: drive to Zürs and park there for free. Arrive for first lifts and have an all-but-deserted run from Madloch to Zug/Lech. Then choose what next... stay in Lech, complete the Weiss Ring, go into Warth/Schröcken.
One tip... by all means go out with a plan of what you want to do, but be prepared to change it on the fly if circumstances dictate.
You are right, Arlberg is as fun as you make it. Don’t listen to the whiners here; it is an absolutely fantastic part of the world.
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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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@ulmerhutte, Plus 1 for parking at Zurs, it's free, you do get to ski Madloch to Zug before the hordes, quick way to Warth on the link, lunch at Rud Alpe, up Rufi, back across to Zurs, back over to Mugengrat, potter about at Zurs, Hexenboden and Trittkopf would make for a great day!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Agree if driving park at Zurs and a quick one over Muggengrat before heading up Madlochbahn and down to Zug.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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-in high season queues at Madloch start as early as 10.00 and last until 14.00
-Muggengrat/Zürsertäli in afternoon? Not really, its completely shady then. Must be in morning to experience it. But then, after that, you risk the Madlochqueues.....
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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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They have reopened Happy Valley today so there is an alternative way to ski down from Galzig other than the Kandahar carnage. Looks like not all of it is open (not had chance today to go down it due to work, but had a good look from Gampen) and it's not as it normally would be, you enter via the red, they've not opened the top bit of the blue as you come from Ulmerhutte (Schindler side). When it narrows towards the bottom, the piste gets even narrower and is up the Kandahar side of the valley a bit, rather than being right in the valley floor.
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Weather
OK Folks it looks like the snowfall will be moderate on Sunday night and Monday...
Crappy Valley... is open but I do not expect it to remain open all season especially in the afternoons
btw.. we have been skiing it all season exiting Bachseite 
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Raven,
It is unusual mid season for sickness bug to break out
however at the beginning of the season Nov Dec it happens every year throughout the ski bums and transitional work force...
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Ignore the prophets of doom.
Perfect day today. Got the bus from St Anton to Zürs (did not have to get up early, I always want to be in the queue for the first lift, the bus leaves at 08:40, five minutes before the lifts open). Zürs was quiet, was putting in turns on perfect corduroy on empty pistes. Skied Madloch down to Lech, no queue at the lift, though the route itself was fairly busy (this was with the current slow two person chair, there clearly will be an issue when the lift is upgraded). Back to Zürs for a couple of runs down Täli, again no queues to speak of and the pistes under the lifts at Zürs were very quiet. Went to Lech for a cappuccino (not as expensive as rumour has it). Back over to Zürs, I was practically on my own on the ski route from Rufikopf to the drag lift, then on the Flexenbahn to Alpe Rauz, again no queues, I was on my own in the gondola down. Valfagehr looked perfectly OK, sure there were some small moguls but with the soft powdery snow that is to be expected in the afternoons. No queue at all for Schindler and as usual great snow on the run down. Steissbachtal was open so Kandahar was enjoyable. Even the Moose was not ridiculously crowded, no issue ordering a beer.
Maybe tomorrow will be busier and I am sure there will be days or weeks when the place is overrun but despite the views of certain folk around here the Arlberg remains one of the best places around to go skiing.
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Good that Steißbachtal is opening. Having gone through the threads, it read as if it would never open because of some landowner thing?
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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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| stanton wrote: |
@Raven,
It is unusual mid season for sickness bug to break out
however at the beginning of the season Nov Dec it happens every year throughout the ski bums and transitional work force... |
I have empirical evidence that is not too true... at least in our case. It used to be an annual visit to the Apotheke, but now we BYO. Cable cars, gondolas, and even chairs with bubbles, next to sniffling adults and children... do not have to be Einstein to work out what might happen next.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
Ignore the prophets of doom.
