Ischgl - suggested ski plan/itinerary

A snowHead

Hi and happy new year!

Going to Ischgl from 18-25 January. First visit so would like to maximise experience (on piste skiing) Any suggestions?

Explore around Idalp and Greitslitze
One day on Palinkopf and Va Gronda side
Smugglers run to Samuan
Ski around Alp Trida and Alp Bella
Day trip to Galtur?

Perhaps no real plan is needed, just used to skiing in 3 Valleys and Dolomiti Superski and have found it helps to have a general plan before a trip.

Any tips on places to eat in resort would also be great.

Thanks all!

A snowHead

Will be in ischgl again soon and will take it as it comes. We won't visit Galtur unless something has gone badly wrong.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Dof, You wont need a plan....just head for the A2 and get to the top of Pardatschgrat and head off.

Best lift system there is don't worry about timings.

There's plenty of great places to eat like The Nevada, Fire+Ice, Sonnenalm, The Kitzloch, Lucy Wang, Cafe Winkler (great pizza) to name but a few...you'll pick them as you wander through the village.

Where are you staying??

I hope you like your Apres??...because you can forget your French and Italian carry on, you're playing with the big boys now!!

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Thanks

That is very helpful, food tips also appreciated.

Hotel is about 2 min walk from Pardatsch gondola.
Yes, have heard Apre Ski is pretty intense!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

If you've never done Ischgl before I doubt you'll feel you've skied it out in one week. We'd done it 4 or 5 times before it felt we were just repeating ourselves in the second half of the week and started doing day trips elsewhere.

If you'er 2 min from the Pardatschgrat you're only 7 min from the Fimbabhan and that's where we'd always head unless there was basically zero queue at the Pardatchgrat. It's older/slower than the Pardatschgrad/Silvretta which puts many off and most people have to walk past one of those to get to it - which often means queues at two gondolas/minimal queues at the Fimba.

Regardless of gondola you basically end up at Idalp, where everyone seems to rush/queue for the B2/B3 lifts. Ignore them and just ski past/left of them and start you day taking C3 and playing around the E lifts, working back to C2, and heading up to the Idjoch ridge/the Swiss side once the morning rush has passed.

Another option is to drop straight back down into Ischgl first thing. Yes you'll have to catch a gondola back up but will have the home runs to yourself and with the best snow conditions - and not fallen skier slalom!

The Smuggler's Run is worth doing, once. Food's more expensive down in Samnaun and the last leg through town to the sardeen can gondola just a PITA (boarders should just catch the bus).

Other than that I don't think we've found an actually bad lunch up the mountain - but then we also end up at Alp Bella eating chicken every other day. Vider Alp does a good Tiroler Groestl too.

And as for apres ski... This is Austria so apres is straight from the snow to the bar (though we tend to pop home to dump kit/shower/change), generally ending at 7pm. In Ischgl spend your first couple of evenings just bar crawling. Every bar's got a slightly different vibe so can take a while you find the Goldilocks bar for you. And when you just need a more civilized night head to the bar in the Trofana Royal Hotel.

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Personally I wouldn't rule out Galtur or Kappl for a change they are both very pleasant skiing areas though when we went to Ischgl the day we tended to ski them was Sunday when the lifts out of Ischgl tended to be very busy.

I agree that the runs back to the resort are very pleasant when not busy, personally I would do them between mid morning and early afternoon as first thing you will be heading back down to queues whereas after 10:30 or so they should be a fair bit smaller and the runs just as quiet.

If you are decent skiers the unpisted ski routes marked on the map are generally great fun and quieter than the pistes.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Agree with @Mjit, red 7 onto black 7a is a good way to get back. Although black 7a can get closed at quite short notice.
Well worth a go when it is open.

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Must say when going back at the end of the day I often either download or stop for a drink till chucking out time so as to avoid the carnage. The slopes do get cut up but the bigger problem is the sheer volume of semi controlled skiers going down a small number of runs.

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@T Bar, Seconded....you can grab a drink the Pardorama bar at the top of the Pardatschgrat and they don't mind you drinking it outside while they tidy (Restaurtant Idalp the same) - sit there for 20-30 mins and let the mountain empty and blem on down.

And yes it does get quite mogulled at the very bottom of 1A but if it's empty when you come into it it's a doddle.

@Mjit, I find if you actually go the Red 7 route down around the front of the mountain you take all the crowding out, jump onto the black the connects to the top of 1A and you're home....we've regularly done it alone!!

snow reports

7a's a black these days? Was a red last time I was there - but also closed more ofen than it was open so 7, followed by everyone moaning on the F1 chair was more common Smile

Have you seen the new F1??....swish.

