February 7th, 2010 by matt
Gerlos and the Zillertal Arena delivered a big, big powder day today. Zell am Ziller had similar snow but the low cloud conditions were best in Gerlos where the sun broke through for some good periods. The powder snow was superb. Check out our latest snow report from the slopes of Gerlos today:
There was a huge amount of terrain to go at today and much of it was untouched:
Endless untracked terrain in Gerlos 07/02/10 - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
At least 30cm of powder snow had fallen over night:
At least 30cm of powder snow today - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
Blasé in the extreme - chatting away tons of powder just metres away:
‘It’s behind you!’ - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
February 6th, 2010 by matt
Heavy snow has been falling in the Tirol all day and with low temperatures into next week and further moderate to heavy snowfalls forecast mid-week, the conditions for half term week look fantastic. I drove through Soll at the end of last week and saw more snow there than I can remember seeing - the resort was deep in the stuff. A car in the car park of the St Johann ski area was not moving anytime soon:
Despite its height St Johann really snags the passing snow storms - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
The winter so far has been above average as far I have seen, the snow on the glaciers and then in the resort came 2 weeks later than normal but it has been consistently cold and with the early February snow then things are running very much to schedule - January is never a great snow month over in the Tirol, whilst March and April always get the best snow. Conditions across all the main areas in Austria are set to be superb for the half term skiers and snowboarders.
February 4th, 2010 by matt
Fieberbrunn in fresh snow 4th Feb 2010 - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
But for some high cloud the skiing in Fieberbrunn, St Johann, Kitzbuhel and the Ski Welt region today was superb. There had been around 30cm of powder overnight in Fieberbrunn with endless fresh lines to take. I drove through Soll and the Ski Welt resorts first thing and the mist was lifting to show off big snow deposits and blue skies. The high clouds soon rolled in to spoil a 10/10 day but in terms of the snow then it was tough to beat over the last month. The tree skiing in Fieberbrunn made for good visibility and in any case the light was hardly flat, it just lacked that sheer blue sky. Great skiing all the same and I skied in both Fieberbrunn and St Johann in Tirol. There is a sign at the top station of St Johann that lists a whole bunch of far flung destinations - one obvious omission was Kitzbuhel, the Kitzbuheler Horn mast is maybe 1km away and still not lift linked, a real pity although I am not the first to feel frustration!
Still no link between St Johann and Kitzbuhel - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
A video snow report from Fieberbrunn today:
February 3rd, 2010 by matt
Clients of ours and some of the finest exponents of après ski in the Alps are currently in Saalbach taking advantage of the great ski area and the superb après ski. News came through yesterday that in the absence of the Norwegian bikini team the guys in the group have befriended a herd of goats that live in an après ski bar. Communication between the 2 species reportedly improves as the evening progresses (although ‘progress’ may well be mis-representation of events). I will be heading over to Saalbach on Friday for my first ever après ski drink with livestock - Austria never fails to deliver the bizarre 
Just started snowing in the last 10 minutes in Innsbruck - we are set for heavy snow today.
February 2nd, 2010 by matt
Today was one right out of the blue - the forecasts were not good and high winds were expected but as the morning wore on it was clear there were some great conditions in the mountains. None more so than in the Stubai Valley - famed for the Stubai Glacier but also offering some other great ski options including Elfer and Schlick 2000.
I raced between the 2 today and the views into the Pinnistal were something special.
Beautiful Pinnistal just off the Stubai Valley - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
You can also catch a short video of the Elfer ski area that is located directly above Neustift and has a new gondola running from close to the resort centre:
February 1st, 2010 by matt
Pretty in Alpbach - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
I took josh on a whistle-stop tour of some resorts in Tirol today before the forecast clouds roll in. Wildschonau was in great shape with fresh snow and sunny cold conditions - I saw more taught snow ploughs today than I can remember - it was like a Chinese gulag or parade square but for the smiles, scenery and access to Google. Later I went over to Alpbach - conditions were really good although a wind picked up later in the afternoon and the wind chill was pretty fierce.
