Thread: St. Anton Austria - Ski Stoke

Links To Pics

http://homepage.mac.com/allenevn/.Pi...92DC3511D8.jpg

Edit - I did not take these nor have I been there. Stumbled across the pics on the net. Better believ that this place is on my to-ski list.

Very nice. Psyched to see all that amazing terrain again!

Can't wait for Jan '05 when I get back there for a week. Bring on the back of Valluga, and I hope there is enough snow for the Langen runs because that was a really cool adventure last time I was there.

Cool picts!

Great pics! I was there in January this year and had a total blast....got lucky with a 3 ft dump followed by blue bird sky. St. Anton totally rocks!

Ooooh yes:

http://homepage.mac.com/allenevn/.Pi...E8DC3511D8.jpg

sweet!

Barnballs and I are thinking of hitting St. Anton next winter along with any other yo's that wanna check it out. I hear you need to go before March as it's south facing and exposed....so best pow and coverage mix is typically Feb?? any thoughts?

Ahhh Schindlergrat!!! Have caught that a few times, first tracks right under the chair, thigh deeeeep = Fuuunnnnn!!!

You have to love the take the skis off, hop the fence maneuver. Keeps the gapers away. Seen a heli blow a pretty sizable slide that ran from the top to the bottom with a big dust/snow cloud. Was sitting in line at the chair with Mrs. Comish waiting for them to open it. This is of course the day after I had skied all that stuff! Freaked her and me out a little bit.

Great terrain off that chair.

My father was born in St. Anton and I have been going there since I was 2. Of my top 10 skiing days, easily 8 of them are on those peaks. Albona, many days after a storm, Rendle North Face (kind of ruined now that they moved the train station and put up all the avi fences), back side to St. Christoph, on and on and on and on....

Right now I'm thinking about no trip out west this year and landing in St. Anton for three weeks to a month. I usually shoot for February as that is when I have had the best luck.

St. Anton Mini??????

How come all east coasters are guest to my favourite turf in January? Was there too at that time but didn't see anyone of you guys. Also remember the good dumps well we had then.

I'm always loughing at those who just opt for Stanton whereas so much more (and - to some extend - even better) terrain is further north at Lech/Zürs if they'd know their way around. But glad that it's the way it is.

jdabasin, March is still fine for that area, no problem. Mid April is usually when layers start getting thin on the slopes above the village, although the upper runs still have plenty of snow. You can still opt for the northern Arlberg but it's somewhat pricey.

Originally posted by H-man
St. Anton Mini??????

Great idea!!!!

Originally posted by H-man
I usually shoot for February as that is when I have had the best luck.

St. Anton Mini??????

I'm in for that. Late Feb after the JH summit?

I'll be in there from Feb. 12-19/05, could give you a tour around then!

Originally posted by jdabasin
I'm in for that. Late Feb after the JH summit?

Now the pressure mounts. JH summit followed by three week mini in St. Anton....

Yah right, now I'm supposed to work the rest of the day.

For the main part of St. Anton I would agree with the Jan / Feb suggestion because of the South facing aspect. Now, just because the front face of Schindlergrat or Mattan has gone to crap from the sun doesn't mean there isn't a ton of other terrain around the arlberg that has good snow. Its a little like JH in that way.

I will be there Jan 1 - Jan 8th and would love to ski with other Maggots.

H-man, you mention backside to St. Christoph. Backside of what chair or mtn? Familiar with the rest of what you mention.

Hicks, care to share any suggestions around leck/Zurs for off-piste? For us, St. Anton is much cheaper and more fun than Lech/Zurs and once there we tend to ski there after the fresh snow. Why waste the time getting to Zurs when you could be skiing. Now I retract that statement if one does the backside of the Valluga run to get there.

Originally posted by comish
H-man, you mention backside to St. Christoph. Backside of what chair or mtn? Familiar with the rest of what you mention.

Just down off the back of Galzig. You can get there right off the St. Christoph Bahn on the top with a little bit of minor hiking or ski around by the retaurant down the St. Chritoph Piste near the Maiensee and cut in on skiers right. This way is easier access but you give up some vert and steep. I have had some deep snow in there and some interesting avi stories as well.

Originally posted by comish
Hicks, care to share any suggestions around leck/Zurs for off-piste? For us, St. Anton is much cheaper and more fun than Lech/Zurs and once there we tend to ski there after the fresh snow. Why waste the time getting to Zurs when you could be skiing. Now I retract that statement if one does the backside of the Valluga run to get there.

