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St Anton visit

  • 09-09-2018 10:29am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭


    I've booked a week at St Anton but not been there before.

    One of the things I want to do is to complete the ski run of fame both ways.

    Anyone done this? Is it easy to follow & find the right slopes? How do you complete the check-in points?

    Any suggestions for off piste gems would be appreciated!

    Thanks!


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Some12 wrote: »
    I've booked a week at St Anton but not been there before.

    One of the things I want to do is to complete the ski run of fame both ways.

    Anyone done this? Is it easy to follow & find the right slopes? How do you complete the check-in points?

    Any suggestions for off piste gems would be appreciated!

    Thanks!

    Get a guide for off piste, there's buckets there but they'll bring you to where's best and safest. Don't mind the other thing its probably a gimmick with lots of queues, although best piste skiing is in zurs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,274 ✭✭✭cocker5


    Some12 wrote: »
    I've booked a week at St Anton but not been there before.

    One of the things I want to do is to complete the ski run of fame both ways.

    Anyone done this? Is it easy to follow & find the right slopes? How do you complete the check-in points?

    Any suggestions for off piste gems would be appreciated!

    Thanks!

    Can’t help with this BUT while your there get the bus to Lech and do a day there!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 308 ✭✭DoraDelite


    cocker5 wrote: »
    Can’t help with this BUT while your there get the bus to Lech and do a day there!

    Pretty sure you can ski across to Lech now with some new lift connections put in last year or the year before.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    Thanks all!

    I've been doing some research to prepare hence finding the Run of fame. For on piste runs, this looks like a great gimmick but agree it will draw crowds. The thing I like about it is that you can cover 85 km of runs from one end of the resort to the other without hitting the same run twice. I'm curious however if the 85 Km is a one-way trip or back & forth for the full trip.

    I would think the best way to do this run is to start at the Galzigbahn then get the bus from Warth back to St Anton to hit the starting runs.

    I'll look for guides but still would appreciate any advice on areas where I might find untracked powder runs. I know it's unlikely unless it snows while I'm there but there must be a hard to find gem.

    Lech looks good but do see it is now connected by lifts.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    I think there is now a lift back from Zurs so you no longer have to get the bus? When I was there previously the gimick was called der weisse ring or something, it involved a loop around from Zurs, through lech and back to Zurs. I presume the new thing is that you can complete the loop back to St Anton? Either way, it necessarily attracted queues at bottlenecks in the lifts and from what I read online, so did the new lift. Some of the infrastructure in Anton is pretty old and they're kind of trading on their reputation.

    Re off piste, there is literally tons of stuff, off all angles all over the place. I was really taken aback by how much. The culture is stronger there than anywhere I've been except possibly Chamonix. Even then it seemed to be stronger in Anton as you had all these 'backseite' runs, where you go off the back of a mountain that has pistes on the front, but still end up coming down to the valley at the end. The Arlberg also has one of the best snow records in Europe, I follow the snow updates slavishly each year and it gets hit again and again. It is a bit low though so you need it to be cold.

    Because the culture is strong you won't be getting untouched powder easily as as soon as it snows every ski bum in the valley appears. But you will definitely get the best and safest snow with a guide. Piste to powder are excellent. One hundred euro a head in a group which they run for all comers every day. Not cheap if there end up being 8 of you but worth it imo. Skiing is an expensive activity, it ends up costing about 200 euro a day, you may as well pay 300 euro one day and have a better day.

    There are runs I could suggest, because I did them with a guide or because I saw tracks down them, but to be honest I think that's a bit irresponsible as we don't know the conditions on a given day are safe. There are some fairly obvious bowls under Schindlergratbahn and the last one on the left is probably safe as its skiied a lot from the start of the season but just get a guide! By the way in Zurs there are some fantastic pistes and one has a really nice little gully running along beside it, pretty sure its piste 145, gets no traffic as its off the loop and is a great rinse and repeat run.

