Since these questions are not of general interest I didn't want to hijack the Zillertal 23-24 thread. To be precise I'm asking about Zillertal 3000.
Background: I had four fun days there last March. Mostly on piste (see #2), as I was solo. I covered the glacier and the Eggalm and Rastkogel areas. If it helps, I'm an aging ex-lousy racer, meaning I can ski anything as long as my back agrees. Going back for more this coming March. With that, here goes:
1. The best skiing was on Eggalm Nord 77. Long, lots of vert, some trees most of the way for vis, served by a high speed chair, and seemingly not as crowded. Looking for more of same. Katzenmoos next?
2. While skiing Rastkogel, there was some untracked right off the top of Lämmerbichl near 65. Nothing epic, but I was ready for something other than cord. I didn't have my beacon or shovel and was solo. I try to be a good boy and ultimately made the assumption this area would receive avi control since if this slope slid it would slide right onto 63/64. True, or was the siren song of pow messing with my head?
3. Any cool hütte to recommend? For example, Tuxer Fernerhaus was great but not cool. Waldhütte was cool; small, kinda off the beaten path. Vogelnest was also was good.
4. This time I'll have a partner and his wife doesn't ski, but she lives for a good thrift store. Any in Mayrhofen?
5. Ahorn: I've heard the talabfahrt is a nice run but the rest of that area not so much. Guessing I might be a little late in the season for that one. Is it worth heading over there?
6. Given the lay of the land I'm guessing it will generally be more crowded in the main Mayrhofen area than where I was last year. I'm staying in Lanersbach but the bus system is fab so its easy to go down there if I should. Thought I'd go up Finkenberg, which gets me to the aforementioned Katzenmoos. Thoughts?
7. Is Harakiri a good black, or the place where tourists go to become carnage?
Thanks in advance.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Question 4. Just when you think people have asked just about every ski resort question...
6. Mayrhofen definitely the busiest of the areas.
7. For my money, no, nothing special and quite short. There was, as I recall, a much longer black on the opposite mountain facing it with what i thought was a more pleasant sense of exposure.
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?
@8611, thanks, helpful. Re #4: no kidding. She's great: he has Parkinson's, and she's pushing him to keep moving which is key, and she's pushing him to the Alps to follow me around for a couple weeks. Still skiing well at 76, admirable. So I wanna make it fun for her too, and that's her idea of fun. Better than Gucci I guess.
Q. 2. Don't assume anything!
Q. 3. Spannagelhaus in Hintertux has good food.
Q. 4. By thrift stores do you mean second hand shops? I don't think there are any in Mayrhofen. I noticed more clothes/fashion shops than there used to be when I was there last week.
Q. 5. First thing in the morning with nice snow, Ahorn would be lovely. If you go there, go early and plan for a half day. Do they still build the igloo at the top? Does anybody know? If it's there and you go to Ahorn it would be worth popping in.
Q. 6 & 7. You can reach the whole of the Mayrhofen ski area from Eggalm. Depending on how fast and how far you want to ski in a day. I probably wouldn't bother getting the bus down to Mayrhofen in the morning but if you're running out of energy in the afternoon, you can always descend in Mayrhofen and get the bus back up to your accommodation.
@8611, is probably talking about the black from Horberg when he mentioned the longer black on the other side (black 17). The steepest part of Harakiri is short. Whenever I've skied it, it has always been solid - it's north facing with a high percentage of man-made snow. It's good value riding the chairlift that goes above it though. There's always plenty of entertainment
I hope that helps.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
In terms of number 4, it's probably not too helpful, but there's the WAMS store in jenbach, she could take the zillertalbahn train down during the day. Its not that big though, and I'm not sure I'd bother going specifically for that. Jenbach is hardly a town worth travelling to and wandering around.
