 Poster: A snowHead
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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, you are slow waking up from your summer snooze! Lots of the area reports are already up and running! Some of us never stopped skiing this year. 
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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.
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DB,
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Some of us prefer to wear lycra,and rubber and get dirty
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I knew your work sounded suspect 
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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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The lifts are opening in Kitzbühel this coming Thursday, 1st November, at least two of them at Pass Thurn: the upper section of the Panoramabahn gondola and the 4-seat Resterkogel chairlift. Maybe I'll have to give it a go, though as I understand it, only the pistes by the Resterkogel lift will be open, not the run down to the middle station of the Panoramabahn.
For the whole season there is also a new special ticket for that restricted area (including the 6-seat Resterhöhe chairlift, when it is running). That costs €25 (€10 for children).
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The Mölltaler Glacier saw 40cm of fresh last night.
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| espri wrote: |
The lifts are opening in Kitzbühel this coming Thursday, 1st November, at least two of them at Pass Thurn: the upper section of the Panoramabahn gondola and the 4-seat Resterkogel chairlift. Maybe I'll have to give it a go, though as I understand it, only the pistes by the Resterkogel lift will be open, not the run down to the middle station of the Panoramabahn.
For the whole season there is also a new special ticket for that restricted area (including the 6-seat Resterhöhe chairlift, when it is running). That costs €25 (€10 for children). |
There are some nice pics of conditions there yesterday from our Teutonic friends over on Alpinforum:
http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=44810&sid=6e7e02aeb7aca82ea02f7d2adc10f359
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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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luigi, Off topic but that last picture is a cracking shot of the Pinzgau valley 
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| luigi wrote: |
| espri wrote: |
The lifts are opening in Kitzbühel this coming Thursday, 1st November, at least two of them at Pass Thurn: the upper section of the Panoramabahn gondola and the 4-seat Resterkogel chairlift. Maybe I'll have to give it a go, though as I understand it, only the pistes by the Resterkogel lift will be open, not the run down to the middle station of the Panoramabahn.
For the whole season there is also a new special ticket for that restricted area (including the 6-seat Resterhöhe chairlift, when it is running). That costs €25 (€10 for children). |
There are some nice pics of conditions there yesterday from our Teutonic friends over on Alpinforum:
http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=44810&sid=6e7e02aeb7aca82ea02f7d2adc10f359 |
Unglaublich! Looks fantastic for this time of year.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This week summary from Austria.
Planai (Schladming) opened on Tuesday, Turracher Höhe on Wednesday, Kitzbühel on Thursday. Sölden opened a lot of new pistes and lifts, so did Stubai glacier. In Kaprun you can ski down to the Alpincenter from this week.
Reiteralm and Hauser Kaibling are close to open, Austrian and German race teams are training here this week.
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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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Kitzbühel update:
Now it is reported that the Kitz lifts are only running at weekends presently, though that seems to include Friday 9th Nov at Pass Thurn (I don't think that was made clear earlier - hope nobody was misled). However the good news is that more lifts will be running from this weekend on:
At Pass Thurn piste 70 down to the valley and the G1 6-seat chairlift will be operating in addition to the lifts reported earlier.
Better still the Fleckalmbahn at Kirchberg will be starting up and, with the Jufenalm chairlift up to the Steinbergkogel also operating, there will be some real skiing available higher up (mainly the circuit from the Steinbergkogel to the Jufenalm, piste 16). The pistes back down to the Fleckalmbahn are not being opened.
Full details here.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thought I would try Kitzbühel to start my season as a change from a glacier, so off I went to the Fleckalmbahn near Kirchberg today. The prospects were somewhat intimidating, for the weather forecasts I had heard promised rain and winds gusting to 130 km/hr. And indeed it started raining just as I left home.
There is no snow at all on the lower slopes and higher up not much yet either but last year it was a month later before the lifts opened here. Here is a view looking from the Ehrenbachhöhe to the Steinbergkogel.
And the Steinbergkogel is where the skiing was today. The Jufen chairlift was running and that offered a round run of about 15 minutes, mostly going down the Jufen Steilhang (occasionally I would take the alternative track for a bit of variety). Not really much to try but what skiing there was was good. The snow was hard-packed, mostly artificial, I suspect. This is the view from the top of the Steilhang and the photo below is looking back at the slope from the other side.
