January 4th, 2009 by mat
Hochzillertal / Hochfugen, 04/01/09 – image © ineedsnow.com
I spent today in the Zillertal where I saw something of a novelty for the last few weeks – complete cloud cover and flat light. Hochzillertal and Hochfugen are linked ski areas at the head of the Zillertal Valley and the area is famous for producing Stefan Eberharter and the day started with poor light. Late morning blue skies swept in and the place was perfect with great hard packed snow, superb views across the valleys and once again bitingly cold temperatures. Zillertal has to be one of the very best ski regions in the Alps. Hochzillertal and Hochfugen offered excellent intermediate skiing and snowboarding and the place was hugely popular. I had expected the crowds to seriously die down after New Year but Hochzillertal and Hochfugen were packed today, maybe with visitors cramming a last day of skiing in, on the end of the New Year break.
January 3rd, 2009 by mat
Schlick 2000 - 03/01/09 - image © ineedsnow.com
Just back from Schlick 2000, the main ski area at the head of the Stubai valley and served by the ski holiday resort of Fulpmes. I have skied here many times and never fail to marvel at the superb scenery, with all ski pistes and routes heading back to the valley floor of a huge rock bowl. The skiing is ideal for beginners and early intermediates but off-piste is also very good for the better skiers and snowboarders. Today had superb weather, very cold and clear with the pistes in great shape and far less crowded than last week. No new snow is forecast for the coming days, with very cold and clear conditions forecast.
December 31st, 2008 by mat
Big Air freestyle event at the Leuchtturm – image © ineedsnow.com
The Leuchtturm, Gotzens offering possibly the best après ski in the Innsbruck region once again delivered with a freestyle bag jump event featuring local pro riders from Austria. Taking place just above the Gotzens lift station and the Leuchtturm après ski bar, the event attracted locals and guests to the slopes and the bar terraces to watch a combination of ski, snowboard, mountain bike and ski bike freestyle aerials onto a huge inflated landing bag. As usual the party in the Leuchtturm was impressive with a good crowd and great atmosphere.
‘look behind you!’ – image © ineedsnow.com
Local rider Manu seemed blissfully unaware of his impending entertainment.
December 30th, 2008 by mat
After his après ski mishap and a diagnosis of 6 weeks off the slopes with ruptured ankle ligaments, weatherman flo took the smart step to consult an ankle specialist and avid skier from Innsbruck for a second opinion. 6 weeks became 1 and flo is back, here in Serfaus with great clear weather over the Christmas / New Year weekend.
Sunday he really tested the ankle out on the steeps of Nordpark above Innsbruck – some of the steepest terrain in Austria.
December 28th, 2008 by mat
2962m on the Zugspitz, 28/12/08 and -40c in the 65kmh winds - image © ineedsnow.com
With a height of 2962m the Zugspitz is the highest mountain in Germany, fortunately the border with Austria runs through the Zugspitz and Austria lays claim to one half if the peak with cable car access to the peak via the ski holiday resort of Ehrwald. Today offered tremendous views right across the Alps as well as biting winds. The temperature at the peak of the Zugspitz was -16c but with winds up to 70kmp the temperature with wind chill factored in was more like -35 to -40c. Painful on the face and lips, it was dramatic and well worth the hardship to experience stunningly clear skies and such harsh cold. The skiing down in Ehrwald was pretty good too with temperatures below zero but far more forgiving than on the Zugspitz and good ski piste conditions.
December 26th, 2008 by mat
Zillertal Arena – snow and scenery as good as you will ever find - image © ineedsnow.com
Whilst conditions today were certain to favour the Zillertal Arena with cold and clear skies, there is no doubt that the ski region is one of the very best in Europe for intermediate skiers and snowboarders. It is high, varied and extensive, not just in terms of densely packed ski pistes but instead it reaches right out from Zell am Ziller to Hochkrimml. The resorts of Konigsleiten and Hochkrimml also offer something of a rarity in Austria, ski-in, ski-out, chalet accommodation resorts and fortunately not a single building is large or overpowering. For beginners the Hochkrimml area is ideal with wide and gentle slopes whilst Konigsleiten has a huge area of off-piste to explore. I skied all 4 regions of the Zillertal Arena today starting from Gerlos and whilst most of the Alps are enjoying a sensational Christmas period, the conditions in the Zillertal Arena today were really incredible. The highlight of the day was the region around the Wilde Krimml where the Zell am Ziller and Gerlos ski areas meet. There are several flat sections in this long connecting ski route but there was some great powder and the scenery was as good as I have seen. If you haven’t been to the Zillertal Arena, then go!