January 31st, 2010 by matt
Fresh powder in Kuhtai 31/01/10 - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
After the recent days of low clouds and snow here in the Tirol the skies cleared today to give a top ski day. There was powder skiing in Kuhtai, south of Innsbruck and the frigid temperatures at 2000m+ were sufficient to keep the snow in great condition. Plenty of families were on the slopes today but the morning was pretty quiet - an insiders tip is to get on the slopes on Sunday morning, family Sunday lunches are still popular over here even if there are fresh tracks available. After the family lunch there is often a mad dash to the snow. The weather is set to continue cold with intermittent snow and sun through the week. Plans of this week include some time in the Kitzbuheler Alpen region and end the week with après ski carnage in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. A quick look at today’s snow report from the slopes of Kuhtai:
January 30th, 2010 by matt
The last week has been a tough one with cold as well a virus whish is running wild in Innsbruck knocking me flat for a few days. So much so that my only adventures on the snow have been on a rodel (toboggan) in the last week. Plenty on new snow over the last few days and more in the coming days. Family skiing set for Kuhtai tomorrow, maybe I will sit on one of those inner-tube carousels for kids?
The latest snow report from Innsbruck - enjoy the stunning views:)
January 23rd, 2010 by matt
Seeing a Swiss racer on the top of the podium at the Hahnenkamm race weekend in Kitzbuhel is not a pleasant sight for Austrians, therefore the second appearance in 2 days for Switzerland’s Didier Cuche will hurt greatly. Fully deserved as one of the pre-race favourites, Cuche delivered yet again to prove that the Swiss reign in the men’s FIS. Race results from the 2010 Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm men’s downhill on the Streif are as follows:
1 Didier Cuche SUI 1:53.74
2 Andrej Sporn SLO 1:54.02
3 Werner Heel ITA 1:54.13
4 Mario Scheiber AUT 1:54.25
5 Aksel Lund Svindal NOR 1:54.42
6 Hans Grugger AUT 1:54.49
7 Ivica Kostelic CRO 1:54.71
8 Didier Defago SUI 1:54.82
9 Bode Miller USA 1:54.90
10 Natko Zrncic-Dim CRO 1:54.97
11 Carlo Janka SUI 1:54.99
12 Romed Baumann AUT 1:55.22
13 Patrik Järbyn SWE 1:55.27
14 Erik Guay CAN 1:55.29
15 Marco Büchel LIE 1:55.39
16 Andrej Jerman SLO 1:55.44
17 Silvan Zurbriggen SUI 1:55.46
18 Erik Fisher USA 1:55.49
18= Marco Sullivan USA 1:55.49
20 Manuel Osborne-Paradis CAN 1:55.51
21 Stefan Thanei ITA 1:55.54
22 Georg Streitberger AUT 1:55.63
23 Tobias Grünenfelder SUI 1:55.68
24 Steven Nyman USA 1:55.70
25 Dominik Paris ITA 1:55.75
26 Andrew Weibrecht USA 1:55.83
27 Klaus Kröll AUT 1:55.84
28 Adrien Theaux FRA 1:55.98
29 Yannick Bertrand FRA 1:55.99
30 David Poisson FRA 1:56.01
National pride may be restored in the after race party where Austria has few peers usually, whilst the slalom tomorrow will be their final chance salvage pride on snow that is not strewn with plastic cups and beer cans.
January 22nd, 2010 by matt
Cuche is pretty untouchable at the moment, it must be painful viewing for the Austrians, especially in an Olympic year. Today he bagged the Super G on the Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm. Tomorrow ominously it is the downhill and he is looking mighty good. A different discipline maybe but the same terrain so what happened to my tip Bode Miller after he tore down the mountain in the downhill practice?
The results from the Super G at Kitzbuhel on the Hahnenkamm:
1 Didier Cuche SUI 1:17.94
2 Michael Walchhofer AUT 1:18.22
3 Georg Streitberger AUT 1:18.23
4 Andrej Jerman SLO 1:18.30
5 Erik Guay CAN 1:18.33
6 Tobias Grünenfelder SUI 1:18.46
6= Aksel Lund Svindal NOR 1:18.46
8 Hannes Reichelt AUT 1:18.55
8= Mario Scheiber AUT 1:18.55
10 Adrien Theaux FRA 1:18.59
11 Andrew Weibrecht USA 1:18.64
11= Marco Sullivan USA 1:18.64
13 Didier Defago SUI 1:18.68
14 Marco Büchel LIE 1:18.69
14= Stephan Keppler GER 1:18.69
16 Ivica Kostelic CRO 1:18.71
17 Bode Miller USA 1:18.75
18 Klaus Kröll AUT 1:18.93
19 Carlo Janka SUI 1:18.96
20 Hans Grugger AUT 1:18.98
The start bibs for the 70th Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm downhill classic, 23rd Jan 2010:
1 Georg Streitberger AUT
2 Patrick Küng SUI
3 Stefan Thanei ITA
4 Tobias Grünenfelder SUI
5 Erik Fisher USA
6 Hans Grugger AUT
7 Andrej Sporn SLO
8 Hans Olsson SWE
9 Adrien Theaux FRA
10 Andrej Jerman SLO
11 Aksel Lund Svindal NOR
12 Marco Büchel LIE
13 Christof Innerhofer ITA
14 Erik Guay CAN
15 Bode Miller USA
16 Michael Walchhofer AUT
17 Carlo Janka SUI
18 Werner Heel ITA
19 Manuel Osborne-Paradis CAN
20 Didier Cuche SUI
21 Klaus Kröll AUT
