To swipe or to skin?
One man’s spam is another man’s ham maybe, but how does this pan out when one of the best off-piste ski areas in the Alps gets an improved lift? What happens when an existing ski lift is replaced with a higher capacity lift or terrain previously only accessible on touring skis receives a new lift? A couple of seasons ago my local ski hill in Innsbruck had 2 new gondolas installed. The Mutters and Gotzens ski areas had for several years existed as the preserve for ski tourers, the old lifts had been de-commissioned and the only way up was either on skins or via some routes out of Axamer Lizum. For several years I effectively skied a private ski piste, you would rarely see any other skier on a descent and just a couple making their way up on skins. The arrival of the new lifts brought mixed emotions. Snow cannons, piste markers and numerous piste users replaced the serenity of the area but whilst the negative aspects of this development were clear, the boost to the local area and the joy (yes genuine) at seeing others on the slopes to appreciate the superb terrain and views outweighed all other aspects for me. What must the locals of St Anton be currently thinking? For years the Rendl side of the St Anton ski region was underused and remained a locals’ hangout. For obvious reasons the lift company has invested heavily to increase the convenience and capacity of the lift accessing the Rendl ski region. Mixed emotions for sure with more competition for the famed Rendl powder routes. But St Anton locals, whatever they do are reliant on visitors and to make the visitor experience better can only benefit them and their standard of livings. And remember, at one point in time a lift didn’t exist, what would the previous users of the Rendl have thought when the lift pylons went up for the first time?
very deep & food for thought Mr Brown, probably though about this in the wee hours of the morning while rocking Josh to sleep. Looking forward to seeing the 3 of you in the very near future.
Yes it is a tough one. I had a meeting last winter with the head of one of the top off-piste ski regions in Austria. I asked about the lifts and he said that they are happy to have old and slow double chairs. New lifts with higher capacity will mean more people on the slopes he said, no more people in the resort (as development is severely restricted) and more people on the existing slopes. He asked my why they would do this and upset the experience for their existing and loyal visitors? I had no answer. For you though John I would install a beer tap on the chair so that your slow rise up the mountain is made a tad more palatable
I will miss the old Rendlbahn – yes it was slow and looked like something out of a 70’s James Bond film. However it will bring many more people to Rendl. One of my best morning’s skiing was in Rendl a few years ago and I had to catch a train at lunch time – got the first gondola up and had the slopes to myself, yes myself, for about 20-30 mins – and this was the first sunny day after 3/4 days of constant snow. The rest of the lads then joined me and we had a few hours skiing before I had to head off to Friedrichshafen and catch my flight whilst the rest of them stayed an extra couple of days – thankfully the weather closed in that day so I wasn’t too jealous!
Hi Bob
Thanks for adding that – interesting stuff. Favourite days really do stick out hey. I have never really scored any big days at St Anton to be honest but that is more bad luck than probability, Innsbruck for me has served up some great days over recent winters and powder skiing in both October and June on local glaciers in recent seasons has meant hours of untracked action. I am really split on the whole issue of lift development – they almost always add to the volume of mountain users but also invariably improve the guest experience. Sainte Foy in France or the Krippenstein Freeride Arena in Austria both have limited lift infrastructure; on the face of it, it implies a limited ski experience but as the locals know all too well, that is the magic of these places – it is about coming down, not getting up that is the real prize. So often you read ski guides running down a place with slow or limited lifts, try telling a Stuben or La Grave local that their area sucks because of old lifts, they will laugh you off the mountain. For the local it is long live the antiquated 2 chair, whilst for the visitor it is more get me up the mountain quickly and in comfort.