Re: Q4 – I don't know much about thrift stores, but Innsbruck would be a manageable day out for a non-skier. It take about 1h20 on the train, with a change at Jenbach. Tue-Fri would probably be the best choice in terms of amount of stuff open.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
about the Q6....i dont like harakiri. Do it ones, and thats all
as said the steep part is really short, usually only man made snow and really hard packed iced snow (although i dont know if it is possible for something else when so steep)
but i have to say i am with a board and i dont like steep slopes when the snow is almost ice.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Scooter in Seattle, if I'm alive, let alone skiing at 76 I'll be impressed, all the more so with an adverse diagnosis. Hope you all enjoy your trip.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
5. Ahorn is very much worth doing even in March, with only the last 200m or so likely to be soft artificial snow if you're unlucky. Run it top to bottom 2-3 times, then head across to Penken to get back
6. Finkenberg is a good access point, though the lift is showing its age. The main bowl at Penken will likely still be busy in March, but the slopes around it less so. Depending on conditions, the higher Rastkogel area may be where everyone goes but on a good day it will be well spread.
7. Harakiri is challenging but brief. Starts real gentle, drops suddenly and plummets, then levels off quickly. Can be carnage when scraped, lovely with fresh snow, but there are many more enjoyable runs including Katzenmoos and off the sides of Gerent (the ridge is pretty but not challenging).
8. ( ) don't forget the glacier, especially towards the end of the season. There are some lovely long runs, including one off the back and the long 1a Schwartze Pfanne which are excellent (though 1a needs reasonable cover to be viable as it ends in the valley), and on a sunny day it is worth a day trip. On any other day, avoid unless you like sensory deprivation and hypothermia.
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ousekjarr wrote:
. On any other day, avoid unless you like sensory deprivation and hypothermia.
Basically summed up my L2 instructor course up there
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Scooter in Seattle, one thing your non skiing visitor may care to do is visit the Sennerei (dairy and cheese factory) in Mayrhofen. They do tours with samples of their products included. https://www.erlebnissennerei-zillertal.at/
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.
All: great stuff here thanks so much. I'll skip Harakiri, spend a morning at Ahorn, check out Katzenmoos and fuel up at Spannagelhaus. As for the glacier, absolutely; had one great day up there and I agree the valley run is really fun. Wanted more but got one of the above-mentioned sensory deprivation days, although I was not deprived of vertigo!
@ousekjarr, I believe (pls correct me) there is a near-new 10 person gondola out of Finkenberg, as opposed to the quaint-cient four seaters in Eggalm and Rastkogel.
@8611, amen. What's really impressive is his attitude. He's like a dog, he just keeps going, never complains.
Thanks again, so glad to be a part of this community.
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
Scooter in Seattle wrote:
I believe (pls correct me) there is a near-new 10 person gondola out of Finkenberg, as opposed to the quaint-cient four seaters in Eggalm and Rastkogel. .
Yes, it's a bigger gondola (and apres bar at the bottom, Laterndl Pub)
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
8611 wrote:
Question 4. Just when you think people have asked just about every ski resort question...
6. Mayrhofen definitely the busiest of the areas.
7. For my money, no, nothing special and quite short. There was, as I recall, a much longer black on the opposite mountain facing it with what i thought was a more pleasant sense of exposure.
The other black I think you mean is the Devils Run, and agreed it's a much nicer/longer run.
For huts, I'd agree that Waldhütte is about the best in terms of rustic charm, even if the food offering is a bit limited. We found another one that food-wise was excellent over Eggalm way, but for the life of me I wouldn't remember the name. Certainly wasn't cheap!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Scooter in Seattle, on the food front, I can't speak from any experience, but Mrs Swskier will be working at the Unterbergalm which according to one of the people we've met in the valley, does the best food on the mountain. Its quite remote I believe on the far edge of the mountain.
The pictures of the food on Google certainly look great!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Scooter in Seattle,
I think Mrs M took her shopping trips to Jenbach on the train.
