 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All,
Planning a long weekend ski trip in Friday 25 October to Wednesday 30 October.
I'd need to leave the UK after 12:00 on the Friday and return to the UK by about 12:00 on the Wednesday.
I'd be flying out of any London airport (or catching a Eurostar)
Dates and timings are completely fixed because it's to coincide with when my wife is away.
The Stubai Glacier is doable with reasonably priced 2 leg flights to Innsbruck (via Munich) giving me full days skiing on the Saturday to Tuesday and also allowing me to work the Friday morning and Wednesday afternoon. I'd probably get a hotel (or hostel) in Innsbruck on the Friday and Tuesday nights and stay in the Dresdner Hütte on the Saturday to Monday. I'm not particularly bothered about luxury.
Does anyone have any other suggestions given that the dates are completely fixed?
Edit: I'm not tied to Innsbruck and would quite happily go to anywhere in Europe. Also I think the 2 leg flights I found were really flights to Munich plus a bus.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 10-05-24 11:19; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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why flying from Munich to Innsbruck? it is not better to rent a car?
However i do not know about the Dresdner Hütte
There is a possibility that only the upper slopes will be open and i do not know how it will work from Dresdner Hütte
Why not find an accommodation in Neustift? or wait till last week , maybe it will be better heading to Hintertux
do not know the costs, but there is also a hotel at the bottom of the lifts in Stubai. Expensive i suppose but maybe worth it
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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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@Henwc, Not sure there are any actual flights between Munich and Innsbruck (too short a distance) assume it is either a bus or train on the same ticket. If so you are probably better off with car hire simply to give you more flexibility given the short trip. I too think Hintertux might be the better option though impossible to know what conditions will be like in October. Some years there is hardly any worthwhile skiing (and any there is mostly given over for race training) other years plentiful early season snow. October is known for periods of warm & sunny weather so called "Goldener Herbst" or "Kaiserwetter". If you are determined to come for that period probably better to assume a general mountain activity trip with the possibility of skiing if the weather plays ball.
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@turms2, Thanks I don't drive so hiring a car isn't an option. I'll take a look at overland options out of Munich though. I take your point on the Dresdner Hütte if the lower slopes are closed.
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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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@munich_irish, Thanks, that clears up the slightly strange flights I was finding. I agree the best approach is to book transport first and then plan exactly where to go nearer the time.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Landgraaf. Guaranteed snow, short journey. Bit dull, but so's skiing a marginal glacier in the rain, or sitting in resort as the winds whip around.
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Landgraaf would be my choice, but note that impulse are running a traiing camp there the time you are planning to go. I'm not sure but you may be able to join the camp and get some coaching. Peer in Belgium is a little shorter slope (about 350m as opposed to the 500m Landgraaf one) but may be an alternative.
@munich_irish, I've found getting flights to Innsbruck fairly tricky and usually change in Frankfurt. However, when I last checked Opodo the least expensive option was to fly to Munich, then back to Frankfurt then to Innsbruck.
I should add that these days I try to avoid Frankfurt; changing planes there can take a long time. I've missed one connection there and my luggage missed another.
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@Henwc, If you dont drive then be aware that Munich airport is not so good for public transport connections towards the mountains (despite the fact you can see them as you land!). You need to take an S bahn into town which takes around 35 minutes plus waiting time (they go every 20 minutes). Trains to Innsbruck run every 2 hours though also possible to use hourly regional trains and change at Kufstein. None of this is particularly difficult but is time consuming for a short trip. If Lufthansa are now running a bus connection that is likely to be a good option though it might be quicker (or at least no longer) to go via Zürich and get the train from there though there are only every two hours too. I much prefer taking the train to the mountains as it is far more relaxing but sometimes car is the only practical option.
@johnE, Transferring at Frankfurt airport is best avoided especially if you dont have an EU passport.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Fri 10-05-24 12:16; edited 1 time in total
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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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@snowdave & @johnE, Thanks for the advice on Landgraaf, it looks pretty doable via Brussels on the Eurostar. I wouldn't have been keen to just ski it on my own but the Impulse camp looks a really good option. I may have to leave a bit early on the Wednesday but I'd only miss the last couple of hours.
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@munich_irish, Thanks, going via Zurich might be an option, I'll dig into the precise details of the Munich transfer. From looking at trains the best option may be to get a late flight into Salzburg and then get the 5:56 am train to Innsbruck on the Saturday arriving at 07:44. I'd be at the lifts in Stubai before 10 am that way.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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from Salzburg there is also the option for the Kaprun Glacier.
Btw the bigggest problem in your plan, is that you cannot be 100% sure which glacier in Austria will have decent snowcoverage in this time.
