 Poster: A snowHead
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Perfect blue bird day - ankle deep fresh snow on the pistes above 1300 meters served up some great boarding. Doesn't get any better at Zell am Zee !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sunnier up at the Steinplatte today. Loads of snow yand some nice skiing, busier than elsewhere.
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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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Nice skiing on the Buchensteinwand today. Better snow and below the cloud mostly. Bit of light snow in the afternoon.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Been dumping down all day on the mountain in Zell am See !
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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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Snowing all day in St. Johann in T. improving the slopes. Varying visibility though and colder temps.
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Good news guys - keep the reports coming.
More snow Mon & Tues is forecast, coming up from the south but still cold
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Still snowing at resort level at Zell !
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I went back to the Kitzbühel/Kirchberg area again today. The start on the Fleckalmbahn was slow, for it stopped several times on the way up. I presumed that was because of the wind and this was confirmed when I reached the top, for the cabins were being taken off the lift and garaged. It did run again in the afternoon. The wind did make me wonder what the day would be like but it turned out to be good in general. There had been fresh snow overnight, not a great deal but enough to make the pistes pleasant. Off-piste was enjoyable too, mostly tracked but the snow was so soft that hardly mattered.
I spent the morning on the Hahnenkamm. They are preparing for the race in a fortnight. Most of the Streif, the race course, was fenced off, though that didn't stop some people skiing parts of it. The Red Bull building next to the start is already there and you could ski down the start schuss...
On my second time down the Family Streif I stopped at the Seidlalm for lunch. The photo shows the hut and the race track is to the left of the fence, with the Seidlalm-Sprung, the jump, in the background (the steep piste over to the right is the black section numbered 21a on the piste plan, the so-called Alternativ-Streif).
I had planned to go over to the Pengelstein in the afternoon but when I reached the top of the Steinbergkogel it was wild and windy, so I decided I would be better on the more sheltered Maierl run down towards Kirchberg. There are interesting variations there, e.g. the black 43 down from the Ehrenbachhöhe. That comes out at the bottom of the new direct drop down to the Maierlalm that I mentioned in a previous report. Here's a photo looking back at the new cut-through from near the Maierlalm.
It was mostly dull but with occasional patches of sun, quite chilly at times but the fresh snow made for good skiing. And it was snowing quite heavily at the end of the day, so I expect conditions will improve further.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Anyone got an update on Kitzbuhel? I believe it may snow heavy over the next week. Can anyone there confirm this? I go next weekend and am really excited now! 
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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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Coltnet, I got back from Kitzbuhel today and it's a real mixed bag at the moment. At resort level it has been warm and there has been a fair bit of rain so conditions at the bottom of most runs are pretty slushy - certainly by the afternoon. Further up there is plenty of fresh snow and conditions are good. Not sure about more snow next week but we were told that colder weather was on the way so that should help a lot.
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Thanks Stu. Yeah snow forecast say snow and colder weather so I'm really looking forward to it now! Thanks again for the update.
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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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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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Be careful out there. The warm winds / temps have made a lot of areas unstable. 3 people lost their lives under Avalanches in Austria yesterday at ....
Obertauern
Scheffau
Tux in Zillertal
The Scheffau avalanche caught two people but the second person had an avalanche airbag that saved him.
Report in German if I find the same report in English, I'll post it up
http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/salzburg/Drei-Tote-nach-Lawinenabgaengen/96949386
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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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The Scheffau one looks more like climbers rather than skiers
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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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Update on the Uttendorf avalanche
Two ice climders were on their way to an ice climbing spot (frozen water fall) with touring skis. They set off an avalanche which carried them down to a nearby lake. The force of the avalanche was so strong that it broke through the 10cm (4 inch) thick ice on the lake. One climber managed to get out of the water on his own the other didn't make it. His body was located from his transceiver 1.5 m under the water and a diver recovered the body. 
Again very warm weather was seen as a major contributing factor.
http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/Lawine-toetet-Eiskletterer/97097204
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Though not a diver (in the usual sense), rather just one of the rescue team who jumped in but sadly too late to help the climber.
