 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm looking at booking a week in Mayrhofen for the first week in Jan - some decent deals around and I've not yet skied in Austria.
Having checked the historic snow records I find the following:
January 2002 12cm 104cm
January 2003 11cm 70cm
January 2004 34cm 182cm
January 2005 13cm 56cm
January 2006 39cm 154cm
January 2007 5cm 40cm
January 2008 1cm 111cm
Courtesy of Igluski
Fully appreciate the fickle nature of snow, but wondered, with the resort at 650m and the highest lift at 3250m, how one should interpret "higher" and "lower" slopes as the stats apply to Mayrhofen.
As has been suggested here, 25cms in Austria may well be sufficient to ski on given the nature of some of the lower slopes.
So, if anyone who knows Mayrhofen at this time of year, please feel free to help the uninitiated - 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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Chasseur, The 3250m point is the top of the Hintertux glacier, I would guess that the snow stats are only for the slopes directly above Mayrhofen.
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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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rjs, thanks, I kinda wonderd if the figures were for the whole region, which probably makes the question even more relevant, given that 2 of our group would be less likely to ski up at Hintertux glacier.
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put it this way i was there in january 2005, and i certainly felt there was plenty of snow to go around, 13cm sounds a little harsh to me
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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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Although Mayrhofen is low, the slopes on the Penken (the 'main' skiing area) are not, due to the cable up and down the big cliff. There are some links to other sectors that are low ish but not as low as Mayrhofen at 650m.
I would be highly doubtful that there was only 1cm of snow on the ski slopes of the Penken in Jan 08 (and there is certainly no way there was only that much on the glacier!), as we were not far from there, skiing on much lower slopes, for a number of weekends, and there was plenty of snow, although it was mild. It snowed several times whilst we were out there in fairly copious quantities.
Having spent two weeks in Mayrhofen and never yet made it to the glacier, I really wouldn't worry. Snow in the village is no indicator of how much skiing there is up on the hill.
D
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Deliaskis, thanks. My thoughts entirely, which is why I wondered how upper and lower applies to the resort. If the "lower" figure applies to the resort level 650m, then there is no concern. If it applies to the skiing domain around Penken and "higher" relates to the glacier, then there would appear to be a sound pause for thought.
I'm not handwringing over this but, with zero experience of Austria, first hand experience from snowHeads can be extremely useful.
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The lower slope figure probably refers to the valley run on the other mountain opposite the main area (can't remember the name, the one that isn't Penken).
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Ahorn
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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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675m - 1965m
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Chasseur, Skiing at Mayrhofen starts at about 1,000 meters the village is at 675m. I would be shocked if there was that little snow at the top of the cable car! There are 2/3 runs back to the village from Penken which are no great fun even if they where open. The snowmaking is amazing in Mayrhofen and they really look after the place at the top. I think you would be fairly safe booking for that time of the year and if all else fails you can head to the glacier
From my experience the lower slope figure normally applies to the Ahorn resort run which is great when the snow is good and brings you right down to the village but it can be hit and miss.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ordhan, thanks - that's really helpful. I noticed one of the piste maps had a couple of runs marked in yellow from Penken, so guess they are the ones you refer to.
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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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Ahorn that's it thanks hobbiteater.
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You know it makes sense.
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IIRC, the skiing around Penken runs from about 1650 to 2350... which isn't great vertical as these things go...
Hintertux is fine and worth the trip.
Ahorn is a beginners area so best left to them.
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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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I was in Zillertal Jan 08 and skied every area while staying in Mayrhofen.
I don't think people ski to the valley floor unless the snow is exceptionally good. The majority of the slopes start at the top of the first cable cars which is about at 1000m level. In fact during my visit the valley was foggy while the clear sky was available from 1000m upward, giving the skiers the sensation skiing above the cloud.
I think we only skied to the bottom station in Kaltenbach and Ahorn but the snow was too soft. My point is there are so much skiing and I for one never bother with the last run to the valley floor. Everything from the 1000m upward was perfect.
We did have a car and so could try out Fugen, Haltenbach, Zillertal Arena, Gerlostein, Ahorn, Mayrhofen (linked with Penken, Rastkogel and Eggalm) and Hintertux.
Mayrhofen has 157km piste but the whole Zillertal Valley has 639km piste. Any ski pass purchased for 4 days or more entitles the purchaser access to the entire valley.
