International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Booking a trip for March 2022 to the Arlberg

[Cheizz]

If I was to go there again, I would stay in Stuben. Most central and a nice small town (I definitely would not be staying in St. Anton - too loud for my taste). If I would marry into wealth maybe Zürs might be an option too.

 

[Ulmerhutte]

If I was to go there again, I would stay in Stuben. Most central and a nice small town (I definitely would not be staying in St. Anton - too loud for my taste). If I would marry into wealth maybe Zürs might be an option too.

Stuben is a pretty, classic alpine village, and quiet. If you are going for a week, then it might be a good choice. IMHO, I would not pick Stuben for a longer stay. There are very few shops because it is small. Not that many choices for eating out. On days when lifts are closed because of storm or avi risk, Stuben is usually cut off (Albona 1 & 2 are usually first to close). You could get out by bus to Lech or Klösterle, assuming the passes are open, but that is a bit of a gaff.

Warth might be a better option, it is fairly quiet but just a bit bigger, with some sheltered runs for storm days. The powder over there lasts longer, for much of it is north-facing. You have access to the rest of the Arlberg via the Auenfeldjet. https://www.warth-schroecken.at/en/region-arlberg/places/warth.html

Another alternative might St Jakob or even Pettneu. Both are pretty villages, but with easy access to St Anton, via the free ski bus (Linie 2). There is a decent supermarket close by, ie M-Preis, and quite a few restaurants. Shopping and eating out in St Anton is also a easy option. Added bonus: accommodation is somewhat cheaper than St Anton.

If you come into serious money, then consider a place in Oberlech (sunny and fantastic views from most aspects) or hang out with Sebastian Vettel in Zug (quiet, discreet, and just around the corner from Zürs and Lech).

 

[Sibhusky]

Well, I'm already booked in Lech, so let's not get too adrift. We'll be staying at the Hotel Garni Edelweiss, which is close to the Schlosskopfbahn. Any tips about where to stow shoes or pack them around all day? Places to eat? Things not to miss doing?

 

[Ulmerhutte]

1. 
   
2. I'm leaning towards Lech rather them St. Anton because I really want a lower key experience. I hate crowds, especially what I've seen of the end-of-day runs at St. Anton. But it's my daughter who is accompanying me and she likes terrain. I've suggested she go with a guide group a time or two, but don't know if that will satisfy her in Lech.
3. How hard is it to get from St. Anton to Lech? We'll have luggage, like I said. (As a fallback, I know we can rent skis, but I'm really picky about my tuning (and plan to bring my guides and stuff, not wax.). I can't imagine them tuning to my specs and actually being happy.) I get that there is a ski bus, but how compatible will that be with large luggage and a Skitube? Because of this issue, I start leaning back to just staying in St. Anton.
4. EDIT. Have now booked and paid for Lech. Have discovered I can take the train to Langer am Arlberg and it's a shorter trip to Lech.

Just some bits of information:

Not all trains stop at Langen. If you cannot get a connection that works, then get off at St Anton and take a taxi. I don't know the exact cost, but I suspect it will be less that EUR100.

On terrain: Zürs is a major jumping off point for off-piste adventures. If you can obtain Andy Thurner's "Off-Piste" book, you will get a good idea of what is on offer. http://arlberg-guides.at/eng/books-skitouring-offpiste/ The book is however a bit dated. The Flexenbahn and Auenfeldjet have been installed since the book was written, and the pistes have been renumbered, changing some of the directions, but it is still a great book. If you can score Andy as a guide, then you are in for a treat. He is a close friend of a friend. A consummate professional and lovely person.

There are plenty of places in Zürs that provide for off-piste / side-piste adventures without a guide, ie the whole line, from entry to exit, is visible from a lift or another vantage point. That does not mean they are necessarily always safe from avalanches, but navigation is not an issue (so seek local advice on the day). Examples include: Hasenfluh, under the old Trittkopfbahn cable, and Oschenboden.

