Innsbruck

[Mr. Mike]

What are the ski areas accessible for a day trip, how difficult to reach by public transport vs. driving and what is your opinion on the likely snow quality and terrain at those area?

[Bluebird]

lech, zurz, stubai are all places I have visited when going to Innsbruck. I took public transport to Stubai. The terrain is great. snow quality same as anywhere, can be awesome, can suck.

[Buster Highmen]

Innsbruck to Schruns is 2.5 hours and trains leave really early in the morning.

[AmmergauerTele]

Ischgl, St. Anton, Stubai, Solden, Obergugrl/Hochgurgl, Zillertal Arena, Hintertux. Snow will probably be good in winter.

[cloud cult]

Yeah, with Austrian trains and buses there are hordes of places within reach of a day trip. However, the places specifically local to Innsbruck are like Nordkette, Igls, Axamer, Schlick, et al., down to Stubai. When I was there a free bus went one time daily to and from each area, leaving from the parking lot in Innsbrucker Hofgarten.

[ClarkleberryFinn]

There are probably over 100 resorts accessible for day trips (say within an hour/1.5 hour or so drive), probably 70% of them as easy to get to on public transport as driving.

Terrain quality ranges from epic (like St Anton/Arlberg, 1 hour away on a direct train) to pretty crap (like Patscherköfel, 20 minutes on a free bus).

Snow quality varies as much as the weather... But some of the snowiest places in the Alps fall within the day trip radius. One of my favourite things about Innsbruck is that just a short hop over the Brenner Pass the weather/snow is often the complete opposite of main Tirol, so you can find good snow whether storms come from the north or south.

[McDee]

The Train is a good bet, esp. out to St. Anton. Some of the resorst up the Ötztal, Pitztal and Paznaun Tal might be a bit of a slogg with the train and then bus. You'de have to check if there is a free bus service running fromt the stations out the resorts along that route, but i reckon chances are good you'de find something. Locally around Innsbruck Clarkle and Cloud Cult have mentioned all except may be Kühtai. The Reosrt all have a bus service runnig from varoius stopps in town, most start at the station. Patcherkofel and esp. Muttereralm have been pretty dire snow wise the last couple of years, but the higher resorts like Axams, Schlick, Kühtai and Stubaier glacier are pretty decent day trip destinations. Nordkette is nordkette, you need the snow for it to work andif it does you have to deal with the crowds, but it can be fun.

[subtle plague]

freaks says it's totally overrated. like everything, really.

[McDee]

It is and it can be a real shitshow when it has dumped and the weather clears, just queing for the gondola. But there's something about having that typ of terrain right on your doorstep without living in a small resort.

[subtle plague]

i was just making fun of freak, marius and klar... the jaded locals

[McDee]

Where are they anyway when you need them? They should be here calling bullshit on all! Come to think of it i haven't seen freak for a while. And what happend to keksie? He used to bring stoke.

sorry for thread hijack

[subtle plague]

Maybe In south america? like every season? Or they have to work. It happens to people.... I've heard.

[keksie]

moved to instagram, forums are too much work. You can see some of the stuff from last season here:
https://www.instagram.com/karhumur/ (scroll down to skip the sailing crap)
klar and freak are in SA now...

Theres shitload of resorts within reach. If you want to access all of them comfortably you need a car though. Check the locations here http://www.snowcard.tirol.at/ .

Last two seasons have not been so great snow-wise. Not much snow and really sketchy snowpack. But it can be good. Good access and touring at least. The resorts are getting quite crowded now though (by jaded half-local standards at least). Nice city. Of the places mentioned above Lech, Zürs, Schruns etc don't really fall within normal daytrip radius, at least not for us. And we only really go to the St Anton area in the preseason when the schwedepack hasn't arrived yet. Check the 94328 other Innsbruck threads on this forum ..

[McDee]

Hey keksie, good to hear from you. Still in IBK? And still on Heads i see!

[klar]

yeah we're in argentina. everything has been pretty much covered by cloud cult, clarkle, mcdee and keksie. when did i say ibk was overrated? or was it just nordkette?