Archive for the 'Tirol' Category
January 27th, 2012 by matt
When St Anton am Arlberg has a January snow pack of 5.2m forecast snow is hardly needed - yet the incredible winter of 2012 rolls on. With barely a white patch of mountain but for the glacier areas at the start of December, it has been almost weekly heavy snow systems that have been rolling in across Austria. 5.2m is basically a male adult standing on the head of another with a third on top of the second - confusing maybe, but what it means is that at current rates is that in St Anton and most of Austria you won’t need to worry about catching an edge on a rock until mid summer. There have been building collapses in the northern Austrian Alps due to the snow and these units weren’t built to beach hut specs. This really has been a remarkable 8 weeks of winter in Austria. To what extent this heralds future weather patterns is unclear but after a record breaking dry period in November the heavens have opened to dramatic effect and there seems no let up.
January 15th, 2012 by matt
With blue skies, frigid temperatures and still masses of powder to tackle the conditions in Kitzbuhel today were some of the best that will be found all winter (probably). The snow pack in some areas was really mind blowing and whilst wind has played a role in drifting it into big slabs these sections in some places were 4 metres or more high. The Hahnenkamm race piste was looking immaculate and all fenced off and ready to deliver the epic race. One worrying blot on the horizon is the next snow front which is due to arrive for the men’s training day on Thursday, dump heavily on Friday for the super G day and carry on into race day on Saturday. Anxious organisers will start the sleepless nights as this system approaches - everyone else will be revelling in the continued epic snow conditions that arrived early December and haven’t left since. A quick snow report from today in the Kitzbuhel ski area:
January 10th, 2012 by matt
So the 5 day storm has basically run out of steam at a time when the snow base at the Galzig mid-station in St Anton is a stunning 5 and a half metres. Little wonder that several of the 5 Arlberg resorts were completely cut off in the last week - 5 metres is taller than many of the buildings in the area! And the astonishing thing about the 545cm snow depth is that it was essentially 0cm until very late November - the snow, certainly since mid December has been absolutely relentless and in the last week the snowfall has been staggering!
December 29th, 2011 by Saalbach local
When the snow falls it doesn’t get much better than pre season skiing. We have spent the last few days on the slopes of the Ski Circus and the snow has been nothing short of perfect. The lift passes are at the much cheaper pre season price, we have not queued once even at the busiest places and the our favourite seats are free at the mountain huts. The best thing of all has been taking our son who is 7 to snowboard school. Again the prices are lower as its pre season and he signed up for a class that no one else signed up for so he is in a group of 1 which is basically private tuition for the week for the price of a class. High season there would be another 7 kids with him. We have seen this happen in low season Jan with couples turning up for ski school to find they are the only 2 in the class.
We had blizzard conditions here on Saturday and snow each days since. There is also snow forecast until Christmas day including heavy showers. For anyone coming to Austria in the near future I don’t hunk there will be too much of a snow drought. Standing on the top of the mountains you can see a very white Salzburgerland in one direction and a very snowy Tirol in the other.
December 12th, 2011 by matt
With the inaugural Youth Olympic Games all set for January in Innsbruck, Austria there could be some big stars of tomorrow flying the flag for the UK. One of those is freestyle skier Katie Summerhayes from Sheffield, England. Busy in preparation right now we caught up with Katie for a short online Q&A to get her feedback on how she has got where she has and what she is expecting from the YOG’s in Innsbruck 2012.
Katie Summerhayes
Q | How long have you been involved in skiing?
A | I have been skiing for 10 years now and been doing freestyle for 7 years!
Q | What got you hooked?
A | I just loved everything about it, the adrenaline rush, making new friends and seeing the mountains everytime I get the chance to go away!
Q | Favourite thing about skiing?
A | Being about the travel the world, meet new friends and spend time with my friends doing what I love doing!
Q | Least favourite thing about your life on the snow?
A | Having to catch up and do all my school work when I am away I say is the worse thing!
Q | Favourite resort?
A | Im in Breckenridge, America at the moment and I have to say I love it here so much!
Q | Describe your ideal day from breakfast to apres ski?
A | Have a good breakfast, go straight out skiing for a couple of hours solid training! Have lunch then go freeskiing for a couple of hours! Chill with friends during the night and watch a good film, have an early night ready for the next day!
Q | What are you competing in at the Innsbruck YOG?
A | In the YOG, I will be competing in Halfpipe. I am so excited, I really cannot wait!
Q | How is the preparation going?
A | Preparation is going amazing, trying to get as much as possible in so I can give it my all!
Q | Excited or nervous before a competition?
A | Bit of both really!
