Ineedsnow ski holidays blog » stubai

September powder heaven on the Stubai Glacier

mat — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:18:05 +0000

This September just gets better and better. I waded through over half a metre of new snow to get to the Stubai Glacier viewing platform to film the latest video snow report. The amount of snow that has fallen over the last few days was huge – I estimate that there was 50-70cm of new snow on the peak. Conditions on the slopes of the Stubai Glacier were as good as any time of the year and it is still September! More snow is forecast for the coming days – I am guessing October might start with pretty special conditions as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3fdLiWhpgI

The Stubai Glacier opens without me

mat — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 18:29:48 +0000

Just a few km’s down the road the Stubai Glacier opened yesterday without me – I am deep into an Msc thesis that needs submitting next week and despite the opening and the ‘moderate’ snow fall that the glacier is getting right now I have to remain focused and remember that the skiing here is going on until June next year. Focus, focus, focus…it isn’t working for me

Two weeks before the 2010/11 Tirol Snow Card kicks in

mat — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:43:17 +0000

Lots for not very much – the Tirol Snow Card is valid in 2 weeks time with access to 81 ski areas, over 960 lifts and 3100km of ski pistes. It runs from the 1^st October until the 15^th May. So lots of skiing for not much money (mine was 439 Euros last winter) and for many months – all good. The Tirol Snow Card is valid in some of the big name resorts in the Tirol including Kitzbuhel, Kuhtai, Mayrhofen, Obergurgl, Alpbach, Soll, Serfaus, Brixen, Ehrwald, Ellmau, Fieberbrunn, Finkenberg, Fiss, Galtur, Gerlos, Glungezer, Hintertux, Hochfugen, Hochgurgl, Hochkrimml, Hochzillertal, Kappl, Kaunertal, Konigsleiten, Ladis, Mutters, Nauders, Neustift, Nordpark, Patscherkofel, Pitztal, Rifflsee, Scheffau, Schlick, See, snow card, St Johann, Stubai, Westendorf, Zell am Ziller.

Freezing temperatures on the Stubai Glacier

mat — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:12:42 +0000

The Stubai Glacier delivered some fearsome weather today as it was buffeted by extreme winds throughout the morning, forcing the closure of the glacier around lunchtime. Sitting on some swinging chairs today was a pretty cold experience, in marked contrast to yesterday where the sun made the frigid air temperatures more manageable. Snow is forecast any time now as the wind dies down – there should be some great skiing on the Stubai Glacier this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDp2RgJ8Jhk

Winter arrives with snow down to Innsbruck

mat — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:44:10 +0000

Overnight snow reached as low as Innsbruck whilst the Hintertux Glacier has had a metre of snow over the last few days. Winter is here and the Hintertux Glacier, Stubai Glacier, Kaunertal Glacier, Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, Pitztal Glacier and the Solden Glaciers of Rettenbach and Tiefenbach have all seen heavy snowfall and impressive accumulations. The weather in Austria is set to remain wintry into next week. Conditions on the glaciers tomorrow could be incredible with breaks in the cloud forecast show off the deep powder.

A year since the launch of the www.ineedsnow.com blog and the winter 08/09 opening party

mat — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:12:22 +0000

What a year that was, it started with the chaotic and far from salubrious winter 08/09 opening party and reported on one of the very best winters in many years. The rest of the world was generally awful but the snow came and kept those lucky enough get some of it more sane than would have been. The season opened for us with a powder day at the start of October on the Stubai Glacier and closed with some great Spring skiing on the Hintertux Glacier. Injury free skiing for me for the first time in many winters and the skigloo were a couple of the highlights. And for the coming winter I have become a family skier with the arrival of Josh, so time to learn a whole new way of doing things. Looking forward to every second of it!

Still 3m of snow on the Stubai Glacier at the end of May

mat — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:59:46 +0000

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfxtEcRr2tQ

Cold and clear in Schlick 2000 – Stubai Valley

mat — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:57:09 +0000

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfHnYl_j3Yw