 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Not sure it was the lowest snowpack in the last few decades... was it 2007 they had to lorry the snow in for the weisse rausch, last year Taps race had to start at Griabli. Guess it depends where one is measuring.
So i had a facebook reminder from 2009, last day of the season was 2 May, 10 years ago there was 150 days in the season, went to 143 for some years last year 140 and next year i think i heard 137. Shame the powers that be can't make April a fun and affordable month to be in the village.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| hsdee wrote: |
Not sure it was the lowest snowpack in the last few decades... was it 2007 they had to lorry the snow in for the weisse rausch, last year Taps race had to start at Griabli. Guess it depends where one is measuring.
So i had a facebook reminder from 2009, last day of the season was 2 May, 10 years ago there was 150 days in the season, went to 143 for some years last year 140 and next year i think i heard 137. Shame the powers that be can't make April a fun and affordable month to be in the village. |
This
The season's are shifting, attitudes are not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@Mike Pow, Not really sure what you mean, the snowmaking infrastructure compensates for seasonal variations in snow ? This year they could have kept some lifts open longer, however there is noone around buying lift passes to finance this as the powers that be are all in too much of a hurry to get their businesses closed down and go on holiday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@hsdee, Perhaps the owners of the various "luxury" hotels & apartments that have sprouted up in recent times make so much money between mid December and the end of March that it makes little sense to keep the lifts & busses etc running beyond mid April? Ischgl seem to have found a market in keeping the place open until early May but not sure if that is more for partying than skiing? I got the feeling on my last visit towards the end of March that most of the folk working in the village were looking forward to holidays and time off
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| hsdee wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, Not really sure what you mean, the snowmaking infrastructure compensates for seasonal variations in snow ? This year they could have kept some lifts open longer, however there is noone around buying lift passes to finance this as the powers that be are all in too much of a hurry to get their businesses closed down and go on holiday. |
In many places the snow is arriving later and staying later but most customers are still locked in to a mid-December through to the end of March mindset/timeframe.
I'd much rather ski a combination of artificial and natural snow under sunny skies in the Spring over bullet proof artificial 'white ribbons of death' pre-Christmas.
Unfortunately far too many businesses close up before the skiing is done resulting in a second grade offering off the slopes.
Any business which closes before the lifts and then has the cheek to complain that it's getttng more and more difficult to make Winters works can quite frankly get f**ked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Mike Pow, I imagine it might be that many of these hut owners are also farmers, so it gets to a point where they need to be back down in the valley prepping for the summer farming season?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Any business which closes before the lifts and then has the cheek to complain that it's getttng more and more difficult to make Winters works can quite frankly get f**ked. |
I dont think thats the case in the Arlberg, business is booming to the extent that the place is full all season long. A number of the apres spots close very early April. When the businesses were mostly family run it made sense to keep going as long a possible as there are long periods with little to no income. Now the businesses base their plans on running 7 to 8 months of the year and contract staff on that basis, adding additional time becomes difficult. Lots of money is being made so why stress
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@munich_irish, It saddens me that the winter seasons in St Anton are getting shorter. Climate and snow arguments aside. It's not the luxury hotels. Lift company, tourist office, hotels and businesses do not work together to give people a good reason to come skiing through April and even early December, so they all decide to close coz there are not enough people spending money to make it worth staying open and that won't change unfortunately.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| swskier wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, I imagine it might be that many of these hut owners are also farmers, so it gets to a point where they need to be back down in the valley prepping for the summer farming season? |
And that's valid. But that can't be all of them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| munich_irish wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Any business which closes before the lifts and then has the cheek to complain that it's getttng more and more difficult to make Winters works can quite frankly get f**ked. |
I dont think thats the case in the Arlberg, business is booming to the extent that the place is full all season long. A number of the apres spots close very early April. When the businesses were mostly family run it made sense to keep going as long a possible as there are long periods with little to no income. Now the businesses base their plans on running 7 to 8 months of the year and contract staff on that basis, adding additional time becomes difficult. Lots of money is being made so why stress |
That's great then. Business model is working.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| hsdee wrote: |
| @munich_irish, It saddens me that the winter seasons in St Anton are getting shorter. Climate and snow arguments aside. It's not the luxury hotels. Lift company, tourist office, hotels and businesses do not work together to give people a good reason to come skiing through April and even early December, so they all decide to close coz there are not enough people spending money to make it worth staying open and that won't change unfortunately. |
Such a shame but if business is booming why bother as has been mentioned
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
oh dear...so much rubbish here.
