 Poster: A snowHead
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Newbie alert, I’m afraid.
I’ve been living in Berlin for five years (originally from the US), but will just be making my first trek to the Alps this winter. I have a few questions and welcome any insights. I’ll start with a brief itinerary:
25 Dec. arrive late in Innsbruck
26 Dec. ski Innsbruck, overnight Innsbruck
27 Dec. ski Seefeld, overnight Grainau (near GaPa)
28 Dec-1 Jan. overnight Grainau; ski GaPa, Tiroler Zugspitze Arena, Mittenwald; Ski Jumping on New Years in GaPa.
2. Jan. depart
I know it isn’t the ideal time or the ideal location, but for a variety of factors (work, significant other), that how it’s turned out. So my questions are:
With only one day to ski in Innsbruck, where should I go? Obviously if the conditions are poor I’ll go to the Stubai glacier, but if conditions are good elsewhere is that still the best skiing? What about Axamer Lizum?
What are the best areas in the Tiroler Zugspitze Arena?
Is GaPa as bad as everyone says? I can’t go all that way and not ski the Zugspitze and Kandahar, but are there any ‘hidden treasures’?
Is the Dammkar in Mittenwald all that it’s cracked up to be? Any secrets?
Anything else I should know?
I’m a solid intermediate skier. I like to challenge myself with black runs, as well, but not all day long. I also like getting off the trail and skiing trees and ungroomed terrain so long as it doesn’t involve falling off anything. My significant other has never skied downhill and will probably spend the week doing cross-country (hence our choice in location).
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Someone far more knowledgable will be along soon enough, but for now, willkommen to snowHeads 
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brian
brian
Guest
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ami in berlin, welcome to s.
I've only been to the Stubaital in summer, so I've walked around Fulpmes and Neustift and skied on the glacier, which is only a small part of a reasonable sized high altitude winter ski area. The lower areas around Neustift and Fulpmes (Schlick 2000) are a fair bit smaller from what I remember.
I think you really need to speak to the locals when you get there. If snow is good high and weather is clear then the glacier area will be great. However, that's way above the treeline, so if weather's poor stick to one of the lower villages.
Lovely part of the world though.
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ami, I've skied the Stubai on two trips, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (never seen it abbreviated as GaPa, which is quite neat!) a couple of times. I used to go there after trips to Munich.
The top of the Stubai valley and its glacier are lovely. You've a good day's skiing up there, and the snow will be the best in the region. If the weather's very cold, or visibility is bad, and snow is good on the lower ski areas then switch your plans to ski them - glaciers are not good places to be in a whiteout. Check the forecast carefully on Christmas Day for the 26th.
The best skiing at Garmisch is not on the top (Zugspitze) (though it's well worth seeing). It's flat and quite limited. The skiing on the wooded slopes - Kreuzeck, Osterfelderkopf - has a lot more appeal, so long as there's snow. It's a very pretty area to ski.
If you have any possibility of staying in the Innsbruck area rather than going to Garmisch I'd do it. The high-level skiing at places like St Anton, Ischgl and Solen is a lot better. Garmisch is unreliable for snow, but the best of luck!
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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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A friend goes to Innsbruck every year. He says any of the small local areas are large enough to keep an inter amused for a day, if fully open. But that is a big IF at that time of year. So go for the biggest and most reliable, Axamer Lizum, which also has the best off-piste.
If conditions are really poor, the Stubai glacier is a fair old trek from downtown Innsbruck. Depending where you are staying it might even be quicker to get to Kuhtai, which is a similar size to Axamer, more snowsure, and therefore plenty big enough for a day. Assuming you will have a car getting about should be no problem.
Sorry, can't help with GaPa, I've not been.
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ami in berlin, Axamer Lizum is fine for a day's skiing. I sometimes go there because a colleague from work lives in Axams ( no he doesn't travel into Munich every day ).
Garmisch is better than it's reputation. The Zugspitze is however not connected to the main ski area in Garmisch. I would only ski on the Zugspitze if they have > 2m of snow and the whole area is open, otherwise if it's just the glacier then it's flat and boring. If the area is completely open then it's one of the best powder bowls I've ever come across! The main Garmisch area ( Hausberg, Kreuzeck & Osterfelderkopf ) have some good pistes for beginners-intermediates, plus some fairly hairy off piste. The valley run on the Kandahar can be great, but you'd better have sharp edges and not be worried by ice. Definitely only for high speed!
The Dammkar is an unpisted touring run. Seven Km long. Only for experts. The conditions in there can vary from absolutely fantastic to absolutely miserable. If you do want to do it then check that the run is open all the way down to the valley otherwise you can end up walking for up to an hour at the end of the run! You get into the Dammkar by taking the Karwendelbahn cable car from the valley and walking 400m through a tunnel to get to the start of the run! I love it, but not always!
Have fun
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ami in berlin, there is some skiing in Innsbruck on the Hungerberg. It's the only ski area I've ever got to by city tram, it's also fasinating to watch planes land at the airport below you. There is also some good skiing at Igls which is nearby, nut Innsbruck is great city justr to visit, so if skiing conditions aren't good then you can always do the tourist thing.
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