Perfect day today. Got the bus from St Anton to Zürs (did not have to get up early, I always want to be in the queue for the first lift, the bus leaves at 08:40, five minutes before the lifts open). Zürs was quiet, was putting in turns on perfect corduroy on empty pistes. Skied Madloch down to Lech, no queue at the lift, though the route itself was fairly busy (this was with the current slow two person chair, there clearly will be an issue when the lift is upgraded). Back to Zürs for a couple of runs down Täli, again no queues to speak of and the pistes under the lifts at Zürs were very quiet. Went to Lech for a cappuccino (not as expensive as rumour has it). Back over to Zürs, I was practically on my own on the ski route from Rufikopf to the drag lift, then on the Flexenbahn to Alpe Rauz, again no queues, I was on my own in the gondola down. Valfagehr looked perfectly OK, sure there were some small moguls but with the soft powdery snow that is to be expected in the afternoons. No queue at all for Schindler and as usual great snow on the run down. Steissbachtal was open so Kandahar was enjoyable. Even the Moose was not ridiculously crowded, no issue ordering a beer.
Maybe tomorrow will be busier and I am sure there will be days or weeks when the place is overrun but despite the views of certain folk around here the Arlberg remains one of the best places around to go skiing. |
Sounds very much like my day, albeit I do not do apres.
Virtually no queues anywhere - quiet like the Saturdays of old, and nothing like last Saturday.
Skied across to Zürs via the Flexenbahn and down into the town under the old cable car line. Was going to do Zürser Tali, but with no queue on Madloch @ around 10am?, went that way instead. Did a loop through Warth/Schröcken, down to JagerAlpe. Finished on that side of the Flexenpaß with a run through Zürser Tali - do not listen to the rubbish it is good only in the morning.
Finished the day around a quiet Galzig. Though largely confined to pistes because of a sore foot, it was still an awesome day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ulmerhutte, you just have a bad immune system.
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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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| stanton wrote: |
| @ulmerhutte, you just have a bad immune system. |
Maybe. I showed my wife your response. In one sentence, she summed you up: “He’s a dick, isn’t he!”.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 10-02-19 17:17; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Much warmer today, and flat light in many aspects. The westerly(?) wind came in and reached something close to gale-force in the afternoon. Gampbergbahn, Valluga, and Kapall closed mid-afternoon.
Some fresh snow would be very welcome. The pistes are now quite hard and the off-piste, at least in the readily accessible areas, has been thoroughly thrashed. It’s not that bad out there, but hard not to have been spoiled by the fantastic conditions of the past 4 weeks.
The Valfagehr Dog continues to amuse those who ride that chair when he is “on duty”.
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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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Snow tonight and allday tomorrow..
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just came back from an early dinner. That “R” word, that shall not be spoken, has turned to very wet sleet. A step in the right direction.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ulmerhutte, the wind was certainly getting up, though I was at Kapall shortly before 3 and the lift was still running, though it did grind to a halt a couple of times. The light was very strange at times, glad it wasnt just dicky eyesight on my part, the visibility seemed to suddenly get a lot worse just after 3. Agree that some fresh snow would be welcome but the snow is still very good all the way down to the bottom, no real signs of scrapes or ice.
One thing that did strike me was the lack of queues, given that this weekend was the start of peak season, the queues were really not an issue, Schindler had a slight queue around 10:45 but had gone 30 mins later. The biggest queue I found all day was for the passenger lift to go down to the Albona gondola!
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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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It's changed to snow and there is already a nice dusting on the ground 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Maybe 10cm in the village? Hard to tell for sure as it is still dark, but a positive outcome anyway.
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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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Best make the most of it, looks like spring is arriving on Wednesday
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Maybe 30 - 40cm at mid-mountain. Savage wind driving drifts on lee slopes do it is difficult to judge how much has actually fallen. As expected, much of the upper mountain is closed, but I am not fussed. It would be character-building up there, to say the least.
Lovely to ski where it is not tracked, or lightly tracked. Not exactly the light & dry powder of the January storms, but not “Aussie” powder either.
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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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Guys - where do you recommend parking in Lech ... staying in St Anton but planning to drive to Lech a couple of times ... I'd rather do that with 2 young kids than using the Flexenbhan, etc ...
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@franga, the parking at the Schlosskopfbahn in Lech is free for lift pass holders, not sure how busy it gets. The car park at the Trittkopfbahn in Zürs is the same but it always seems to be busy, especially at weekends with day trippers.
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FAQ
its a treacherous section of road only 3-4km long but with huge drop to the side with minimal barriers in places, driven it many times in summer.
I have noticed loads of people around coughing so I guess it’s almost impossible to escape getting sick if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