The weather was very changeable but nowhere near as bad as I had feared (or as it was elsewhere - torrential rain ... Osttirol: farmer killed in a mudslide, Italian South Tirol: flooding). I only had spitting rain when I started and again for a few minutes about three o'clock. There was also almost no wind, except a little right up on the ridge. Sometimes you had great views, here over to the Wilder Kaiser...
But a few minutes later it would be like this...
I was surpised to find that several huts were open (3 that I saw) and I had lunch in the Bergasthof Hochbrunn, one of my favourites - 2 Kaspressknödel in der Zwiebelsuppe (like French onion soup with a couple of cheesy dumplings - very tasty)...
When I came out after lunch, the weather was beautiful as I went up the lift again. But skiing down was into cloud, though the Kitzbüheler Horn and the Steinbergkogel were still showing...
However, the clouds didn't stay long and I saw rainbows before the end of the day...
All in all it was a good start to the season. I had been lucky with the weather - and no queues
P.S. Have read now that the Fleckalmbahn was shut down because of high winds on Saturday.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Looks fantastic at Ischgl. But where do they get the snow? It wasn't like that in Kitzbühel on Sunday. OK, Kitzbühel is lower. But even today on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier I thought that they were short of snow compared to previous years. But probably there was plenty there; judge for yourself from the photos below.
The drive from Fieberbrunn had been under cloud but it began to look more promising after Kaprun as I approached the car park for the lift up to the glacier.
And it did turn out to be a great day up top, blue sky and sun and hardly any wind. Quite warm in the sun but, as usual, chillier once the shadows came over the pistes in the afternoon. The photo below is from near the top station of the Gratbahn, looking over towards the Kees and Kitz T-bars. In the foreground is the bottom station of the new T-bar up the Maurer glacier (it wasn't running). Neither was the Kristallbahn chairlift, which has always been in operation about this time in the past three years. But that may well be because there weren't enough customers to make it worthwhile. I heard that there had been skiing down to Langwied, the middle station of the gondola, at the weekend. As well as the Gratbahn and the 3 T-bars on the glacier, the Sonnenkarbahn I lift was operating. Made for a reasonably varied day's skiing.
It wasn't that busy so that there was virtually no queuing. As usual around this time there were numerous training groups (I did chat with one man from Sunderland who is out for a 6 week instructor course). All the snow cannons were going full blast for most of the day.
Snow was mostly hard and conducive to belting down the glacier. Still rocks sticking through a good deal off the prepared pistes. For lunch I had a rather greasy pizza (though it was tasty enough) in the Alpincenter shown in the photo below.
And finally a view looking over the main glacier skiing area to the Grosser Schmiedinger (2957 m), showing what a fine day it was.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Some photos over on Alpinforum from today in Schladming and the Hintertux & Stubai glaciers.
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Here's a pretty one from the Stubai:
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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luigi, can safely say skiing above 2000m was great, pistes very well prepared. Off piste was very mixed, but fun to be had up high if you hiked. One run possible to the valley (thanks to snow cannons). Amy Macdonald great fun (she was clearly a bit chilly). Party still in progress...
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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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Skied the Kitzbühel Ski Safari today, starting at the Fleckalm gondola near Kirchberg. First I checked out the new Walde chairlift on the Hahnenkamm (replacing an old T-bar). It is only a short run but moderately steep. Here's a view looking down to the bottom station...
The "Family Streif" piste starts there. I followed that for a bit and then cut off onto piste 22, the Kampen run. I had this beautifully prepared piste all to myself. In general the lifts, even the Hahnenkammbahn and the 3S gondola over to Jochberg, weren't at all busy. The photo shows the top station of the Ganslern chairlift that you use to get back from the Kampen piste to the Hahnenkamm gondola, with Kitzbühel down in the valley...
The Walde wasn't the only new lift for me to try. Travelling south towards Pass Thurn, I used the new 2000er chairlift, an 8-seater replacing the old 2-seater that was there before. This is a big improvement...
The weather was good, if mild. There was light cloud in the morning but more sun in the afternoon. Mostly the pistes were hard but only occasionally icy. Some of the south-facing slopes were getting softer (I saw +6°C shown at the Kasereck lift around noon). Off-piste, with frozen ruts, wasn't much fun and too challenging for me. For that reason I didn't try the area under the 2000er lift which is sometimes interesting (there is still no depth of snow there presently).