“Bachelors’ wives and maidens’ children are well taught.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@Mike Pow, I think it's not many years away before lift operations only run from mid Dec to mid Apr. Sure some businesses can make their money in this 4 month window. Others will struggle. But there is nothing going on early or late season to encourage visitors and lifts and slopes are not cheap to run.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| hsdee wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, I think it's not many years away before lift operations only run from mid Dec to mid Apr. Sure some businesses can make their money in this 4 month window. Others will struggle. But there is nothing going on early or late season to encourage visitors and lifts and slopes are not cheap to run. |
Japanese resorts have a Spring Pass
If somewhere offered a reasonably priced pass & accommodation deal for April I'd be all over it. Would rather have 2-4 weeks then over 1-2 weeks at a higher premium earlier in the season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Ischgl runs until early May but as far as I can see turns into Magaluf / Ballermann / Glastonbury with a bit of skiing thrown in. Is that what folk want? enough complaints about drinking & partying as it is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Using the site above and looking at the first week of April (which should be approximately peak snow depth at altitude) then you can see that last season was no "worse" than some previous seasons such as the early 2000's. No doubt it was very dry but it was colder than some recent years. The pistes were generally good even Madloch (no snowmaking) was decent and better than some recent years. Clearly off piste was not ideal for much of the time, the lack of snowfall was demonstrated by how early Schindlerkar deteriorated. The times I have been in April that was the best snow but last season by mid / end March it was gone (and closed before the end of March). What is noticeable from @stanton, charts is how the Arlberg is always near the top of the snowfall lists even in poor seasons. Just one reason for its enduring popularity
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@munich_irish, i was watching one of his skiing around anton videos, assuming it's a him, from 2 years ago and i was in it 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25+yrs ago It used to be such an unused totally ungroomed narrow route and on a good day Deep POW ..
The past few seasons there have been some very serious accidents on this Ski Route as it has become a race track for novices..
The only decent descent from the Top of the Madlochbahn is to turn left at the top for Mehlsack (2,651m) from Madlochjoch !!
Do you notice the 1000's of skiers ascending on the Madlochbahn following each other like Sheep yet under the chair there is a vast area of crowd less pistes and off Piste back to down to Zürs !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@stanton, It must have been a good while back, as long as I have been coming (early/mid 00s) the run has been similar, basically a red piste with a few steeper bits. As ever when it gets busy there are some folk who ski too fast, way beyond their skiing abilities who are a menace to everyone else. Its the same everywhere, I think a bit less in the Arlberg as fewer local young lads. The runs under the lift back down to Zürsersee are usually empty perhaps because of the annoying walk up at the end, worse with the new lift.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| stanton wrote: |
| under the chair there is a vast area of crowd less pistes and off Piste back to down to Zürs !! |
Some of the better skiing in Zurs is totally lost on the "sheep-skiers" who only use the Madlochjoch chair to get to Zug/Lech. More than a couple of really good pitches leading back to Zursersee when there's fresh stuff.
And agreed that the run down to Zug now infested by incompetent wannabee kiddies with their rubbish skier mommies doing a wish list piste run. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| stanton wrote: |
Probably the lowest SnowPak in the last few decades... more info when it becomes available !!
|
The whole article about future tourism "der standard" (respected Austrian newspaper) is worth reading !!
"""Tourismus. Der vergangene Winter war der trockenste in Österreich seit 28 Jahren und zudem einer der 15 wärmsten der Messgeschichte. Naturschnee war in vielen Destinationen Mangelware, und ein Skibetrieb wäre ohne künstliche Beschneiung Großteils nicht möglich gewesen."""
English
""Last winter was the driest in Austria in 28 years and also one of the 15 warmest in the history of measurements. Natural snow was in short supply in many destinations, and skiing would not have been possible for the most part without artificial snowmaking.""
https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000267612/wie-der-klimawandel-dem-tourismus-zusetzt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