December 8th, 2011 by matt
After the heavy snow of the last few days the Mayrhofen ski area opened today with the Ahorn cable car ferrying skiers and snowboarders up to the fresh powder that has fallen over the last few days. The Penken side of the Mayrhofen ski areas is set to open in the coming days. With almost a metre of snow falling over the Arlberg in recent days then Austria is very much ready for the early season visitors. Clouds, sun and snow are all forecast for the coming week in varying degrees depending on location but Kitzbuhel is set to see further snow on Saturday.
December 1st, 2011 by matt
After a November that can best be described as mild to reasonably cool, very sunny and very, very dry, then the arrival of December is bringing winter fully back to earth with heavy snow set to hit the west of Austria from this weekend onwards. Records for lack of precipitation have been smashed in the Tirol in November with possibly not a millimetre of rain, snow or anything else falling out of the sky for the entire month. It hasn’t prevented Obergurgl and Ischgl from opening on schedule but I am sure that they are as relieved as anyone by the weather charts. Over the weekend resorts such as Ischgl, Solden, St Anton and Kitzbuhel are set for a period of heavy snow that will have a slight interlude before the snow returns early next week. We are very likely be announcing the first flake as soon as it leaves the cloud so keep checking back.
November 27th, 2011 by matt
After a month-long period of blue skies and sun and a complete lack of rain or snow, the cycle seems headed for a welcome end over the Austrian Alps with snow forecast in Kitzbuhel in the east and Ischgl and St Anton in the west. It hasn’t been the temperatures necessarily over the last month that have been despairing, more the dryness of the conditions - the sun has been warm but generally the air has been cool. The problem though has been the relentlessly dry conditions, with no part of the Alps spared. Luckily for Austria the glacier skiing takes place on 8 glaciers and these benefitted from some great early autumn snow so have been offering some great skiing. All of them will be welcoming a top-up for sure, from cloud laden skies. Forecasts are conflicting at the moment but all agree that Friday / Saturday should see a decent dump, others are identifying Wednesday as another day due to bring snow.
November 24th, 2011 by matt
Some kudos but I am sure that they would happily replace that with some snowflakes - Obergurgl in Austria opened on time and has ski pistes running back to the resorts thanks in part to some early season snow and a larger part due to the snow cannons that pump out artificial snow. Temperatures have been milder than average over the autumn but hardly balmy in Austria, rather it is the incessant dry weather that has dominated for many weeks now that has delayed the season opening for many big name resorts in France and Switzerland including Davos / Klosters which has just announced a delay. Ischgl in Austria is set to open on schedule tomorrow and so long as you aren’t looking for off-piste heaven then the piste skiing really should be ok. We had friends on the Kaunertal Glacier this week and they had a great time with groomed pistes and bright sunshine. Quite when the weather will break is not known but it just has to be soon - it is time for some grey threatening skies after all this tanning weather!
October 24th, 2011 by matt
After the US took top prize in the women’s FIS season opener on the Rettenbach glacier above Solden, it was the turn of the men and once again the US took 1st place with Ted Ligety on top over the 2 legs. Results from yesterday were as follows:
1. Ted Ligety (USA) 2:22.00
2. Alexis Pinturault (FRA) + 0.29
3. Philipp Schörghofer (AUT) 0.51
4. Carlo Janka (SUI) 0.58
5. Ivica Kostelic (CRO) 1.16
6. Marcel Hirscher (AUT) 1.23
=6. Thomas Fanara (FRA) 1.23
8. Steve Missillier (FRA) 1.26
9. Bode Miller (USA) 1.32
10. Kjetil Jansrud (NOR) 1.37
11. Romed Baumann (AUT) 1.40
12. Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) 1.41
13. Fritz Dopfer (GER) 1.42
14. Gauthier de Tessieres (FRA) 1.65
15. Andre Myhrer (SWE) 1.66
16. Marcus Sandell (FIN) 1.68
17. Manfred Mölgg (ITA) 1.72
18. Massimiliano Blardone (ITA) 1.73
19. Benjamin Raich (AUT) 1.76
20. Hannes Reichelt (AUT) 1.96
21. Davide Simoncelli (ITA) 2.01
22. Jean-Philippe Roy (CAN) 2.06
23. Alexander Ploner (ITA) 2.41
24. Marc Berthod (SUI) 2.43
25. Sandro Viletta (SUI) 2.82
26. Cyprien Richard (FRA) 2.88
27. Giovanni Borsotti (ITA) 2.36
28. Didier Defago (SUI) 2:28.75
Some consolation for the Austrians was that there were no Swiss or Germans ahead of them today and whilst not officially part of the FIS standing I would imagine the Austrians won top prize at the apres ski - Solden offers apres ski as good as it gets anywhere and the October race weekend is something to behold.
