Archive for the 'Tirol' Category
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!
October 10th, 2011 by matt
The winter season rumbles on with the latest instalment of the autumn snow arriving over the weekend and depositing some half a metre or more on the glacier skiing areas of Austria. Saturday weather was characterised by low cloud and heavy snow whilst Sunday saw intermittent snow and clouds as well as over half a metre of fresh powder. Heavy snow fall on the peaks today and a bit more mid week along with some blue skies. See some of the views from the Stubai Glacier yesterday:
October 4th, 2011 by matt
Purveyors of middle of the road euro pop rock Roxette are set to open the Ischgl winter season with an open air concert for 20 000 or so pop crazed revellers. The mountains of Paznaun Valley are set to reverberate to classics such as Crash, Boom, Bang, The Look and of course Joyride. No idea what The Killers would make of Roxette following their live performance to close the last winter season but that won’t trouble Per and Marie as they open the new winter in Ischgl.
October 3rd, 2011 by matt
With the Tirol snow card now valid for the season, the Hintertux Glacier Betterpark opening festival already behind us and heavy snow forecast to arrive Friday and fall throughout the weekend then it is time to call the winter 2011/12 in Austria officially open. The glacier skiing should be pretty impressive over the weekend with the new snow fall and the lower ski areas should all see snow on their peaks later in the week. The glaciers have a number of events coming up with opening festivals on the Stubai Glacier and the Kaunertal Glacier as well as the FSI races on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers above Solden to look forward to in October. Wax ‘em up!
September 20th, 2011 by matt
The Stubai Glacier opens for the ski season tomorrow after a big storm swept the region and deposited over half a metre of new snow across the glaciers. Initially the Eisjoch and Windachferner glaciers will open and these will be followed by the Daunferner glacier for the visitors this coming weekend. It was late September later last winter when the Stubai Glacier received around 70cm of snow to kick of the new season and close to that has fallen nearly a year to the day. With the forecast for milder and clearer weather than the cold stormy weather of the last few days, the conditions on the Stubai Glacier could be extremely good in the coming days. You have to love autumn glacier skiing!
September 18th, 2011 by matt
With falling temperatures and heavy snow down to 2000m, Austria is seeing the first signs of winter 2011/12. The Hintertux Glacier is currently seeing heavy snowfall and as the temperatures continue to fall through the day then snow will be hitting all main peaks in the ski region. Monday is set to see further heavy snow whilst there is sun and snow forecast for Wednesday - mid week on the glaciers could produce some great conditions. The Hintertux Glacier is currently open and the big snowfalls should be the spring board for some of the other glacier skiing areas to open. Hopefully we will be able to offer an early season snow report from the Hintertux Glacier around mid-week.
September 16th, 2011 by matt
With the FIS calendar soon to kick off, hospitality and atmosphere on a big scale are descending on the Alps. Things start off for the men in Solden on the weekend of the 22nd-23rd October with the men’s and women’s giant slalom. Solden has huge events going on to mark the FIS season opening and for corporate groups looking to entertain as well as get some early season turns in, Solden is a great option with the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers offering skiing to over 3200m. Slightly later in the season and possibly the biggest winter ski event in the Alps, the Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm race weekend offers the perfect setting for corporate hospitality and a carnival atmosphere that cannot be beaten. Practice days are followed by 3 serious days of racing and partying that really are unmatched in the entire Alps region. Celebrities from both on and off the snow mingle with the masses for an unmissable weekend. The race weekend runs from the 18th to 22nd January 2012.
September 15th, 2011 by matt
What do you do when the local competition includes St Anton and Ischgl? You build higher lifts and additional tough ski pistes. That is exactly what the ski region comprised of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis have done this summer with work on the Masnerkopfbahn well under way and giving Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski region a top lift height of 2820m. The combined Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski region has always been exceptional for families, superb for intermediates but there was less tough on-piste skiing (although the off-piste can be excellent and easily accessed). The steep piste skiing is being added to with 3 new black ski pistes: the Masnerkopfabfahrt, the Masnerjochabfahrt and the Zwölfer-Sportiv. There are also a couple of intermediate additions with the Hexenseeabfahrt and an extension of the Mindersabfahrt. All good news for a very, very good ski region.