    God I love skiing!!!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    a148pro - Advice received and taken!

    Guides booked for two days with the hope of dropping the back side of the Valluga. It looks like it's a skin-up & trek back but I've read uncut runs can be found there.

    Tempted to book a helicopter day but think I'll play that by ear.

    The run of fame may be a gimmick but completing it will get us across most of the groomed resort(s) in a day. I hope to do the it in both directions to get both sides of the mountains in.

    Looking forward to experiencing the Krazy Kanguruh and Mooserwirt as well but better be careful. I would hate to miss the first lift each morning due to too much beer.

    Also updated flights to get in a couple of days each in Seefeld and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I tried to get in a couple of days at Kitzbuhel but accommodation there is not short stay friendly.

    Thanks again!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,802 ✭✭✭cormee


    DoraDelite wrote: »
    Pretty sure you can ski across to Lech now with some new lift connections put in last year or the year before.

    It is, but it requires some planning, a very strict schedule to make it across and takes quite a while. Far better off getting on the bus and relaxing for the 45 minute trip, then having a pint apres ski while you wait for the bus back.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭daithi7


    The area Warth, that is linked to Lech is a really superb off piste area that stays much quieter than Lech,which itself is much less busy than St Anton. Warth is the jewel in the crown of the StAnton area imho. Enjoy!!


  • Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    a148pro wrote: »
    Get a guide for off piste, there's buckets there but they'll bring you to where's best and safest. Don't mind the other thing its probably a gimmick with lots of queues, although best piste skiing is in zurs.

    +1 on Zurs for on piste


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Some12 wrote: »

    Guides booked for two days with the hope of dropping the back side of the Valluga. It looks like it's a skin-up & trek back but I've read uncut runs can be found there.

    Tempted to book a helicopter day but think I'll play that by ear.

    There is a run off the top of the Valluga which is supposed to be superb, you're not allowed into the lift with skis unless you have a guide, its pretty steep at top and if you fall in the first stretch it could in theory be fatal so guide would want to assess you before taking you up

    its on my bucket list! But probably after heliskiing on that list

    Enjoy either way sounds great, post up your experiences afterwards so other people searching forum can find them


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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    cormee wrote: »
    It is, but it requires some planning, a very strict schedule to make it across and takes quite a while. Far better off getting on the bus and relaxing for the 45 minute trip, then having a pint apres ski while you wait for the bus back.

    Even better fill a taxi and its about 7euro each


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    OK! A week and a bit to go till I hit St Anton for the first time.

    Any recommendations from previous visitors? Best food, best fun (well, everywhere I guess) Best ski rental best - Recommend!

    More important - Best runs!

    I'll post my mountain rescue report here.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,275 ✭✭✭Billy Mays


    At the top of the Gampberg lift on the Rendl side of St Anton there's a great long run that'll take you all the way back down to the town (Red 5/Black 6 then onto Red 1). Ski route 10 (also in Rendl at the bottom of the snowpark) is excellent if you get a powder day. Rendl isn't as busy as the rest of the resort as it isn't linked to any of the nearby towns or villages. Red 134 from from Tritkopff down to Zurs is another excellent long run.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    The moose. You've got to be in it to win it!

    Only tip I can remember is that the big cable car in zurs stays open later than other lifts, until half 5 in March I think, so if you're being scraped off the mountain you can get a few extra runs there. Not much of a tip.

    Looking forward to an account of your two days guiding and hopefully your heliski too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Some12 wrote: »

    Also updated flights to get in a couple of days each in Seefeld and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I tried to get in a couple of days at Kitzbuhel but accommodation there is not short stay friendly.

    Thanks again!

    This looks like a great aul jaunt fair play


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    Billy Mays wrote: »
    At the top of the Gampberg lift on the Rendl side of St Anton there's a great long run that'll take you all the way back down to the town

    Red 134 from from Tritkopff down to Zurs is another excellent long run.