22 Didier Defago SUI
23 Marco Sullivan USA
24 Andrew Weibrecht USA
25 Romed Baumann AUT
26 Steven Nyman USA
27 Patrik Järbyn SWE
28 Patrick Staudacher ITA
29 David Poisson FRA
30 Mario Scheiber AUT
January 21st, 2010 by matt
Didier Cuche had to settle for 2nd as a resurgent Bode proves if he is on his game there are few to touch him, during the final practice on the Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm Streif downhill course. The practice was brought forward due to worsening weather and it is snowing right now in Innsbruck and snow is forecast for today in Kitzbuhel. It seems like the Austrian army will be shoveling again before the race. The top 10 finishers in for the 2010 Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm race are as follows:
1 Bode Miller USA 1:52.21
2 Didier Cuche SUI +0.12
3 Andrej Sporn SLO 0.41
4 Aksel Lund Svindal NOR 0.46
5 Mario Scheiber AUT 0.49
6 Michael Walchhofer AUT 0.51
7 Tobias Grünenfelder SUI 0.59
8 Christof Innerhofer ITA 1.18
8= Adrien Theaux FRA 1.18
10 Ivica Costelic CRO 1.20
January 20th, 2010 by matt
The start gate at Hahnenkamm Kitzbuhel Streif - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
Just back from the first race training at the 2010 Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm downhill on the Streif course, skiing in from Kirchberg to avoid the mayhem of Kitzbuhel during race week. The mind truly boggles - how these guys get down is one thing but what is going through their minds in the start hut before they launch themselves toward Kitzbuhel down in the valley? Alas I will never know - my skiing is really OK but this for me has to be the ultimate winter sports challenge.
It must surely be in the DNA - image www.skiingaustria.co.uk
Conditions today were superb with bright sun and temperatures below zero. Not so good for the proud Austrians was the fact that Didier Cuche once again topped the training session and things are looking ominous for the weekend. Bode might well have something to say about that, on his day he is unmatched, maybe Saturday?
January 19th, 2010 by matt
Hochzeiger - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
With the Pitztal Glacier dominating the Pitztal valley it is easy to pass the ski areas of Hochzeiger and Rifflsee. Benjamin Raich is a Hochzeiger local, whilst Rifflsee has good top height and a ski piste that passes by the base-station of the Pitztal Glacier funicular. Turning into the Pitztal today was pretty dispiriting, the weather was forecast as excellent for the area and there were blue skies in the Innsbruck valley but the Pitztal was a mass of cloud. Forecasting alpine weather is no easy task but the last month I have seen greater predictive errors and far more frequently than any time I have lived in the Alps - not sure why but they are on a wretched run for me. The cloud did lift a little later and the views were superb. Hochzeiger had more kids racers than I have ever seen, the Benjamin Raich factor is working wonders for the kids race programs there. Conditions today on slope were good with a dusting of fresh snow and pretty cold temperatures. Tomorrow is Kitzbuhel and the start of the countdown to the biggest race and biggest party of the Alps.
Rifflsee - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
A quick snow report from Rifflsee today:
January 17th, 2010 by matt
This time all on board survived by drinking beer - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
Today the Zillertal Arena hosted the Stroh Juchee ‘sled race’ - Austria once again proving that it can do the bizarre as well as anyone with the USS Enterprise and a group of cross-dressed, beauty pageant farmers gracing the event. The day was very much a family affair with kids on sledges watching adults on sledges come down a short course. The highlight was the re-emergence of Titanic from the depths of the Atlantic, only to suffer a similar iceberg collision on the slopes of Zell am Ziller. With 7000 visitors the day was a real spectacle with the music and festivities lasting all afternoon.
January 16th, 2010 by matt
I had a family ski day in Igls today with our eight month old Josh and friends and their child who was born at the same time. Igls really drew in the crowds today, the car park was packed as were the lower slopes. The newly redeveloped base-station has certainly focused local’s minds, there were very many families and kids on the slopes. Conditions on the slope were windy as a new snow-bearing front arrived but the sun and blue skies made for some great views. The pistes were either icy or powdery depending on where the snow had been blown off or deposited. The latest snow report from the slopes of Igls today:
