 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello. I made my first ski trip to Austria (and Europe) in late January/early February. The snow was epic and the skiing followed suit. I skied the Arlberg, Ischgl and SkiWelt. I found something I don't remember having seen in California or Canada (except on black pistes). Every day at each resort, by roughly 2:30 in the afternoon, a good many of the runs were cut up by moguls, where earlier they were packed powder. This made sense, for instance, at St. Anton on Kandahar Galzig (52), as it's the run that everyone has to use to return from the other parts of the resort. And it's a black run. But I encountered mogul-filled blue pistes at Warth and SkiWelt, that weren't crowded. I found this strange. I can't help but wonder and forgive what might be a ridiculous question, but is this a product of Austrian piste-grooming of which I'm unawares?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maybe don't try France. Austria is usually pancake flat in comparison.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Now that you mention it, I do remember the narrow, groomed strip on a number of these runs.
I’ve never seen so many people who ski so well, as in Austria.
Are they taught to make sharper, “deeper” turns?
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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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I skied Austria at the end of January and never saw this phenomena, in fact the pistes were blooming awesome.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Interesting. The only time I’ve come up against pop-up mogul fields was in Austria.
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Just finished skiing in Austria and I’ve seen these. They tend to only be in the top 50 or so meters of the piste here though. Once pace here you go back to the normal runs.
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It's great to get moguls on a blue run, you can just let the skis run without picking up too much speed, unfortunately they usually get bashed flat overnight 
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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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Skiers and snowboarders cause moguls when they turn. The reason they occur by afternoon is simply due to traffic. They tend to happen more on steeper slopes because that's where people turn more.
We've just had the busy three weeks in Austria due to semester holidays in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Easter Europe, etc. so more slope users means more moguls by the afternoon. During quieter weeks it happens a lot less.
Moguls are definitely not specific to Austria, they happen anywhere with volumes of slope users. Some ski areas leave some runs ungroomed to keep them as mogul runs.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sat 23-02-19 8:47; edited 1 time in total
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Yep - what @queenie pretty please, says, plus with new snowfall - which there was so so so much in Jan, it is quite loose, even when pressed, so the moguls happen quicker. All pistes are bashed every night, if snow is falling then its sitting on top of the bashed piste and yes, after a few skiers turning, its possible to think its not been bashed at all to the unknowing eye. @Frosty the Snowman, glad you enjoyed the pistes. Happy skiing. Ange
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The "flatter" strips you tend to find on the edges of a lumpy piste are usually there because more competent skiers require less width to complete "short" turns as they use more rotation when turning on steeper slopes. If you're struggling with the bumps you can find a smoother route but you will have to do shorter turns. Interestingly more often than not it tends to be on skier's left of the piste. If you're skiing Alpendorf on a day like that the Blue run home below the Kristenalm almost always has a flat track on the left. Same if skiing down below the Flying Mozart late in the day to Wagrain.
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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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Happens on busier runs, especially if temperatures are warm or snow is fresh.
St Anton does get quite busy, so more likely here than in many other resorts.
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There was quite a mogul field at Brixen on a run leading to a lift - I think number 6.
Ski schools, beginners, not so beginners all struggled with the knee high bumps.
I'm ok with them unless it's really crowded and then I spend too much time worrying about getting it wrong and falling into someone or being wiped out from above by someone else.
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You know it makes sense.
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Late January was cold and fairly quiet. I did se some mounding of fresh snow, but would never describe them as moguls.
If one is away from the slopes for a long lunch then I can see how a change could be noticed.
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FAQ
Though I do recall that Austria grooms one side of the piste and leaves the other to go lumpy . . . Some people like this . . . Yes really 