I skied all the way to the Panoramabahn above Pass Thurn, lunching at the Toni-Alm. The Ski Safari is mostly motorway type pistes. Some of the connecting tracks between the lifts aren't that exciting but I find it still makes a good day's skiing. By the time I was getting back (after a run down the Pengelstein) it was after four o'clock and the sun was setting over the Sonnenrast lift by the top station of the Fleckalmbahn...
However, there was still one further novelty to discover. Skiing down the Maierl pistes (26/16), I found that a new direct route had been opened up. Just up from the Maierlalm, where there used to be a track round S-bends, a good many trees have been chopped down and a straight run opened up. It seemed steep enough to me that I might call it Mausefalle II  . The photo shows the bumps just above the old track (where the skidoos are going down). The track is still there but now you can drop straight down to the Maierlalm instead of skiing round the track...
Merry Christmas!
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That last bit about the trees being cut down is really interesting to know. That track through the trees always got very rutted and busy so that should solve that. Setting off to Kitz tomorrow afternoon so very excited now!
Good report espri.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I thought I should start the New Year with a new lift, so yesterday I went to Lofer, to inspect the new 8-seater Schwarzeck chairlift which has opened up a new area on the Loferer Alm. The photo above is of the top station and shows the wide piste leading off from there. The new lift does make the Loferer Alm even more attractive than it was before. As well as the piste (with two variations) it makes a whole new face available under the lift. That should be great with fresh snow (yesterday it was mostly hard snow, with small bumps). The photo below has the new lift in the middle and you can see the lie of the land. Down towards the left lower corner are the top of the Loferer Almbahn II gondola and the bottom station of the Family Express chairlift. The slope is mostly south-facing, so I don't know how well it will keep its snow but at present the run is excellent.
The crowds I had seen in the Hochkönig area the day before had all but disappeared (presumably sleeping off hangovers). It was very quiet and I took the chance midday to make the run down to the valley without the usual mobs. I stopped at the Jausenstation Faistau for lunch - their menu isn't extensive but the view is superb...
On the way down into Lofer I also had a few runs on the Postalm T-bar. The Loferer Alm is probably another place best and deservedly known for its wide motorway pistes, excellent for intermediate skiers. But there is another side to the area too, with more challenging runs. As well as at the Postalm, a relatively straightforward black piste, there is another black piste, nr. 12, the Hochwena Alpin which is an interesting run down through the trees as shown below...
Snow was excellent, mostly firm and few icy patches. Off-piste was hard work, rutted for the most part. However, with excellent weather, a good start to the year - so to all  s Happy New Year...
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Hi all
Am off to Zell am See on Saturday does anyonenhave any updates on the snow there?
Thanks.
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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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bergfex is your friend for weather snow updates
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Poster: A snowHead
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thaks jafa, just what i needed
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just back from Zellamsee to day , what a horrible day and night ..never saw rain like that in Austria! well ! anytime we spent there but apparently up on top it was dumping !my son stayed on and he said conditions were great ,obviously it was not groomed but plenty fresh snow . his accommodation is very quiet ,the lady of the house said a lot of people went home on account of the rain but weather looking good again tomorrow.
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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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Knee deep powder at the top of Zell am See, new snow from 1200m up. Stay high and enjoy !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Beware that the avalanche danger is as high as I have ever seen it. They were even issuing warnings on the panorama cameras this morning NOT to go off piste, something I have not seen before.
The snow that fell earlier this week is very heavy and wet so the lighter powder falling on top of it is setting up for some slips as it is still not freezing out there.
rayscoops, I see you arrived in time for the reopening of the Areitbahn! They had a mechanical problem last week which caused a few problems getting up and down the mountain!
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Rain, cloud and fog in St Johann in T. Snow is holding up quite well and even some powdery stuff at the very top.
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Lots of wet snow in Fieberbrunn today. Survival skiing piste marker to piste marker up top.
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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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| Quote: |
Rain, cloud and fog in St Johann in T. Snow is holding up quite well and even some powdery stuff at the very top
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HutToHut
Thanks for the report. Off to St Johann on the 19th with my son and his mate (wife hates skiing so the boys are alowed out) so with the forecast and things holding up well its looking good for then
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Saw the sun at one point today! Some decent snow about, but also lots of sugar. Scraped and brown patches at the bottom. Sunnier tomorrow and snow thurs fri. 19th jan looking good. Great base a top up of snow end if this week and then colder IIRC the weather thread properly.
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