 Poster: A snowHead
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...... what's it like!!!!
I'm off in feb to St Anton .... really excited but after doing some off piste in Chile this summer I really want to continue doing these powder haunts...
I've read a few reviews and they say the top is real steep, how difficult and how bad if you fall?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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plectrum,
I've seen it from the lift but when we booked to do it the wind closed us down. It didn't look too bad but there are a few rocks which might concentrate the mind. It will depend on the guide and the conditions whether he ropes you past them. His call, entirely, I'm afraid.
After the top it is supposed to open out so shouldn't cause any probs, conditions permitting.
I'd guess that some of the gullies from the Valluga Grat off the left are steeper and they are mighty good fun...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I FOUND THIS ONLINE SOUNDS TRICKY BUT FUN!!!
THE VALLUGA
The Valluga summit descent to Zürs is one of the
ultimate lift-accessed off-piste runs. This awesome
route is for brave, capable skiers and the resort is careful
about who gets to ski it: the cable car is only open
to skiers accompanied by a mountain guide or to
sightseers who may ride to the observation platform,
but must leave their skis below.
From the exposed summit the slopes on all sides
simply disappear. First timers are unsure where to
begin as they are faced with a convex slope and what
appears to be a labyrinth of cliffs and rocks. There’s no
question that this is a gut-wrenching experience.
There are two variations from the summit: the
classic north face begins with tight turns in the fall
line on the far left of the face, where a tenuous traverse
leads right; great attention is needed here as a
fall could end in a rocket slide leading to a cliff that
you wouldn’t want to visit twice. A successful traverse
right and then left leads to elation among the group:
the first obstacle is over and the terrain now looks
almost enjoyable. Wonderful turns lie ahead but care
is again needed to avoid the 40 m (131 ft) cliff at the
base of the pitch. Stay relaxed, look up from the tips
of your skis, enjoy your skiing and the views.
Once you reach the col between the summits of
Valluga and Rogspitze you can look back to what you’ve
skied and either give thanks for your survival or ask
your guide when you can ski it again. ‘All’ that remains
from the col are near-endless powder slopes to Zürs.
The second option from the summit is equally
exciting. To add to the adventure your basic mountaineering
skills and head for heights will be put to
the test as you make your way down the roped steps
to the old wooden bridge that spans the famous
“Bridge Couloir”. After a step down under the
wooden planks of the bridge a tight 40 degree
couloir requires expert technique in jump turns.
After 15 turns the couloir disappears around a leftbanking
corner before opening up into the wide west
slope of the Valluga which leads you to a meeting
point safely at the base of the west face. A short traverse
northwest leads you around a hidden corner to
open up powder fields which reach all the way to the
Zürs ski area.
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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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plectrum,
Read that review...hmmmnnnn, best PM Stanton who knows the area very well, he'd be able to tell you exactly how it is, I'd have thought
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yah sounds awesome, but sometimes these things are easy considered only after skiing it! if you understad me?!
i couldnt do the bridge couloir as i cant jump turn properly yet ... but i think i'd consider a steep descent esepcially if the powder depth is adequate.
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plectrum,
The second one is a good review.... ups the ante a bit...!!
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plectrum, I did it once a few years ago with some guides from the DAV (Deutsche Alpenverein). To be honest I think the review over states the danger. It's a nice run, but if the snow is good and grippy then not too much to worry about, as I remember. We did it over the bridge. As JT says the couloirs off the top of Schindler are equally if not more steep, are just as much fun and a lot more accessible 
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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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Looking at stanton's link I don't recall anything like V1...I may have been looking in the wrong direction towards V2. I recognise the line of V2 and can't quite pick up from the map where you might see V1, and if at all from the viewing platform ..
I have always wanted to go back there and you don't really need too much of an excuse....!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Where were you in Chile? I wonder if you skied La Chimenea in La Parva, a very steep and narrow couloir.
I have done it in various snow conditions and it is always a great adrenalin buzz which calls for a few pisco sours in the evening!