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I think there were another two deaths in Tignes recently too, something like 10/11 deaths in the last couple of days, very sad.
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Here's a report about the accident in English (I think they mean 10 cm and not 10 metre thick ice)
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Alpine skier drowns in lake
The 35-year-old man and his 51-year-old companion were caught in a snow slab around 9.50 a.m. The area is very popular with ice climbers. The men were doing a ski tour up to the "Madonna of Glass" waterfall that is 1,850 metres high.
They were crossing a slope 40 degrees steep, which they thought was safe due to the frozen cover of the snow. Although the men kept their distance, they dislodged a snow slab, 80 metres wide. The avalanche carried the men away into the lake.
Due to the impact and weight of the avalanche, the ten metres thick ice cracked open. Whilst the younger man was pushed one metre and a half beneath the water, his companion was luckier.
"He stood in the water up to his stomach and was wet through", said the leader of the mountain rescue Franz Kirchner. The 51-year-old could, apparently, free himself and alarm the emergency service with his phone.
Due to the strong wind it was not possible to use a helicopter and the rescue team had to go up to the middle station of the ski resort "Gletscherwelt Weißsee" and then cross to the scene.
The team located the missing man with a signal device. One of them jumped into the water, secured with a rope and pulled the man to the shore, but he was beyond help. The man was under water for an hour and a half and presumably drowned.
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http://www.austriantimes.at/news/General_News/2013-03-07/47303/Alpine_skier_drowns_in_lake
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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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Didn't parts of the SOuth Tyrol (Dolomites) get a good fall yesterday? Says that Alta Badia had 20cm yesterday/overnight?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| jimmybog wrote: |
| Didn't parts of the SOuth Tyrol (Dolomites) get a good fall yesterday? Says that Alta Badia had 20cm yesterday/overnight? |
Yes looks like it. We will be near Rosskopf - Sterzing which is 1:15 min drive away from Alta Badia. The weather forecast has been all over the place this week so it's been difficult to chase the snow. We come back on Sunday and there's a major dump on Monday - c'est la vie.
http://www.bergfex.it/suedtirol/schneewerte/
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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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Though I have been skiing regularly with friends over the last couple of months, that hasn't left me any time to report here. However, I had a couple of days on my own on the slopes this week, so here's a report on current conditions.
On Monday I skied on the Kitzsteinhorn at Kaprun. It was a bluebird day though rather chilly in the wind up near the top. Obviously I wasn't the only one to have thought a visit would be worthwhile, for the place was pretty busy - here a view of the Alpincenter around lunchtime...
But the lift queues weren't bad in general (except for the final descent to the valley on the Gletscherjet I where the queue was about the longest I've experienced there; still only 5 minutes or so). The snow was in great condition and now and again I would try one of the signposted ski routes. However, off piste the slopes were mostly tracked out (unless you were prepared to walk a way - I'm the lazy type). Here's a typical scene on ski route X3...
All in all a most enjoyable day, even the final run with the crowds down piste 11 to Langwied at the end of the afternoon was interesting...
Yesterday I went to the Kirchberg/Kitzbühel area and, starting from the Fleckalmbahn at Kirchberg, began by skiing down the Hahnenkamm race track, the Streif. The Steilhang was the smoothest I have ever come across it, almost race quality I would say...
However, I still took more than two minutes to get down the course, maybe because the Alte Schneise had the usual moguls - at least they were big enough to sit down on  ...
As the route was broken after the Hausbergkante, I skied on the piste from there. The snow was in good condition, virtually down to the valley.
My duty for the year done on the Streif, I went on to ski the Kitzbühel Ski Safari, to Pass Thurn and back again. Some lifts had already closed after the Easter weekend (e.g. the chairlift and T-bar up from Jochberg which are to be replaced by a gondola for next season) but it was still possible to ski the whole Safari. I had hoped to have lunch at the Toni-Alm above Pass Thurn but wasn't too surprised to find it closed, with only picnickers there...