    Great tip - and one I would have missed. I didn't take note of the Gampberg lift.

    Zurs was on the list and will try the run.

    Thanks!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    a148pro wrote: »
    The moose. You've got to be in it to win it!

    Only tip I can remember is that the big cable car in zurs stays open later than other lifts, until half 5 in March I think

    Looking forward to an account of your two days guiding and hopefully your heliski too.

    Moose & Krazy are on the list but want to watch the drink. It would be a disgrace to lose a part of a day to a sore head.

    I'll look for the late lift one of the days - I hope. I think there's too much of a mountain to test it all. I do hope to hit all the villages around the area.

    Heliski is off... It's bloody expensive there!


    Thanks!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Some12 wrote: »
    Moose & Krazy are on the list but want to watch the drink. It would be a disgrace to lose a part of a day to a sore head.

    I'll look for the late lift one of the days - I hope. I think there's too much of a mountain to test it all. I do hope to hit all the villages around the area.

    Heliski is off... It's bloody expensive there!


    Thanks!

    Yeah you're bang on re the booze, particularly if paying for guide

    You'll actually ski the resort quicker than you think. You can substantially ski anton in a day, zurs also. Lech is very more of the same - a lot of the pistes are just different runs down the same slope

    Sonnenkopf is supposed to be great and quieter but I've never made it. Or warth.

    The other side of anton, I think its rendl, is also quite quiet relative to other side

    If no one has suggested it yet the municipal wellness in anton is superb, great antidote to days skiing, indoor / outdoor heated pool, spa upstairs with sauna dude who comes in and cranks up the heat with a towel, one of the better ones I've been to. 20 Euro for full access. Naked upstairs, God bless the Austrians.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    http://welove2ski.com/st-anton

    Resort reviews on this website usually good and will whet your appetite in any event

    No mention of a few downsides of anton - pistes in anton are, imo, not great, lift infrastructure is creaking and trading on its reputation, bottleneck going back to the resort (particularly since I think alternative routes have been closed all season due to avalanche problems), place is expensive and full of tourists so big crowds

    But the off piste is fecking superb


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    a148pro wrote: »
    Sonnenkopf is supposed to be great and quieter but I've never made it. Or warth

    Sonnenkopf is great. It's pretty small but if you get there early doors you will normally have the place to yourself more or less for 2 hours or so. It opens a bit later than the others (0900) due to the way it is facing as the peak of the mountain blocks the early morning sun, but it's definitely worth a visit.

    Warth is also excellent, though it's a bit of a trek to get to from Anton. Excellent conditions usually, and it gets the most snow of any other place in the region. It can be bitterly cold and icy sometimes though, due to the fact that it faces north.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    Well... I never gave an update on my first visit to St Anton in February. Better late than never!

    Summary: THE best snow I’ve ever skied to date!

    • Dry fluffy powder
    • No ice spots
    • Never a long wait for a lift
    • Broke ribs on day 2 (slipped on a damn bus) but kept skiing
    • Great Beer stops on the slopes!!

    Day 1: Started on the Rendlbahn Blue’s to warm up but had bad weather. Snow/fog with little visibility 5-10 feet in front of skis and no experience on the hill made for a miserable first day.

    Day 2: Sunshine! Went up the Galzigbahn and skied runs from there for the day. We got fond of St Christoph area where we finished the day – Great skiing on empty slopes. At the end of the day, we took the bus back to St Anton where I went flying on the bus step. My doc back in Ireland confirmed broken ribs and that I was an idiot to have kept skiing.

    Day 3: PAIN! The ribs were bad but we had a private guide booked for off Piste days today and tomorrow so suited & booted. The guide warmed us up on the Rendl side on the Gampberg reds and blacks then moved us to a rough powdered area off the main trail. After a couple falls and grunts of pain, I told the guide I’d damaged my ribs. Mistake... the guide called the day for me.