December 24th, 2008 by mat
Axamer Lizum, Innsbruck snow report 24/12/08 - image © ineedsnow.com
Axamer Lizum delivered superb piste skiing on Christmas Eve 2008 as well as some powder lines for those willing to head a bit off-piste. Much of the off-piste was tracked between the pistes but there was still some excellent snow to be had in areas further off-piste. On-piste the skiing was as good as it has been so far this winter with great groomed fresh snow, cold temperatures and clear skies. Better still the locals all headed off home around lunch time as it is traditional to spend the 24th celebrating Christmas with families here in Austria – tomorrow will be a different story for sure, with the resorts heaving with skiers and snowboarders. Christmas day is set to see more new snow and grey skies but Friday and over the weekend is set to be very cold and clear. Weatherman mat is standing in for the injured weatherman flo, his night with Paris at the Leuchtturm ended with a fall and torn ankle ligaments, we are going to try and get him back on the slopes courtesy of some rear entry Salomon SX91’s pretty soon and several weeks before he had hoped.
December 22nd, 2008 by mat
Leuchtturm apres ski bar, Gotzens - image © ineedsnow.com
Only open since last winter the Leuchtturm (light house) après ski bar at the Gotzens base station above Innsbruck is rapidly becoming one of the best après ski venues in the Innsbruck ski region. The regular events year round make for some great nights and the mix of locals and visitors can create a really great atmosphere. Over the weekend there was a ‘Bag Jump’ organised with local pro riders from Innsbruck, DJs, live music and an outdoor bar. Unfortunately the Bag Jump had to be canceled due to high winds and heavy sleet which made the landing bad dangerously slippery. That did not stop the festivities though, with Paris Hilton living up to her flirtatious reputation, spending most of the night being passed around the guys. The Bag Jump has been rescheduled for the 30th December at 19:00, with Paris expected to keep many visitors company again.
Paris at the Leuchtturm - hard drinking and keeping the guys happy - image © ineedsnow.com
December 19th, 2008 by mat
And you could really extend that to almost all alpine regions in Europe, the early winter 08/09 has been quite outstanding. Here around Innsbruck the early glacier skiing was incredible, with powder skiing as early as 5th October on the Stubai Glacier. The Pitztal Glacier also had great powder conditions but one thing was notable – the local mountains had very little snow until November, then we had a week or so of low clouds and snow across all the mountains. Since then we have had almost continual cold and periods of snow. Last week saw the arrival of the Foehn wind, with warm temperatures and ionised air from Italy. Whilst temperatures meant that snow melted in lower resorts, the snow on the mountains compacted and as usual, the Foehn broke to release snow over the Austrian Alps. Snow is forecast for the entire weekend around Innsbruck and whilst the visibility might be poor in the mountains, those visiting over Christmas will be treated to outstanding snow conditions. Off to a very local resort tomorrow, Gotzens, my home village for the resort opening and a ‘Big Air Bag’ show.
The latest from weather man flo from Nordpark / Seegrube, Innsbruck – serious steeps and the hangout for the locals of the north of the city.
December 15th, 2008 by mat
Well I am not sure days get too much better than this. After some great snowfall last week the skies cleared late Friday over Ischgl to serve up some fantastic skiing and this is only December 13th! We were invited by the great guys at Ischgl TVB to the Ischgl Top Model beauty contest that was running Saturday evening at the Pardorama Restaurant and myself and Innsbruck local Flo went along for some powder and great scenery.
Early in the morning we got some great runs through the trees from the Sassgalunbahn. As the skies cleared we went to the top section of the Ischgl area and although high winds closed the lifts to the Palinkopf, we took several routes down from the Greitspitz. Steep and superb routes with untracked snow although the skis will be in for a service this week - Ischgl is high and this early in the season the snow can be blown with rocks just below the surface off-piste. We took a lot of huge decelerations on our way to great banks of powder - helmets very necessary. And a message for all the snow domers in Ischgl this weekend who were heading off-piste, carry a peeps, shovel and probe - very un-cool and amateur to head off-piste without the right equipment.
Ischgl top powder - image © ineedsnow.com
Any fatigue from the day in the powder was soon forgotten as we sat at the Pardorama and were entertained by endless beauty queens that strutted their stuff. Miss Austria got my vote for her skiing ability, the rest was pure bonus.
The 13th December 2008 will long hold a place in my heart – Ischgl delivered big time!
Ischgl top model - image © ineedsnow.com
Any ideas for a better day then please post (publishable) thoughts below.
December 14th, 2008 by mat
We may just have uncovered the next big thing in snow reports. His name is Flo, a native of Innsbruck, superb skier and an ambassador that we intend to employ during the upcoming visit of clients who are due to visit Kitzbuhel in January. Whilst his first report for us was compromised by the sound engineer, we came to appreciate his commitment to a role he was unaccustomed to. See his snow first report here, whilst you can find his latest snow report below:
December 13th, 2008 by mat
I wouldn’t expect any skier or boarder to favour anywhere other than their local hill in the right conditions. I am no different and for me Axamer Lizum always delivers great powder skiing, whilst untracked lines can be found days after the clouds have cleared. Today the clouds were still there but the crowds were few and the snow deep; Innsbruck has seen a great deal of snow this last week. It is not unheard of having great powder skiing as early as November and this year has been one of the very best starts to a winter that most can remember. The clouds are set to lift in the morning and we are off to Ischgl for a day of powder, après ski and an evening beauty contest all courtesy of the great people at Ischgl tourism.
Axamer Lizum 12/12/08 - image © ineedsnow.com
December 10th, 2008 by mat
If you want to win the heart and mind of a Canadian then go in a bar and mention the ‘Great One.’ In Austria do precisely the same and ask after ‘der Kaiser’. Do it in winter and there will be even more resonance given that their respective national heroes both came from winter sports backgrounds. The 2 countries also offer what I consider the best ski holiday experience in the world. Sure the Swiss resorts are generally higher than either Austria or Canada, the French resorts have better access from accommodation to lifts and bigger connected areas, the Italians have almost unbeatable food, the USA offers unmatched consumer service and the Andorrans have a great mix of culture and traditions. But for a ski holiday experience then I generally would always go for Austria or Canada. There are millions who flock to favoured resorts each year outside of these 2 countries and their reasons for doing so are no less valid than mine, but here are mine in any case (based on living in British Columbia for a year and the Austrian Tirol for 7).
I guess a day on the slopes starts in the lift queue. The Canadians almost always have a genuine smile for you, offer tissues and other refinements and really do their very best to console you when you are frustratingly just minutes away from some of the best snow on the planet. In Austria the welcome to the slopes is often far more simple and understated, a little less fanfare although you do get doughnuts in the lift queue in February. Even if they don’t nod in approval there is always that feeling of endorsement from the mountain workers, a bit like a handshake from a lower league NZ rugby player.
The scenery of the two countries may be equalled but rarely beaten. The Canadian Rockies are on par with the Dolomites whilst standing at the top lift station of the Pitztal Glacier, Austria is staggering. Whistler has the astonishing Black Tusk geographic phenomenon to gaze over whilst a ski back into the resort of Lech am Arlberg through fresh snow is hard to beat.
Snow often means height and whilst that maybe true in Europe, Canada is so far north that almost all areas are cold enough to get low temperatures and glaciers at heights we can only dream of in Europe. The Pacific throws up endless winter storms that just dump over Canada no matter what the height, most of the time. Even Vancouver Island has great skiing and this is a narrow island off the coast of British Columbia. More central areas and the Rockies are famed for their frigid temperatures. Austria does have ski resorts as low as 700m – the reason, if there is a slope they want to ski it. They also have resorts that top out at close to 3500m, whilst the Arlberg resorts of Lech, Zurs, Stuben and St Anton have formidable snow accumulation records.