October 23rd, 2011 by matt
Powder weekend on the Stubai Glacier
A big powder weekend to accompany the season opening of the Stubai Zoo Park on the Stubai Glacier - irony indeed since most there were far more concerned with flight than depth of powder. It did mean though that the powder tracks took longer to track out than could have been the case. Cold and sunny conditions with perfect powder snow meant the car park at the Stubai Glacier was full to capacity - these really are weeks that the glaciers really cash in on the custom. More snow is forecast for Wednesday whilst conditions tomorrow should be perfect again with cold clear skies.
October 22nd, 2011 by matt
New season and nothing new in seeing the US on top of the women’s podium. Lindsey Vonn took the opening FIS women’s race on the Rettenbach glacier today high above Solden with Elisabeth Görgl coming in third for the Austrians. More painful for the Austrians maybe seeing a German finish above any Austrians on their home snow? Bode is in action tomorrow as well as a lot of talented Swiss so maybe the suffering will continue - shame the Austrians cannot send down their ski jumpers! The top ten results from Solden today:
1. Lindsey Vonn (USA) 2:24.43
2. Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) + 0.04
3. Elisabeth Görgl (AUT) + 0.40
4. Tessa Worley (FRA) + 0.80
5. Maria Pietilä-Holmner (SWE) + 0.90
6. Anna Fenninger (AUT) + 1.24
7. Kathrin Zettel (AUT) + 1.48
8. Jessica Lindell-Vikarby (SWE) + 1.53
9. Taina Barioz (FRA) + 1.81
10. Julia Mancuso (USA) + 1.86
The Solden glacier looked in great shape and if anything there seemed too much snow on the racing line, something that they will have been preparing to avoid until the heavy snows of the last few days. The men race tomorrow - Solden will party all weekend!
October 17th, 2011 by matt
The Stubai Zoo Park officially opens this weekend with a big event to bring in the new season on the 3000m+ Stubai Glacier Terrain Park. Eisgrat will be hosting a festival village with gear to buy and test and over in the Zoo there will be competitions over the 3 days. Sporting excellence will make way for nocturnal excess after dark with several warm up, warm down and stuff in between parties in the valley. Fine weather is forecast after the snow this week so all should be good in the Stubai Zoo - hopefully we can get up there and show you what went on.
October 12th, 2011 by matt
We have had seen a huge growth in business and corporate trip enquiries in the last few months asking for a wide range of Austrian ski holiday resorts. Initially it was believed there must have been a successful marketing push behind the surge but the range of resorts, dates and industry profiles suggests something more general at work. As a company we push the quality and authenticity of Austrian resort ‘messages’ hard, the snowfall figures are beyond debate and are strongly in favour of Austria and surveys suggest that Austria offers some of the best value for money in the Alps, alongside Italy. There are many, many epic destinations for corporate clients and groups outside of Austria with Zermatt and Megeve high on any list. Val d’Isere has the label, ski area and to a degree an unswerving loyalty whilst 1850 still makes headlines for prices when the ski area should be worthy of more columns of coverage. Verbier has a great deal going for it, especially the skiing, St Moritz and Davos are headline names with mighty ski areas above them but when it comes down to choices it hard to overlook Austria and that seems to be in evidence for corporate and group ski planners. Austria offers events that are unsurpassed with the Hahnenkamm race weekend in Kitzbuhel is akin to Wimbledon - the Hahnenkamm offers unique drama, unmatched risk and ultimately the adoration and respect of the entire snow sports world. In terms of apres ski then whatever the pace Austria has it - Ischgl offers both Sir Elton and The Killers the chance to host the end of season bash and whatever the demography of those in attendance the feeling is the same - blown away with presence and setting. Snow sure? Austria has the absolute best snow record in the Alps, it has 3 ski holiday resorts over 2km high and glacier skiing that is unequalled in the Alps with seasons that run from October to June (and year round). And crucially in these times when corporate ski groups are looking at ‘bang for the buck’ value for money then Austria (along with Italy) is peerless for corporate ski trip value. Wherever corporate ski groups end up in Austria, it is tough to find locations and suppliers in Austria whose prices aren’t justifiably fair. In this climate Austria is peerless.
October 12th, 2011 by matt
Further snow is forecast for the coming day and a half over the Austria glaciers. With the Stubai Glacier boasting an early October snow depth of 80cm, the Hintertux Glacier coming in at 105cm, the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier with 50cm and the Pitztal Glacier a whopping 153cm of snow at the highest point in Austrian skiing, all looks good for the Autumn ski season. The snow should clear the glacier later on Friday according to the forecasts and the weekend is set to be cool and clear on the glaciers. The Austrian ski machine is in full autumnal gear!