    Day 4, 5 & 6: Continued to ski the area but constrained by the ribs. Made it a point of hitting Taps, Krazy Kanguruh and Mooserwirt made for fun and great skiing days.

    The village was great and the restaurants were very good. I plan to return for a week in February 2020 with undamaged ribs!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Nice report.

    Nasty one about the ribs, and full marks for keeping going after that, I know how much that can hurt.

    Sounds like you got a lot of stuff done. Did you check out the night rodeling (i.e. sledging) at all? Great craic. It's a long windy run through the forest which is lit up at night. Not for the faint hearted though! Seems that way more people get hurt doing this rather than skiing or snowboarding.

    I would also recommend that you get over to Lech or Zurs one day next year, there are buses going from the bus station near the Rendl Bahn. You can also now ski over via a combination for new lifts etc. but it's generally less hassle to take the bus, as there can be long queues for the gondolas sometimes.

    Bar wise seems you go a lot in, Murmell down the town is well worth checking out though, good Apres Ski. The Kanguruh, while still good, is now much toned down compared to say 15-20 years back, it used to be absolutely raucous, they seem to have tried to posh it up a bit for some reason. Heustadel is also excellent, you will pass it on the way down usually shortly before you reach the Kanguruh.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    St Anton booked again for February 2020!

    skallywag - Looking forward to the night rodleing and the hutts I missed!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Some12 wrote: »
    St Anton booked again for February 2020!

    skallywag - Looking forward to the night rodleing and the hutts I missed!

    The Rodeling is some craic, particularly if you have not tried it before, the fact it is at night under lights through the forest also really adds to it.

    https://www.stantonamarlberg.com/en/winter/further-activities/tobogganing

    Funnily enough the only time any of our group has really hurt themselves (broken ribs & limbs) has been at this lark, and not while skiing or boarding. Mind you those doing it at night tend to have few drinks on board :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    Last year was my first visit to St Anton with the best snow I’ve skied to date – I vowed to return! Thanks to all back then for teh great advice and suggestions!

    Well, my flight leaves Friday morning for another week skiing with my first day on the slopes of St Anton this Sunday! Weather looks like snow falling the full week so I guess a goggle burn won’t be a badge this time. The goal this year is to NOT break bones.

    Really looking forward to the Rodeling Thursday night. I expect to do this well lubricated and understand there’s a refuelling pub on the route down! This, however, may defeat my goal of no broken bones...

    I was hoping to hit Solden for a few days after but my ski buddy wants to hit Garmisch-Partenkirchen again. Unfortunately, the Kandahar run is showing closed so a speed run looks like a miss.

    Anyone else in St Anton next week?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Some12 wrote: »
    Really looking forward to the Rodeling Thursday night. I expect to do this well lubricated and understand there’s a refuelling pub on the route down! This, however, may defeat my goal of no broken bones...

    Well, there is a pub at the end of the Rodel track (where you hand back the Rodel), but I do not recall one on the way down, in fact the only thing I recall is a first aid station for those who manage to fook themselves up :pac:

    It really does happen a lot too, as I mentioned a lad in our group two years ago broke some ribs doing it, he put on a brave face for the days after but he must have been in agony.

    Some tips ...

    1 : Take is easy on the Booze! There is a pub right beside the Nasserein bahn, called 'Fang House' as I recall, so perfect for getting a few in before collecting your Rodel outside and heading up on the lift. I reckon that 3 pints is the limit at which you are still Rodel safely. It is a subjective thing of course, but if you have too many you run the risk of seriously hurting yourself. It is a pretty narrow forest path for the most part with drops on the side into trees, so if you crash into one of those at speed you could seriously hurt yourself.

    2 - Bring good waterproof boots with a decent heel, essential for braking.

    3 - Bring your gloves, helmet and goggles, some people seem to think that they do need these for some reason, particularly the goggles. You are going to be getting snow thrown up into your face a lot from people in front of you.

