Obergurgl Help Please

A snowHead

Is anyone able to help please. I am a very cautious but experienced skier and we’ve ended up in Obergurgl for Christmas.
So far, not a great experience for me. The Hohe Mut Bahn is the only (small) gentle run that I’ve found so far.
Tried run 26 over at Hochgurgl but the blues all seem to have steeper (drop off) parts. Went back over to Obergurgl via run 12a but it was the same - steep end.
I love skiing but I’m used to gentler runs and I’m with my very experienced husband, it would be nice to find more than one run. Sorry to all the skiers that would love to be here right now but it although it’s sold as a beginners paradise, I’m just see lots of steep bits, edges and ledges.
Thanks in advance for your knowledge SnowHeads.

A snowHead

What about a Private Lesson or two, which would have a twofold advantage: 1) Tune up your technique, thus opening up more of the mountain 2) Show you where the most suitable runs are. The Instructor's local knowledge will know where the best snow, most enjoyable (for you) and quietest runs are.

I can't help otherwise, as I have never been....but if you haven't seen it, this is the view of SCGB: https://www.skiclub.co.uk/austria/resorts/obergurgl

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@skiseekers, sounds like you don't like cat tracks much? From memory, some of the blues on the mid-mountain above Hochgurgl should be suitable though if you descend to Hochgurgl itself there's a steeper slope where it's either black or blue cat tracks so best not to drop below the bottom of the Wurmkogl I lift.

Private lesson sounds an excellent idea.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

A private lesson will always help inducing better skills, of course.
But I was exactly in your place (pun intended) and I found the blue wide runs of Solden much easier for beginners (free bus from Obergurgl, same ski pass)
Access from the Giggijoch gondola

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Get the free bus down to Hochgurgl then take HochgurglBahn 1 bubble then HochgurgleBahn 2 bubble. On run 26 keep right and go onto 27 there's less of a drop on that one. once you've got the hang of that one try 26 but this time keep left onto 23 and 24 down to the Hochgurglbah 2 bubble again. Before you know you will be ok on the steeper pitch on 26. You could then get the TopExpress cross mountain bubble back across to Obergurgl go to the Rosskarbahn mid station chair and up to the top of 6 and then follow this all the way back to Obergurgl centre.

This is the route I skied with my missus before she got more confident with the reds.

Other runs on the Hochgurgl side without steep pitches are 43,41 and 38. 36 is ok too there's just a short narrower section which can be tricky if busy.

BTW the red 12 on the Obergurgl side to the TopExpress lift can be a bit icy in the mornings so until you're confident on 4a I'd give it a swerve.

The instructors in Obergurgl are excellent and 1 lesson now will improve the rest of your week.

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After all it is free

+1 on wot @drporat wrote.
If they are still doing (a) free day(s) with your ski pass at Sölden (you can check) you could try going there on the free bus for a change. It’s not so far as all that really, and IMO would get you a more varied experience than just keeping to Obergurgl/Hochgurgl for the entire week? Although S has some equally difficult blues, it also from memory has some long boulevardy and wider blues. Also S has more tree-lined slopes and is less windswept I think. You could ask in your accommodation/resort where they recommend to suit your level for tomorrow, as it depends also on conditions at the time? And if in doubt at the end of your day, I suggest you check your confidence, and make a personal decision whether to download in gondola and ignore any feeling of shame or attempts to shame you. Keep safe and avoid the (sometimes drunk) idiots is my advice.

Solden and Obergurgl/Hochgurgl is same pass nowadays, not limited to 1 day any more

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Thank you all for your help. Off to S tomorrow & maybe a lesson too. Much appreciated. I’m such a lightweight skier but I really do love it!!!

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Hopefully you will love Solden. As mentioned above loads of lovely wide cruising blues inc on the glacier too.

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@skiseekers, Yes go down to Solden, your not a lightweight skier, because you are skiing and getting out their on the slopes. Run 13 above Giggijoch, Run 38/39 above Teifenbach. Gentle wide blues lots of space.

Obergurgl was the first place I went skiing - beginner ski school from Day 1. I've been twice more into ski school there and never had a bad lesson - the instructors are top-notch.

