Good snow – poor light, Schlick 2000, Innsbruck
With what seems to have been light snow each day this last week around Innsbruck and further snow over night, the snow cover in the Innsbruck region resorts is excellent. Today I dropped in on Schlick 2000, a resort connected to Innsbruck by tram and part of the Stubai Valley region. The area is compact, features superb scenery and offers great skiing for beginners and some excellent off-piste for those wanting to seek it out. It is not ideal for intermediates(they need to head down the valley to the Stubai Glacier for some of the best intermediate skiing to be found in Austria). The snow conditions were good with skiing right back to the resort. The skies were less welcoming however and with hazy skies and flat light. There were a good number of people there which should take some of the strain off the Stubai Glacier. Those at Schlick 2000 were treated to an après ski festival after the lifts closed featuring a Super Tramp cover band from Germany – quality stuff!
Schlick 2000 - Innsbruck, opening day 061208 - image © ineedsnow.com
Just got word from an old friend ..Rigger Mike ( oil rig worker !!) I know very origonal… He’s in the north atantic on a rig missing his family and the mountains …he was a one time regular at Breckenridge…Possibly one of the reasons that the Brtish army has such a shody reputation results from his early forrays behind enemy lines in the a ‘Coloradan’drinking scene…hope he doesn’t go for a swim soon and that he gets himself back on his neon ironing board !!!
Take care Mike see you soon hopefully
Hey Rigger Mike, get yourself off the ocean and on the snow
sorry mat, but I really disagree! Schlick is, in my opinion really cool for advanced skiers too, thats one reason why many of the locals prefer Schlick to the Glacier. And secondly the atmosphere in the resort is really authentic (for me)…you find real nice restaurants with lovely food…and it’s not that “mass processing” as it is on the glacier. which doesn’t mean the glacier is not a good option to spend some great ski days…
You know what you are absolutely right, Schlick has little on-piste for better skiers and snowboarders but I really like the ski route down from the Kreuzjoch, I did that in powder years ago and it was a beaut. I have always wanted to try some routes down into Fulpmes on the eastern face but have never thought it is stable. You see a few tracks though each time you take the gondola.
Kathy, I forgot to ask, how was the skiing last Saturday? I heard that you were planning to get the new Roxy twin tips on the snow at Schlick
well shame on me…too wasted to try them…and this weekend I couldnt go either…had to study…but next weekend I’ll send you some pics of my new-ski-experience