    4 - Go on your own, as opposed to two of you riding one. This is really only the case with couples though, as they tend to go together, as one of them may be nervous etc. This tends to be a big mistake though, it is *much* harder to control the Rodel with two of you on it, and the combined weight is going to mean that you will reach much higher speeds on a long steep section. Note : the lad in my group who broke with ribs was riding it with his girlfriend!

    In general make sure you get over to Lech and Zurs for at least one day. They have now built lifts that will take you all the way over from Anton, but they take quite some time and can be very busy. I still think it is far easier to take the bus from outside the Rendelbahn. The bus stops first in Zurs, and then Lech shortly afterwards. Note that 80-90% of those on the bus will go to Lech, meaning if you get off at Zurs beforehand, then your skis/boards which you mount on the back of the bus could well be impossible to get at when you get off at Zurs, as they are buried in a sea of 100 skis. So try to put your stuff on the outside of the pile so to speak.

    You can get off at Zurs and then actually ski down into lech, it's a real nice loop, though tiring, one part is quite a challenging skiroute (a famous one called the Madloch) take a look at the map you will see what I mean.

    You are lucky with the snow, it really just snowed a week or so ago, before that it has been pretty woeful conditions everywhere, with no snow at all even still in the lower lying valleys. Very unusual, I have not seen that before. Greta will be angry :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    Think it's just finished snowing quite heavily with more to come next week

    But pray tell what is the rodel, some kind of toboggan? Must have boozered myself so much previously that we never heard or got round to it


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 916 ✭✭✭Bloody Nipples


    a148pro wrote: »
    Think it's just finished snowing quite heavily with more to come next week

    But pray tell what is the rodel, some kind of toboggan? Must have boozered myself so much previously that we never heard or got round to it

    Yeah exactly rodeln is the German verb for sledding. Mayrhofen has a 5km rodeln track that's serious craic. Did it in Zell am See too, where you get a piste basher up to a bar, do some serious hooching and then sled back down. Do. Not. Forget. Goggles.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    Sledding on ski holidays is def the most dangerous thing I've ever done. In Les Arcs/La Plagne one la in front of us broke his nose badly and I nearly drowned as the snow from braking with by boots sprayed me in the face and covered the neck warmer I had pulled up. In Söll yesterday we saw a guy being lifted off the sled track by helicopter, we did it here last year, once never again.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    It is indeed very dangerous, and I think that people get lulled into a false sense of security that it is much safer than it really is (it's 'just sledding' type of attitude), and tend to act much more cavalier than one would on skis or a board. Throw dark conditions and drink into the mix and you have a real recipe for trouble.

    That said, it can be great fun if you keep to your skill level and are in control. Lots of Austrian villages will close some steep back roads to traffic during the winter period, and these roads get turned into 'Rodelbahns' (i.e. sledging paths) during the winter, the locals will put bales of hay and tyres beside any hard obstacles on the way down such as lampposts, gates, etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,275 ✭✭✭Billy Mays


    Some12 wrote: »
    Last year was my first visit to St Anton with the best snow I’ve skied to date – I vowed to return! Thanks to all back then for teh great advice and suggestions!

    Well, my flight leaves Friday morning for another week skiing with my first day on the slopes of St Anton this Sunday! Weather looks like snow falling the full week so I guess a goggle burn won’t be a badge this time. The goal this year is to NOT break bones.

    Really looking forward to the Rodeling Thursday night. I expect to do this well lubricated and understand there’s a refuelling pub on the route down! This, however, may defeat my goal of no broken bones...

    I was hoping to hit Solden for a few days after but my ski buddy wants to hit Garmisch-Partenkirchen again. Unfortunately, the Kandahar run is showing closed so a speed run looks like a miss.

    Anyone else in St Anton next week?
    How did you get on?

