Winter 08/09, well it is finally here and what a really great start.
Powder skiing on the Stubai Glacier with 60cm of new snow over Friday and Saturday – and it is the 5th October!. The runs are complete down to the Gamsgarten base and the red 9 and blue 7 down to Gamsgarten were as good as any time in any season – genuinely superb skiing. The new snow was groomed later in the day and the pistes were absolutely perfect. Off-piste was limited to a few safe areas but there were some excellent lines. There were a few up there but no real crowded pistes or lifts. Later in the afternoon the pistes were almost empty. One highlight was getting access to the ‘Summit platform’ which was closed due to the heavy snowfall. A minute with the ‘lifty’ and a bit of Tirolean dialect sprinkled in and the door to the stairway was open – great views and some big drops.
perfect snow on the stubai glacier 5th October 2008 – image © ineedsnow.com
It is making me hugely jealous just reading about it!! Will it be the same conditions on all the Glaciers in Austria ???
The simple answer is – not 100% sure, that is the first glacier that I have skied this autumn season. What I do know is that the Hintertux had great conditions as well as the Kaunertal Glacier. Conditions are much warmer today and this week so much of the snow will have compacted so don’t expect powder skiing again just yet. Hardly unique but the conditions on the 5th Oct were all the same outstanding for any time in year. Watch out for skiers and boarders who think they can take up exactly where they left off last winter though. There are some pretty out of condition / form people using the glaciers this time of the year. Enjoy it all the same.