Still 3m of snow on the Stubai Glacier at the end of May
Warm weather across the Tirol the last few days produced soft snow on the Stubai Glacier today and whilst the skiing was heavy later in the day, the snow pack up there is still something to behold – over 3m with May drawing to a close. Morning skiing on the glacier is superb with Firn snow offering effortless carving. Following overnight freezing the surface of the glacier is often hard and icy for the first couple of runs and then as the surface melts a wonderful melted depth of granular snow develops. Today I made a few turns with a blogger from Minneapolis, USA – Matt flew into Vienna last night and was on the snow this morning – highly committed! And for those who form stereotypes get this – I, the European had Ribs and chips for lunch and no beer, Matt from the USA took a salad and a beer.
Protective thermal / reflective blankets shield the south facing areas of the Stubai Glacier during the summer months – image © ineedsnow.com
The Stubai Glacier offers year round skiing and snowboarding one of the few places in the Alps to offer this. Remedial work was ongoing this week to protect some of the more exposed and higher areas of the Stubai Glacier from melting due to strong sun and warmer temperatures. The glacier deploys reflective thermal blankets at the upper reaches of the glacier, particularly on the south facing areas in order to preserve a thickness of the glacier that will over time feed the lower areas of the glacier. The north facing side of the Stubai Glacier that comprises the biggest ski area on the Stubai Glacier is open all summer down to the Eisgrat lift station. One thing I would be confident of, there will be one or two more powder days on the Stubai Glacier before mid summer sets in, there always is.
I had a great time yesterday and there is no way I would’ve been able to pull it off without Matt’s help. Not only did he pick me up in the morning, drive me out there, and get me setup with rental equipment but he also was able to pull off a free lift ticket! I had literally never met the guy in person before! I was very impressed with his knowledge of the area and we had a great time hitting all the different runs that were open. As a person who snowboards frequently, I know its important to figure out real-time mountain conditions so that you don’t spend your whole day somewhere that sucks. Matt was able to provide the first-hand knowledge of the mountain that I needed in order to make a good decision on where to spend the day. He had a great attitude and was fun to ride with. Thanks again!
Generous words Matt, although I would counter that anyone who has flown in from the mid west of the USA to get some summer glacier skiing in Austria deserves to make the most of the trip. I have to say I was pretty jealous watching you supping that cold beer on the balcony of the Gamsgarten. Car keys in pocket and a 19 day old son at home meant drinking was not really an option – my time will come again!