    Heading back to St Anton on Saturday. Long term forecast isn't showing much fresh snow for next week, fingers crossed that'll change


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Billy Mays wrote: »
    Long term forecast isn't showing much fresh snow for next week, fingers crossed that'll change

    1/4 metre or so due tomorrow, and another 10cm or so Friday, so could be worse.

    By the way, you should get the 'Bergfex' app in case you do not have it already, by far the best and most reliable snow sport app in my opinion.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,275 ✭✭✭Billy Mays


    skallywag wrote: »
    1/4 metre or so due tomorrow, and another 10cm or so Friday, so could be worse.

    By the way, you should get the 'Bergfex' app in case you do not have it already, by far the best and most reliable snow sport app in my opinion.
    The thing with St Anton is the snow due this week will be well tracked out by the time I hit the mountain on Sunday. Fresh pow doesn't last long in the Arlberg.

    Yeah, Bergfex is my go to weather forecast site icon14.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 146 ✭✭Some12


    I’m back after a week in St Anton where I only got to use 3 days of my 6 day pass due to high winds turning snow into a very efficient sand blaster.

    Day 1 (9 Feb) was a beautiful day but my old school friend, who joined me from California, managed to hurt his knee 4 minutes into the first run. That was a kick in the teeth!

    At the top of the Galzigbahn, I said we’d warm up on a blue (I hadn’t skied in a year) so started leading the way. I stopped for him to catch up and when he did, he popped in front and made a wrong turn to drop a black; I shouted but he didn’t hear.

    So, I take the black to catch him and found I could still ski! Then I see a ski & pole laying in the snow. About 50 meters further down the slope is the other set. And about 25 meters further down is my buddy. While I gathered his skis & poles, other skiers had pulled up checking him while I skied down with his gear.

    We got him on his skis and slowly made it to the MooserWirt for a beer and to rest his knee. A visit to the clinic & X-Rays later on suggested a Minuscus issue with the warning to stop skiing. His travel insurance kicked in and got him home five days later where an MRI came back with a torn ACL and a cracked Tibia.

    I was on my own skiing from the 9th so the three bad weather days were good for beers, schnapps & catching up with an old school friend. We took the train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the 15th where a taxi collected the wounded skier shortly after arrival for the flight home. Travel insurance is a MUST!

    The snow at the Garmisch Classic was kind of poor, and I was on my own, so only did a few hours there on a 3 day stay. Munich after that was a couple of quiet days with good beer and food.

    So... No Run of Fame and no Rodelling (which probably saved me from an injury). And I think my friends wife has a hitman on the way to Ireland.

    There was a positive note; I met my goal and didn’t break my ribs this time! Looking forward to next years ski trip!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    I think I know exactly the black you ended up on, is it the one that you need to use to get back to St Anton when the 'motorway' is closed? It's very difficult if it is the one that I am thinking of, also keeping in mind that Anton is anyway ranked as pretty difficult, and has blues that are normally ranked red at other resorts.

    How did your friend manage to get down to base, was he still able to ski? What a balls though to happen on the first day.

    On an unrelated note, this was taken in a resort not too far away in Switzerland two days ago, really cool, you do not see these guys around much any more ...

    https://www.tagblatt.ch/ostschweiz/zwei-woelfe-streifen-ueber-skipiste-in-flumserberg-ld.1197756


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭a148pro


    One of my life's ambitions is to see wolves, if I could combine that with skiing would be great!

    Amazingly they're on a big come back in Europe and North America, there were reports of them being seen in another ski resort last season, hopefully I'll get to see them yet


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,275 ✭✭✭Billy Mays


    A week of two halves in St Anton this year

    It was about 10 degrees in the town when we arrived last Saturday week. From Sunday morning into Monday it rained non stop, not just in the town but also up on the highest peaks. Packed it in at lunchtime (a first for me) on the Sunday as I was saturated. No fun at all.