A couple of year ago, Stubai has less than 20 cm, during the first Week of November, and we booked in Sölden where there was a dump of almost 60cm, and snow until down to the village. One year earlier the opposite : we hade snow till down in the Stubai villages, and i had to find a shovel to clear the place in front of my car to drive away.
However i suppose either Stubai or Hintertux would have decent amount of snow for this time. So maybe book transfer till Innsbruck, and then wait a little bit to see the snow conditions. Usually 10days before you could figure oute where will be ok for some skiing.
Then you can book transfer airport / hotel / airport and the accommodation
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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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Do your dates clash with school holidays in Austria? I'm fairly sure that will be half-term in France and a busy time with lots of race clubs training on any glaciers that are open.
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| Henwc wrote: |
| @snowdave & @johnE, Thanks for the advice on Landgraaf, it looks pretty doable via Brussels on the Eurostar. I wouldn't have been keen to just ski it on my own but the Impulse camp looks a really good option. I may have to leave a bit early on the Wednesday but I'd only miss the last couple of hours. |
The Impulse camp will, I'm sure, be excellent. If you've not skied gates before it will have a huge benefit to your skiing, and if you have race experience, then it's a rare chance to do it on a proper length slope. However, you might want to check whether you'll be the only adult.
From a recreational perspective, the camps rarely have any impact on the rest of Landgraaf. The race and recreational slopes are separate (race is left off the chair, recreational is right) so don't let the presence of a race camp put you off Landgraaf.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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@Mike Pow, Thanks, am I right that's somewhere to avoid when the World Cup is in town?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Henwc wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, Thanks, am I right that's somewhere to avoid when the World Cup is in town? |
My mate and his family have gone 4 out of the last 5 Octobers.
They love it.
Take one day off to watch the races, ski the rest of the time. They say the slopes are quiet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mike Pow, Thanks, glad I asked now 
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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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I wouldn’t recommend the Kitzsteinhorn glacier for those dates. Even if there is lots of early snow, only a limited number of lifts and pistes will be open then (because of staffing) and what skiing area that is available will be covered by multiple roped-off, slalom runs for the international teams in training there, leaving next to no ski areas for Joe Public.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'd also add in Hintertux. Note you could fly in to Munich/Salzburg and back out of Innsbruck depending on how flight timings etc work.
Last year was the first time i've skied in the Autumn and at the start of October there was essentially 2 runs open and tbh it was pretty rubbish, wouldn't have been worth the trip. By the end of October there'd been some more snow and a handful of more runs open. It was more worthwhile skiing by then.
Should note, it was busy on the weekends, lots of race teams, plus loads of weekenders from Germany and Italy.
I believe Hintertux was in better condition than Stubai was last October, in fact I think Stubai had to delay their opening.
Of course, all things could change this year depending what happens with the weather over the next 5 months!
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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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| Quote: |
| Last year was the first time i've skied in the Autumn and at the start of October there was essentially 2 runs open and tbh it was pretty rubbish |
On the other hand, that time of year can be very good. After a dump in the first week of October 2022, we did an impulsive Hintertux trip two days later and had fantastic snow and quiet pistes, with great skiing back to Tuxer Fernerhaus level 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Almost all the European glaciers have melted away, due to global boiling.
October skiing in the Northern Hemisphere is no longer guaranteed.
Hintertux (Austria) is as close to prebooked certainty as yall gonna get.
It's the last-remaining 365 glacier.
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Thanks for the help all,
Seems I have a few options:
1 Take a risk and pre book something in Austria and hope that the snow is good
2 Do a ski race course in a fridge in the Netherlands with the likelihood I'd be the only adult
3 Forget the mountains in October and go surfing instead
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| Henwc wrote: |
Thanks for the help all,
Seems I have a few options:
1 Take a risk and pre book something in Austria and hope that the snow is good
2 Do a ski race course in a fridge in the Netherlands with the likelihood I'd be the only adult
3 Forget the mountains in October and go surfing instead |
I would go for the glacier trip.
But why "prebook" when you can simply book? How can you book before you book? 
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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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| Quote: |
Almost all the European glaciers have melted away, due to global boiling.
October skiing in the Northern Hemisphere is no longer guaranteed. |
Yet, according to a @Whitegold post on another thread yesterday, nothing bad ever happens and everything carries on as normal 
,
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| Henwc wrote: |
Thanks for the help all,
Seems I have a few options:
1 Take a risk and pre book something in Austria and hope that the snow is good
2 Do a ski race course in a fridge in the Netherlands with the likelihood I'd be the only adult
3 Forget the mountains in October and go surfing instead |
Personally i'd do the glacier trip, but head over knowing things might not work out and you might be doing something else for the weekend.
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