No panic, though, I had a backup plan. Worth a visit is the Sunnseit restaurant just beside the middle station of the Panoramabahn gondola...
The Sunnseit is not a typical mountain hut, rather a good restaurant (closed on Wednesday, I believe). I enjoyed Feuerflecken Tirol for my lunch...
The weather was good enough to sit outside on the terrace with spectacular views over the valley to the Venediger group of the Hohe Tauern mountains. Strongly recommended (though you do have to climb a few steps back up to the lift). In the afternoon it clouded over at times but generally conditions were great. Only the very bottom of valley runs were soft and sugary. And here it was dead quiet, I almost had the pistes to myself. I skied on until I was last skier up the Steinbergkogel lift at the end of the day. Another very satisfactory day on the slopes.
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You know it makes sense.
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Was in Kirchberg last week left on saturday. I have to say the conditions for this time of year are still superb. I never understand why the Kitzbuhel/Kirchberg Bergbahn dont sell themselves more as Ive been out there for the last 6/7 years late March early April and the snow has always held up well. Last year they kept pass Thurn open till about the 20th even though the Flek area was all complete. Preumably costs less to keep just Pass Thurn open.
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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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Have been skiing in the Montafon valley this week - amazing snow conditions and hardly any people at all
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Poster: A snowHead
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Elizabeth B, You haven't been with a school group from Stokesley have you?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Frosty the Snowman, my school are from Cumbria. There was another group in our hotel, not sure where they are from....think they are Charlton school?
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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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Elizabeth B, No not them, but they have had a great time!
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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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But up till now piste conditions have been great here in Hochfügen, Zillertal, for this the final week of the season. And all very quiet.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Have been enjoying some fine end-of-season skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn (near Kaprun / Zell am See) this week. On Tuesday the morning was misty but mostly cleared up around midday, in particular higher up. Snow was generally good but sticky in some flat bits. Here's a view with the clouds still hanging in the valley...
It was very quiet on Tuesday, a little busier yesterday and today but no lift queues at all. On both yesterday and today the sun shone from a cloudless sky all day, although I had the impression that it was slightly colder than Tuesday. And the sticky snow was gone. I hadn't thought of it but it seems the clouds maybe kept the heat in more and gave that problem. From pretty well above the Alpincenter and especially on the glacier runs the snow conditions are excellent. From about the Alpincenter downwards to Langwied conditions are softer and the skiing harder work. Maybe it was the better weather that brought so many skiers onto the pistes (as you can see in the photo below ) that some passengers had to travel on the outside of the Gipfelbahn cable car...
Can't see them? Here they are closer up (the pylon is 113.6 metres high, the highest cable car pylon in the world)...
Actually, the cable car has been closed for maintenance this week (in operation again from tomorrow). I presume the men check the supporting cable. The work went on for several hours (with teams on both cars) but was finished by around two o'clock.
Off piste the snow was a bit cruddy, melting on the top, but not too bad to ski. Here's a view of ski route X2 which leads down to Langwied, the middle station of the Gletscherjet gondolas. The green valley with Zell am See in the distance can be seen in the background...
All in all excellent conditions, though it may be busier from Saturday, for there is a "firn + fun glacier spring festival" on, with offers like ski tests, freeride workshops and the like.
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We have a long Weekend coming up here in Austria (Thurs 30 May to Sunday 02 June)
The way things are looking at the Moment I might be putting the Mountain Bike away and driving over to Kaprun for a bit of powder skiing 
http://www.bergfex.at/kitzsteinhorn-kaprun/wetter/
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There is snow down to below the mid station on the Höhe Salve in the Wider Kaiser and more falling all the time. Snow line is definitely below 1000m. Arschkalt here too at 800m in my village, so I expect snow to fall here overnight. Not that unusual to be honest, just bloody annoying after such a long winter 
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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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There was LOTS of of new snow in the Peaks around Innsbruck yesterday, however I'm currently in Slovenia where it's a fair bit warmer. Great to be back in a kayak (first time since last July), crazily clear, blue water and a good flow on the Koritnica today!
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