Spring ski holidays – great snow and figln – possibly the most bizarre winter sports pursuit
One pastime that is barley known outside of the Innsbruck region is ‘Figln’ or ‘Firngleiten’. Figln equipment consists of an aluminium ski that extends no further than the back of the ski boot and about 20cm beyond the front of the boot. Figln is only possible in the spring in very wet snow and takes place on steep slopes, in channels that are up to head high deep and around a metre wide – utterly bizarre. These narrow passages wind down the slopes with the Figler effectively buried beneath the piste. Rocks are often exposed requiring very sturdy equipment and wet snow avalanches spill down the passages. As previously mentioned, bizarre in the extreme.
The steep and the deep, but not as you knew it - image © ineedsnow.com
Traditionally spring tends to offer the best snow of the winter in the Austrian Tirol. New snow is frequent and whilst the warmer temperatures can see the powder deteriorate at a faster rate, there also tend to be fewer crowds and therefore new lines are easier to get. For those wanting to ski the pistes then as has been witnessed over the last weekend then conditions have just been sensational and with snow falling intermittently all week, Easter ski holidays are set to offer great skiing and snowboarding.
I have seen a pair of those crazy pizza wheels up close and i would take a huge amount of money/schnaps for me to tackle anything steeper than the learners area in the local snowdome.
I once described them to an american ski buddy …Pete H is his name and he is a man of few complicaions when it comes time for his opinion….he paused and said ‘God damm ‘ shaking his head and frowning he continued…’ Urghh Europeans are real wierd ‘
A case of only in Europe and I guess only in America as the previuos enlightened view suggests.
sir – your article is about 3 weeks to early. there is about 50 cm of new powder on seegrube, one of the best figl places around. we are still in the middle of winter! what a great winter!
Hey Ben, good to hear from you again – yes the sport of figln takes some comprehending, it is pretty much a local thing around Innsbruck, the figls are made down in the Stubai valley at a local metal workshop and whilst my model has ‘bindings’ that are hammer release only. The figln vehicles are made of solid aluminium to take the blows from the rocks that are strewn along the bottom of the channel. Get to the steepest section of the steepest ski area in the Tirol, lean back, haul up the tips, aim for the 2m deep channels and have the weirdest ride of your life. The USA is often accused of exaggeration – in this case Pete H was bang on the money.
Hey local, you are totally right, the conditions are quite superb at the moment and Figln is at least 5 weeks away. I just wanted to run the taster article to introduce the strangest of strange sports. In figln season I intend to run some more features including a look at figln fashion – christ those people wear some of the strangest kit I have ever seen – it is retro without ever re-visiting the wardrobe.
i was at seegrube this afternoon and i have never seen so much snow up there this time of the year. it is the end of march and most of the avalanche barriers you can’t even see anymore because they are completely covered by snow. the figl season will go well into june it seems!
Yes it has certainly been one of the very best winters I can remember, it is such a shame that the world economy has lost its way in such a great winter. I guess alternatively you could say it has been a great relief for those who have managed to get over to the Alps and forget about the current problems. The winter is set to go very late this year and the glaciers should be absolutely fantastic until into the summer and the figln should also be great until very late – that means strangely dressed locals carrying pieces of aluminium will be seen for some weeks north of Innsbruck.