When I subsequently went solo in later years I could follow the lines of the slopes I'd learned as a beginner, including at Hochgurgl - this, apart from the tuition which is always going to be a good thing, would be a reason to book a lesson or join a group for a day.

Not sure what it's like in Dec but in Jan I found Ober to be way colder and icier (far more in the shade) than Hoch - to the extent that I bussed across to Ober one day and then came straight back to Hoch. (We were camping in Soelden at the time).

Initially, as a nervous intermediate, I didn't enjoy Soelden at all - the blue runs at the Giggijoch were mega busy and full of out-of-control idiots (unlikely to be an issue this year). If it's quiet they probably will suit you now. 15 is probably "flatter" than 13, but if you do want to ski 13 you can avoid the steeper section (which actually on the piste map I'm looking at now becomes 12 red, I never knew that, it all looks to be the same when I've skied it) at the end by heading over to the right and using the part near the button lift.

Heading to glacier does involve some tricky bits - 23 on the way there can be quiet bumpy - totally doable slow and steady, and again, lack of traffic may have improved it.
On the way back, I never look forward to 33/34 which can be icy at the top - I tend to side slip the first 50m or so rather than trying to get an edge in.
Don't let any of that put you off, especially as much of it is weather and traffic dependent - I'm sure you'll be fine, hope you enjoy it all Smile

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

+1 for heading up to Soelden.

I was in Obergurgl with the family a few years ago, and those blues are very narrow in parts and can be chaos for beginners.

If we’d started in Soelden it may have been easier (though the weather was a bit bleak when we were there which didn’t help).

LS

A snowHead

@skiseekers, although your post is more than one year old, I am in the same situation right now, so I would like to know if you found a solution.
Was the 26-27 run in Hochgurgl suitable for you, or was Sölden the better solution? Which run then?

Thank you for sharing your experience!

A snowHead

@Angsthase I very nearly gave up skiing that week but ended up having a lesson which did improve my confidence. There are some gentler blues - a couple in Solden off the Giggijoch 8 man chair but I had to get my confidence on the Hohe Mut Bahn (get off halfway)in Obergurgl first.
Honestly, I’m not hurrying back.
We have since been to Corvara in the Dolomites and the blues are reliable, wide, well groomed - it’s a happy place. Eh oh!

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@skiseekers Thank you for your very quick response. We are going to try out the Hohe Mut Bahn tomorrow. I also managed the 26 and the 32 runs, but was not so happy with them, especially the latter one!

We will have a look at Corvara, too.

Thanks again.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Angsthase, the solution is to have a private lesson Very Happy

I told my instructor “I don’t want to be scared”, and (over 4 days)it worked. it will widen not only Gurgl but any resort in future..

Anyway, hope you find what you are looking for, at least you’re out there and hope the snow stays good for you.

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Seen Solden recommended. Yes, the blue bowl above GIggijoch would be ideal. It’s so wide and there are so many routes down. Just a touch steeper above the bottom of the chairs so plot your route there, but plenty of width.

After all it is free

Your only problem with Blue 27 is that you'll need a bit of speed to avoid having to pole up a bit (it goes uphill a little).

It joins the bottom of red 10 (?), but it's definitely blue then and wide and much quieter than Blue 26

There are nice runs to the left off blue 26 that loop round (32 then 24) - very quiet - but you have to go down the steep bit. These runs will lead you back to mid station on the gondola or bottom of the 6 seater Grosskarbahn. Not the easiest lift to get to if you don't like steep as the last bit is.

Solden is worth it for the bowl above Giggijoch. I've never seen such a wide area

As for Obergurgl, run 10 that I suggested is showing closed... you can turn on to 10 part way down lue 6 after it's turned off to the left.

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+1 to get a private lesson. It doesn't matter how long you have skied for sometime we just need that bit of help. In April I joined my sisters family and parents in Mayrhofen 5 weeks post op. Part way down a reasonably steep and icey Red run, I suddenly lost my confidence, my brain suddenly saying you cant do this, you are going to fall and further wreck your knee, its too soon after the op. I was shaking when I got to the bottom (apparently looking fine to the others despite how I felt, I had to stop for coffee and something sweet). When we went to pick kids up from lesson, I spoke to guy about booking a private lesson. He could fit me in over the lunch break between group lessons next day. Helped no end and that is after skiing for 34 years!

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