    Brightened up a bit on Monday afternoon but the snow was fairly sh!te, especially off piste where it was horribly sticky. Temperatures dipped on Monday night leading to a lot of pistes being dangerously icy on the Tuesday. It finally started snowing on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning which improved things a lot. It continued snowing for the next 48 hours which dumped about 3 foot up the mountain.

    Thursday and Friday were by far the best days of the week. Visibility was quite poor on Thursday so spent most the day down low in the trees in, at times, nearly waist deep powder. Absolute heaven. The sun came out on Friday morning so got on the first lift and spent the day putting down fresh tracks in beautiful bluebird powder conditions.

    Overall a very good week. Started off with the worst conditions I've ever boarded in and finished with some of the best. Plus I didn't hear one single Europop apres song all week :D

    Just to add, that video posted above of the wolves in Switzerland is fantastic icon14.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Yeah, it has been a bad season this year all in all condition wise, and very much so at the lower altitudes. When it is so warm in the town itself it just feels 'all wrong' somehow, and when it then rains while you are out that is just cat altogether. I think rain has to be the worst of all conditions? You can take heavy snow, wind, etc. to a certain point, but rain is definitely the pits.

    Anyway, as the injuries we have been noting on this thread go, they are pretty light compared to one that I heard of yesterday. A friend of mine was in a hospital in Austria for a routine op, when the chopper brought in a German lad who had just had a bad ski accident, he broke 6 ribs, with some of them possibly having fragmented. Even two days later he was literally screaming out in the pain from his bed, all the nurses could do was to jab him with morphine when it became unbearable, which thankfully knocked him out within a few minutes. The latest X-rays then showed that some small pieces of bone may be close to penetrating the lung so he had to be brought straight into the OR for a 4 hour op where they put a fibre optic camera into his thorax cavity looking for such pieces. And it seems he did not even do anything spectacular, just a routine fall so to speak.

    Those wolves are indeed brilliant! It seems wolves are becoming more and more sighted over the last years. There have been incidents of lynx too, and even a bear a while back. Not all are happy about it though, they can and do play havoc with sheep and other livestock.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    St Anton and Ischgl regions under immediate quarantine effective immediately.

    Austrian PM gave a speech an hour or so ago.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    skallywag wrote: »
    St Anton and Ischgl regions under immediate quarantine effective immediately.

    Austrian PM gave a speech a couple an hour or so ago.

    No one can leave inc tourists for 2 weeks apparently


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Rew wrote: »
    No one can leave inc tourists for 2 weeks apparently

    Correct. It is in complete lockdown.

    Combine that too with all lifts forced to closed, and all bars and restaurants must close at 3pm latest.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    Im leaving Hinterglemm at 6am... hopefully...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    I believe you can.

    The announcement basically said that the tourists need to get out of Austria ASAP.

    Here is the exact text ...

    Ausländische Gäste, „die sich jetzt in dieser Gegend aufhalten“, dürften hingegen abreisen. Sie sollen aber zügig und ohne Zwischenstopp in ihre Herkunftsländer reisen. Außerdem würden ihre Personalien aufgenommen und an die Behörden in den Herkunftsländern weitergeleitet.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    My flight has to get our of Munich once I get out of Hinterglemm...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Rew wrote: »
    My flight has to get our of Munich once I get out of Hinterglemm...

    PM me if you get stuck, I live in Austria.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    I see St Anton have implemented a guest exit procedure where you can get a permit to leave.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Yeah, just heard that too. Basically it seems that if you are willing to go right now, then you can.

    I cant see many arguing against it!


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    Don't think I've ever wanted to be home more in my life then right now, 6am cant come soon enough!

    Then comes the fear for ~5-10 days of did you bring an unwelcome guest home...


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    Home safe!!

    Just heard that Irish who were in St Anton last week have got positive tests so if you know anyone who was in ischgl or St Anton they need to be locking them self’s down.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    Yeah, real panic today in St. Anton.


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