Re North face of Valluga - I have done it on a couple of occasions when I was the Ski Club rep there (sadly they do not welcome reps anymore). It is very steep and exposed at the top but the rest of the descent to Zurs is superb in good snow with a good guide. I remember reporting one of the guides who asked one of my group who appeared a little apprehensive at the top if they had learned to ski in Piccadilly!!
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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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skilegs- we didnt do off piste in parva or any of the 3 valleys there but we did do some of the ungroomed diamonds/double diamonds in portillo and then off piste day in campo de ahumada with www.skiarpa.com
from the reviews its clear the first 100 yards is teh only real difficult bit but i don't want to start g.ing myself up now if in feb it will be too difficult for me!
is v2 the bridge run as i can do tight jump turns yet
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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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Here is a good pic of the south side of the Valluga:
http://away.com/gifs/gorp/activity/skiing/extreme_skiing/valluga.jpg
It has been more than a decade since I last skied it, but it was definitely quite testy at the top. Like any steep run, the hardest part was taking the first turn into it. Once in, it was not too bad. Some of the moguls were rather large -- possibly Mont Fort in Verbier is the only place where I have seen bigger bumps.
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Poster: A snowHead
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He is asking about the North side which you access by a tiny extra lift up to the peak. You are only allowed up with skis if you are with a guide, and there will certainly never be moguls there!!
And JT You can't see any of the routes from any lift: they are off the back, towards Zurs.
The main way down (straight ahead from the top) is not all that extreme, but if the snow was hard you could fall a long way from the very top bit over cliffs. The guide will know if your technique will allow you to do it safely and he will take the top bit slowly and carefully.
However there is a huge amount of other off-piste available - though you really need a guide to find where much of it is. However, if you are very confident about your ability to judge avalanche danger there is a book of some of the off-piste routes (or stanton's notes). You would also need a 1:25,000 map, of course.
I very recently did a thread on Epic about this general subject. http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?t=46413
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 13-11-06 12:58; edited 5 times 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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Whitegold
That picture is the Westide of Schindler nt Valluga.
These are the varaints of the Top of Valluga 2 lif or if you hike up from Valluga 1
Valluga (2) Level VD (M) (Km appx) Dest
Valluga Nord Ex 900 4.1 Base Trittalpfbahn Zurs
Valluga West Ex 900 4.8 Base Trittkopfbahn Zurs
Valluga West Brückenschuβ Ex 900 4.7 Base Trittkopfbahn Zurs
Valluga West (S/W variant) Ex 900 4.8 Base Trittkopfbahn Zurs
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In the text below whitegold's picture : "Many head to St. Anton purely for the teeth-whitening lure of 9,400-foot Valluga and its scattering of expert-only, off-piste terrain"
Teeth-whitening ? What does this mean?
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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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| plectrum wrote: |
...... what's it like!!!!
I'm off in feb to St Anton .... really excited but after doing some off piste in Chile this summer I really want to continue doing these powder haunts...
I've read a few reviews and they say the top is real steep, how difficult and how bad if you fall? |
I've done it twice after missing out on a few occassions because the weather wasn't right (too much wind / snow / ice etc.) First the easy route and then one of the harder routes later. On the harder route we were told by the guide it was a no-fall zone, safety was paramount over style and speed etc.
It tends to be a trophy run but IMHO there are better off-piste routes in St Anton.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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DB,
It tends to be a trophy run but IMHO there are better off-piste routes in St Anton
Agreed.
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I'm going there for the first week of March.
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snowball,
I didn't mean to say you can see the whole route, just an entry along the ridge. I presume that is V2..?
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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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Oh I see, yes, I think you can see the other, south side of the ridge from the station at the base of the top lift (not the lift below it, I think,though I could be wrong). I am assuming you didn't go up the top lift (?)
However the main way down is immediately behind the top lift station.
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snowball,
I went to look at the ridge - we had to dump our skis and then I booked to do it the next day....but the wind closed the lifts.
So if the ridge we see from the viewing platform at the 3rd stage Valluga lift corresponds to V2 as described above..? V1 is the route down immediately down behind the top station.... I think I have my bearings now....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Oh sorry, I didn't understand that you went up.
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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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And a fantastically good read that whole thread is.