I see you're not that familiar there. Getting to Lech/Zürs is no issue due to the good transportation system (approx. 10 min bus ride), so staying at Stanton and skiing there can be done anytime. Plus the snow is often better.
Off-piste suggestions:
Zürs: Ochsenboden, Flexenmulde, Pazieltal, Steinmannli, Wiesele Mulde, Wiesele Kante, Gamsscharte, Edelweiss, Muggengrat, Erzberg, Stierloch (countless variations), Stierfall, Frauenweide, Fauler Stock, descent to Spullersee and Klösterle below Stuben possible, Hornplätze (all from Stierloch on end at Zug)
Lech/Zug: Schafberg, Orgelscharte (AT), Palmen, Graben, Hirschenbad, Kriegerhorn North face (lots of options), Spielmähder, Butzensee, Mohnenfluh/Rotschrofen, Juppenspitze (Fennerjoch), Auenfeld, Langer Zug, Tannegg, Wöster, Sonntagsplätzle, Fuchsloch, Eisenscharte, Rappenspitze, Schwarzwand.

Think that should cover you.

Ya, the avi thing there is a bit, interesting shall we say. Its a bit like the US that as soon as a lift opens, people ski most everything in sight, but unlike the US I'm going to wager most hasn't been controlled.

I'm happy evaluating snow in the BC when no one is around, but having the mad pow dash changes things quite a bit.

I have seen them bomb a fair amount, but take Schindlergrat. It is open on a day that has broken clouds and lots of fresh snow. People skiing most of it. Then the next day the heli goes and bombs the top setting off some large slides. It can get tricky to evaluate whats actually safe.

Any ground rules the locals use for the stuff right off the lifts like the St. Christoph stuff you mentioned which I'm familiar with or Schindler? Things like Albona, back side of Rendl etc are almost easier for me to evaluate because you know most of that hasn't been controlled and you evaluate as true BC.

I see you're not that familiar there. Getting to Lech/Zürs is no issue due to the good transportation system (approx. 10 min bus ride),

I would say 5 weeks over the past 3 years is reasonably familiar for a non-local. I'm also quite familiar with the scrum to get in the bus at the bottom of Valfahgerbahn (sp?) from where its about 25 minutesish to Zurs or the Post bus from St. Anton that costs, but that's neither here nor there.

Have done all the obvious off-piste in Lech/Zurs including many you mention(Kriegerhorn North face, stuben - klosterle, ochsenboden etc.). I'm looking for a little bit more than just names. Have a favorite or two that you would care to describe a bit more? I'm interested in stuff for example, the area off the backside of Madloch, but dropping skiers left of the piste toward what looks to me like the Stierloch? I'm also planning on returning to the backside of the Trittkopf for example.

Great places.

H-man, we lived in London for a while, but now live in CA.

i'm tryin to get back there in 05-06 for the season

Well, I never rode 25 min. to Zürs or Valfager either way, but maybe you hit the wrong line...

Anyway, from the Mahdloch top keep left ascending 5 min. (often tracks) until you can see the Spullersee. Straight on is a nice steeper valley towards the lake (watch out for avy there, I returned from there last season cuz I felt it was unstable), or keep further left for different stashes, or keep right over the ridge and ski the steeps directly onto the Stierloch saddle (first two routes mentioned junction there. Ski the narrowing valley all the way down to Zug. For the Stierfall turn left at the first SOS cabin and descent thru a 2m wide gap into the 400 vertical m steep pitch which unloads directly in the Stierloch (convex slope-highly avy-prone).
From top of Steinmähder do the long traverse (prox. 1km) all the way to the Fennerjoch and towards the Juppenspitze. Hit the steeps southeast towards the Auenfeld, then south (not too way down!) to a hill which seems to barrier the slope. Ascend 10 min. to the top and ski the tight valley to the south which spills you out at Stubenbach, 2km east of Lech.

You can PM me for more infos on runs or any questions left.
From Top of Rüfikopf surround above the great Wöster valley to the east and ascend the opposite side (northeast). From there head directly down into the valley on one of the countless options and ski it out to Lech or Stubenbach. BTW from the traverse you can ascend southewards into the Eisenscharte (one hour) and ski the southern valley via two steeps into the Paziel valley and to the Trittalm chair at Zürs.
Also from Rüfikopf follow the slope to Tannegg/Langer Zug, but as soon as you reach the avy barriers turn left around the corner to reach the Sonntagsplätzle, a steep chute spilling onto the Lech-Zürs road (roughly 1 km from Lech).

Be aware that all the stuff mentioned here definitely requires safe conditions.

PM me if you need more infos or anything else.