I know snow cannot be guaranteed but I have never had a bad experience of snow shortage in Austria when skiing Arlberg (St Anton/Zurs/Lech), Zillertal Valley, Silvretta Valley (Ischgl/Samaun/See/Kappl/Galtur), Ski Welt, Alpbach, Kitzbuhel, Zell am See, Saalbach/Hinterglemm and St Johann in Tirol. The poorest condition I had was in Bad Hofgastein when the link to Bad Gastein was closed due to lack of snow. It is possible that we always drive and so if one area's snow isn't ideal we simply go to another.
Zillertal Arena, Kaltenbach and Hintertux are worthy of the effort if one goes to Mayrhofen.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| JT wrote: |
| Ahorn is a beginners area so best left to them. |
Ahem... the top of the mountain has a beginners area (and last year an Ice Bar carved into the snow), but the long run down into town is very definitely NOT for beginners, and was excellent fun when I was on it in January 2008 - long, steep(-ish), and in great condition. The 1cm snow report for the bottom of the resort is however probably accurate - from about 100m above the town, all of the run was artificial snow, which was slushy in the last 50m or so, but with 1300m of vertical drop on a 5.5Km red run, I'll take that - the views were excellent, and the slopes were deserted (unlike on the Penken side), so I'd highly recommend it as an alternative for a half day or even a full day if you don't get bored doing the same run over and over again. Temperatures in the town in the first week of January were +5 to +8 if memory serves, and there was no hint of snow problems anywhere in the valley, as the towns and villages are all at low level, but the slopes all start much higher up, and finish above 1000m in the main.
By comparison, when the Ahorn had artificial snow in the last 100m, Penken had about 60cm at the lowest level, and 150cm at the top, except on the very eastern edge of Rastkogel (nearest Eggalm) where the crosswinds tend to scour the slopes a bit.
While there are ungraded trails into the valley on the maps, I've only ever managed to ski them twice in 5 visits to the area, so unless there is 10cm of snow in town, forget it. They are mainly forest roads, so anything less than 10cm means rocks and gullies in the middle of the run.
The Penken/Knorren/Gerentberg slopes are easily enough to keep intermediates happy for a week without going elsewhere, but I'd still recommend some day trips up and down the valley just to see what variety there is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To put things into perspective, I was in the Zillertal in Feb 2007, when according to Igluski the snow depths were 5cm on the lower slopes and 57cm on the upper slopes.
On the day we arrived, we questioned if skiing was even possible...
However, we found out during the week that whilst the valley is very low, the majority of the skiing, especially in Mayrhofen and the Zillertal Arena, is well above 1800m ensuring good conditions throughout most of the season.
Mayrhofen main bowl, taken 3 days after the shot above, 3 days of sunshine and warm temperatures...
I would definitely go for it, the Zillertal offers a HUGE range of skiing, at a fraction of the price to other similar resorts, and 1st week of Jan is about as low season as it gets, ensuring crowd free slopes. I'd also say that its very likely that you'll have better snow conditions than when I was there, but even if they were worse you would still find plenty to ski!
A few of my pics from Feb 2007: https://snowheads.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/showgallery.php/cat/682
Also, there's a FANTASTIC german report of the area here from December 2007 with about a million pictures. If you can stand the loading time, definitely check these pictures out!
http://alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=24588&hilit=mayrhofen
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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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ousekjarr, Couldnt agree more that 5km rund down the Ahorn is but clenchingly Icy and dark in parts especially at the end of the day! Love it
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Chasseur,Transfer from Innsbruck is approx 60-90 min depending on the traffic but it is a nice easy drive on motorway
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ordhan, result! Certainly more bearable than the 5 hours to Livigno last season! Thanks.
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Markus, nice pictures. The one's on the alpine forum all the slopes are empty!!
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Chasseur, I was in the Zillertal in the first full week of January last year.
At valley level, there was no natural snow at all, and the only "resort run" I came across open was the one down to Kaltenbach, which was all artificial at the bottom. If they are measuring "lower slopes" as being right at the base of the main lifts, then 1cm would have been generous!
But the vast majority of the skiing is above the gondolas that take you up from the valley, and there was plenty of really good quality snow up there. The snow line seemed to be at about 1000m
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Chasseur, Yeah I hear Livigno is great but I am to busy a man to be spending 5 hours on a bus!
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alex_heney, thanks.
Ordhan, you hear correct. Some of the best snow I have ever skied on at the time we were there in March last season. In spite of the long transfer, I'll definitely return.
A further question: Is anyone aware of a similar system in Austria of the Carte Neige operated in France - the €2.50/day additional insurance added to the ski pass in case one needs emergency removal from the mountain following injury?
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