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| snowball wrote: |
In the text below whitegold's picture : "Many head to St. Anton purely for the teeth-whitening lure of 9,400-foot Valluga and its scattering of expert-only, off-piste terrain"
Teeth-whitening ? What does this mean? |
TEETH WHITENING , this means the route is so tricky most crash and burn plunging head first into powder until they sit up with a mouth full of snow!
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You know it makes sense.
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| stanton wrote: |
DB,
It tends to be a trophy run but IMHO there are better off-piste routes in St Anton |
It still looks like a worthy trophy to me. I'd have to think there are some good powder turns to be had back there and nice scenery too. Would you care to name a few of the better runs that you like better? How is Himmelegg (I think that's the one over the Flexenpass)?
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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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epic,
Over the years a few folk have been killed over there as well including a few yersa ago a well known local instructor/guide 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| epic wrote: |
| stanton wrote: |
DB,
It tends to be a trophy run but IMHO there are better off-piste routes in St Anton |
It still looks like a worthy trophy to me. I'd have to think there are some good powder turns to be had back there and nice scenery too. Would you care to name a few of the better runs that you like better? How is Himmelegg (I think that's the one over the Flexenpass)? |
Hi Epic welcome to Snowheads.
I don't like giving details of runs runs because ....
1. The best runs I do are with a guide, he knows where he's going and although I take a map and GPS my knowledge of the routes is nowhere near as good as someone who skis the routes on a regular basis. To ski the best routes in the Alberg - get a guide http://www.pistetopowder.com/ or someone with local knowledge who understands the risks.
2. The routes are not avy secured as in America and weather conditions are critical. I'd hate to give someone the impression that these routes were a local walk in the park and then they come unstuck. As stanton says even the most experienced get caught out sometimes.
Without a guide there are normally enough places by the side of the piste to play in the powder as we did back in Jan 2004 (or was it 2003?) with some Epic and TGR guys.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| DB wrote: |
| back in Jan 2004 (or was it 2003?) with some Epic and TGR guys. |
2005, beleive it or not. Josh and I are coming back in February and maybe H-Man too (he will be there for sure, just not sure when).
I'm certainly not opposed to having a guide. It looks like a route finding error could be a BIG problem on some of those runs.
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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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Doh sorry, I was thinking it was two years ago so came up with 2004 when it was two Jan's ago. We are supposed to be giving Ischgl a try late Jan 07 but I hope to get over to St Anton sometime.
I've got an offpiste book entitled something like "All around the Alberg" but it doesn't have enough details. The main danger is the effect of the weather, a map or few tips/notes over the internet can't identify that so a guide is your best bet. There are other ski areas in Austria where the routes are easy to find and follow a simple route back down back down to the ski lifts (e.g. Sölden) but St Anton is more complex than that.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| DB wrote: |
Doh sorry, I was thinking it was two years ago so came up with 2004 when it was two Jan's ago. We are supposed to be giving Ischgl a try late Jan 07 but I hope to get over to St Anton sometime.
I've got an offpiste book entitled something like "All around the Alberg" but it doesn't have enough details. The main danger is the effect of the weather, a map or few tips/notes over the internet can't identify that so a guide is your best bet. There are other ski areas in Austria where the routes are easy to find and follow a simple route back down back down to the ski lifts (e.g. Sölden) but St Anton is more complex than that. |
I have that t guide as well. It's been very useful. I won't stray too far from the lifts based on that alone though. You get out into the great white and start wondering exactly which gully you are in and will it cliff out, etc...
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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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back people!
thanks for all the advice, i think i may not be good enough yet to attempt this route but i'm defiantely going to get 2 days or so with a guide there seem to be so much powder there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are some brief notes on this run (as part of good article covering a few day's visit to the resort) in this month's Ski + Board.
| John Norris wrote: |
| A skier need to be of expert level and confident of making no mistakes in varied snow conditions to tackle the first part of the descent safely. |
So I wont be doing it then. 
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skiied the north side in Jan this year, had read about how dangerous it could be! Our route seemed to take us stright ahead from the top of the lift, although a group that arrived before us took the pitch to the left, it seemed our route was the easier. After a few hundred yards we turned to the left which ran out into a nice bowl. It was all part of a great week in St Anton...
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