I thought Harakiri was a red? Anyway, best avoided because of all the other idiots sliding down it on their back bottoms. It is steep but very wide and anybody could get down it, but many of those that try shouldn't have.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I also thought the valley run down the Ahorn side was a red but I just took another look at the piste map and it's black - has it been reclassified? It's never been open before when we have been (NY week, not enough snow) but I'd like to give it a try when we go in December. Maybe I'll be lucky...
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, it was reclassified a few years ago as the lower part can get very icy if it gets too much freeze thaw. One day when were there last Jan was quite tricky with the combination of ice and steep. Not good for a beginner who thinks they may just manage a red.
For an experienced rider it is a fantastic run top to bottom.
The family near the bottom second week of April 2017.
Re the blacks in Mayrhofen, the Devils Run is mostly south-facing, and will transform pretty quickly if it's sunny in March, whereas Harakiri and the Black Attack (towards Horberg), are more north-facing, so will stay firm for longer. You get most different slope aspects in Mayrhofen, so paying attention to where you ski and when can make quite a difference (this was the case in December last season, and it'll be much more significant in March)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Scooter in Seattle, Katzenmoos (the black run) is only open occasionally. No snow making. If it’s open after a dump of snow it’s great and probably quiet as that side of the mountain tends to be less busy anyway. The Almstüberl Finkenberg is nice for lunch if you are over there.
Don’t bother taking the bus unless the vis is terrible at the top of Rastkogel or v.strong wind.
The Devils Run ( 12) is very good (and long) but the best run now is probably 16 at Mosl and it’s quiet normally. Excellent snow cover and in the trees so good vis.
Best Hutte on the whole
Mountain is Gschößwandhaus and your non skier can walk there from the top of the Penken lift (they would need to get the bus to Mayrhofen). Simple traditional food and great value. You (on skis) take the short t-bar in the beginners area and head straight off the top. Amazing view and super service.
#2 yes probably(??) ok next to the piste the whole way down but if you take skiers left off the lift you end up in a more south facing slope and that slides (it’s a ski route but not avi controlled). Best take your beacon.
Oh…,and take a day at Zell am Ziller. It’s excellent especially the long valley descent first thing.
I feel like a mosquito that's hit an artery! More quality intel, thanks all. My four days are now packed, I like it like that.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Certainly at minimum a day should be spent at Hintertux. Lots of good stuff up there and being higher sometimes has better snow.
Likewise down the valley, of course. Zell am Ziller I haven't tried yet but the skiing above Kaltenbach we skied on the way home and was very extensive. Would like to have tried it before the extensive and mostly obvious off piste was mostly skied out.
Come to that, there is lots of good off-piste at Mayerhofen and Hintertux but you would miss a lot of it without a guide, quite irrespective of safety.
76 isn't that old (please)! I'm only a year younger and still enjoying the steep off-piste. But then I'm lucky the knees and hips have held out so far.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@snowball, we skied it (Zell am Ziller) one day last winter and could barely see our hands in front of us, but you can tell it's a good area. Plus there's a huge amount of travelling if you wanted to ski from one end to the other and back again to get the miles in.
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On piste skiing, Zell am Ziller was the best area we met last March in Zillertal.
Easy to reach from Mayrhofen by train/bus,
Plenty of reds and nice blacks to go from mountain to mountain.
You can return to the very start or take back the skibus from the end
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Zell to Hochkrimml and back is a great day
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Whitegoldsbrother wrote:
Zell to Hochkrimml and back is a great day
That always feels like you are spending too much time on lifts missing out on the great runs at Zell.
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.
JimboS wrote:
Whitegoldsbrother wrote:
Zell to Hochkrimml and back is a great day
That always feels like you are spending too much time on lifts missing out on the great runs at Zell.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
) don't forget the glacier, especially towards the end of the season. There are some lovely long runs, including one off the back and the long 1a Schwartze Pfanne which are excellent (though 1a needs reasonable cover to be viable as it ends in the valley), and on a sunny day it is worth a day trip. On any other day, avoid unless you like sensory deprivation and hypothermia.