Skiing - go to anywhere in or west of the Canadian Rockies and more often than not you are going to be met with superb powder snow, great lift systems and excellent facilities. Cameras do not lie in Canada, this place gets so much snow it is astonishing. Canadians are skiers and snowboarders – it is more than a holiday when you see Canadians on the slopes – it is a ritual. Austrians mix an arrogance born of years of competitive dominance with an all-encompassing appreciation that you are engaged in something that is almost sacred to them. Austrians might smile knowingly at faulty ski or snowboard technique but their willingness to encourage is almost universal. Heli skiing = Canada; some of the best snow on the planet is accessible in the easiest and most exclusive of ways. For many reasons heli skiing is highly restricted in the European Alps – but not in the Austrian Arlberg: combine the best snow record in Austria, with some of the best terrain, in certainly some of the best scenery and villages and add a chopper – bingo!
And to end the day it has to be a locals’ bar. Canada generally tends to offer a more laid back atmosphere whilst Austria often explodes into celebration. Both countries rightly foster group appreciation of the magnificence of a day in the mountains though. Wet snow or Albertan powder, views into Italy or as far as the end of your ski, the appreciation of the day is the same. You skied or snowboarded and that is the key in both Canada or Austria – you did something that goes to the core of each national identity and for that you are made to feel special. Feeling special on a holiday is why I take them. Just don’t forget to drop Gretzky or Klammer into the conversation, you may just be offered citizenship – take it!
Ah, but what about Hokkaido, Japan…………
Not convinced, then listen to the latest message from the great guys at Banff:
December 8th, 2008 by mat
Mutters, the ski holiday resort located above Innsbruck scored a coup today by hosting an FIS men’s slalom ski race. Only a couple of years ago the ski area of Mutters was the reserve of ski tourers since the old lift system had been decommissioned. Around 2 years ago there was substantial new investment in lifts and restaurant facilities. Since last winter the Mutters ski area has been connected to the newly revamped Gotzens ski area and plans are afoot to link these 2 areas to the impressive higher and bigger ski holiday resort of Axamer Lizum. Today saw another event that marks the re-emergence of Mutters as one of the leading ski holiday resorts around Innsbruck.
FIS action in Mutters, Innsbruck - image © ineedsnow.com
December 7th, 2008 by mat
So the final part of the ineedsnow snow and resort search is now online. Using live weather data the ineedsnow snow search allows the user to search after resorts with forecast snow in resorts that are located close to a regional airport.
ineedsnow snow and resort search
Our press release is going out on Tuesday announcing this new development – you can see it first right here:
The unique ineedsnow Snow & Resort Search
With growing numbers of skiers / boarders, a changing climate and more independent travellers, the new and unique www.ineedsnow.com snow search allows users to match the best and latest snow conditions to their preferred airport or location.
“Please find us a resort that is snow-sure near Salzburg, we have already booked flights.”
It was from endless enquiries like the above, that the ineedsnow snow & resort search was conceived.
The user selects a criteria and a location and gets an intuitive list of resorts based on an airport location and their requirements.
2 steps to snow:
1. need snow next week, next month, next year?
2. choose your airport
Snow next week - forecast powder snow
For the ‘Powder Hound’ with a week off work and in need of powder. The search is powered by live weather data to allow a user to find all resorts near an airport that have snow forecast in the following week, sorted in descending order of distance.
Snow next month - good existing snow
Designed for the ‘mid season booker’ who are flying into a regional alpine airport and want resorts with good snow depths. The snow search allows the user to find the resorts with the best snow depth in the region around the airport.
Snow next year - high resorts / high lifts
For the ‘early bird’ booker who wants to book in advance and need either a high resort or high altitude lifts to ensure good snow.
Priorities beyond the ‘white stuff’
Need a family resort, après ski resort, advanced skiing, ski-in, ski-out resort? The ineedsnow search also finds these resorts near regional alpine airports, with resorts listed in descending order of distance from the airport or by user rating.
We ski before we recommend
© ineedsnow.com means we have filmed, photographed and yes have been to all the European destinations that we feature! We have offices in Innsbruck, Austria and the UK and write all our own content, host all our own images and video. But what do we know? No better than visitors who write and rate their own experiences on our site. We offer equal prominence to user ratings and comments. The ratings also go to power aspects of the resort search.
Contact
matthew brown
mbrown@ineedsnow.com
+442081237716
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