You know it makes sense.

On the way back from apres ski in Ischgl Smile

https://www.tiktok.com/@sina_2511/video/7442770581365198102

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

Doesn't remind me of any of the Ischgl home runs?

A snowHead

If you like the 3 Valleys you'll like Ischgl. To me its like the French expanse of skiing but with Austrian food, hospitality and cleanliness.

IMHO Pardatch and Fimba gondolas are the better to access the ski areas as they are "less busy". As others have said ski the runs down to the village in a morning as they are less busy, and get a lift down at the end of the day. We do ski second week in March so it can get a bit heavy going nearer the village

Everyone has their favourite areas. Myself and my wife really enjoyed the Paznauner area as it never seemed that busy, and once we where only people on the pistes for a good few runs

After three visits we where still finding new runs. We (I) tend initially not to have a plan but just to explore (see a lift in the distance and go for it).

Galtur is nice for a days skiing (skied it for 3/4 days), the runs "over the back" down to the second gondola are good, as are the two reds going down to the reservoir, even if it is a good old fashioned T Bar lift back up. Had one day in Kappl (as Galtur and Ischgl shut due to high winds), like Galtur its small but enjoyable skiing.

All I can say about the nightlife is that it is quieter that it used to be post covid. It was a covid hot spot, I was there the week Ischgl shut down because of covid. We have always stayed in Galtur but waking through Ischgl at the time it was always bouncing, even at 10.00 AM

A snowHead

@Mjit, After Paznauner Thaya chucking out time apparently (always struck me as a daft place for an apres bar), similar images last year on the slope above Kitzloch etc

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I guess 1st day to spent just to explore the area and see what terrain/pistes you like.

I found myself more often doing black on F1 chair or black on C5 chair in the beginning of the day. Less people here and better snow condition. And you have dedicated pretty fast chairs so you can cycle over and over again.

Second half of the day, I go to south facing slopes from E2 and E4 (as like soft sun released snow on my all mountain pretty wide skis)

At the end of the day, I prefer taking gondola down from Idalpe and not to ski down to village. Try once and see why Smile

I think the best pizza in the whole Austria until Italy border is 1st floor at restorante C2 top station Smile

(I think its Swarzwand).

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

You might want to take a look at this topic too: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=163762

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

If you get fresh snow, and like skiing powder, you should definitely go up to the Piz Val Gronda on the E5. Had one of my best ever days up there last year, lapping the 42 run from the top.
To head back to Ischgl we boarded down the other side into the Fimba valley down to the E4 lift. Pretty mellow off piste with a bit of a walk towards the end.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I don't think you need too rigid a plan because as others have said the ski area is compact and the lift system is excellent. You can get from one end of the resort to another much more quickly than 3v so there is plenty of scope to change your mind based on conditions.

I would suggest the following:
- If you get fresh snow then the terrain under the E5 lift will likely be really good. It is possible the lift will open later than the rest of the lifts so on a powder day I would check out the planned opening time and if it is opening later loop the runs under the E4 lift and keep a close eye on E5 then when it is open jump on for as many loops of fresh snow as you can get.
- If you are finding the runs on the Ischgl side busy (especially around Idalp) then head over to the Samnaun side. The "M" section to the left of the site map tends to be reasonably quiet and has a convenient restaurant (Alp Bella as recommended by others).
- The smuggler's run (run 80) is a good option on a cold day with hard pistes so the very long flat section at the end is as fast as possible just be aware that you'll need to get the cable car back up which may be busy at peak times (i.e. people coming up in the morning).
- Be aware that if you want to do run 60 and/or run 61 you will need to walk to a bus stop and get a bus to the Samnaun cable car. If you plan to do this it is well worth researching the route and timings. If you are organised it may be possible to plan to have lunch at the restaurant at the end of run 60 and get a minibus to the lift (I noticed people doing this while walking for the bus myself).

Hope it works out for you Smile

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@Henwc, There used to be a courtesy bus for customers of the restaurant and duty free shop underneath it...it didn't run last year but I wouldn't be surprised to see it back this season.

snow reports

@dazman, Thanks, yes we were there the season before last and I was jealous of the people on the minibus! I didn't know about it but I assumed the were customers.

If you go to Samnuan the restaurant at the top of the cable car is very good, I think it is in Switzerland but pricing is comparable with Austria as so close to the border

Help!!

Ischgl - suggested ski plan/itinerary

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