One of the steepest, groomed runs in Europe is in Lech, ie LangerZug. https://www.lechzuers.com/en/winter/winter-sports/skiing/langer-zug Since it is in the shade for most of winter, the snow is almost always good. As a bonus, you exit through summer forest roads, with lovely filtered views of Lech & Oberlech.

Stuben, which is readily accessible via the Flexenbahn, is the jumping off point for many classic Arlberg tours, eg Maroikopf to Langen. You should definitely go with a guide on these tours. Apart from navigation, you will not be able to assess the snow conditions until you are into them.

If you have any more questions, just shoot. I have done 18 winters in the Arlberg, only missing this year because of covid lockdowns. (Grrrhhh!!!)

 

[Sibhusky]

We're going to stay overnight in Innsbruck first near the station, so I think I can figure out the train to Langen by then. The taxi ride is cheaper, more like 50€.

Roughly how steep and long is the steep section of the Langer Zug? As I said above, the You Tube video I saw said it was the steepest run (assumed groomed) in Austria. That won't mean a thing to my daughter, but I'm sure I have my limits. I see it says 80%, but I have no idea what the grade is here on Heep Steep, I guess I'll have to see if I can figure that out. It didn't look bad in the video, but Go Pros make things look flat. I may try to figure out how to meet up with her at the bottom.

 

[Ulmerhutte]

If you are competent and reasonably confident black run skier, then you will have little problem with Langerzug. The run is groomed, plenty wide, and usually very quiet.

How long is the steep bit? Hard to answer. Depends on what you define as "steep". I also find it hard to judge distances on snow. As a rough (very rough) guess: from the take-off point to where it flattens at the bottom of the valley, maybe 500m??? The first (maybe) 200 metres is the steepest part - you cannot see the slope when you first push off. A fall here, especially at speed, would likely result in a long slide. I have done it tens of times and still respect that section (as I actually do for most slopes!).

BTW: once at the take-off point, ie at the top of the Schafalp lift, you are committed - the walk out is prohibitively long.

You could arrange to meet your daughter at the Schlosskopfbahn, or anywhere else in Lech. There is no viable option to meet up after you leave Ruffikopf until you get back to Lech at Schlosskopfbahn.

I must say I am surprised that the taxi is only EUR50. Are you sure that is not per person? The other option is to use a transfer company from INN to Lech, eg https://www.alpinbus.com/transfers-in-austria/innsbruck-airport-to-lech-am-arlberg/ I see they quote EUR183 for 2 people for the trip on a Saturday in January.

Ohhh, and the name of the station is Langen am Arlberg, not Langer.

 

[Johnfmh]

I have skied many times in the Arlberg but not since 2016. My wife, a European, believes the skiing is much better in the US West—fewer people, better snow, equally good uphill transportation, more disciplined lift lines, etc. But I must say I miss the gemutlichkeit of Austria—the great food, charming villages, pastries and beer, and the amazing public transit. Definitely worth doing once or twice.

We never take skis because it really is a hassle to schlep them on trains. The Strolz stores at Lech feature all the latest and greatest equipment—especially Austrian brands (Head, Kastle, Atomic). I would, however, bring boots unless you plan to have custom boots made at Strolz. When you enter the main Stolz store in Lech, they used you give you a glass of champaign—now that’s service. Not sure that tradition is still alive given the pandemic.

With the train, the stop is Langen am Arlberg and I have two recommendations. 1. Pay a bit extra for first class tickets. The car will be less crowded and have much more luggage space available. 2. Be sure to you have a plan for getting from the bus stop downtown in Lech to your hotel.

You might want to hire a guide the first day if you plan to ski off piste. It is easy to get in a lot of trouble very quickly off piste, and off piste in Austria means even just a foot to the side of the trail. If the weather is overcast or snowing, flat light is also a huge issue. Warth gets a lot of ski busses on weekends so it is better midweek. Zuers can be very crowded but it offers some of the best terrain, especially the ski routes back to Lech. Don’t miss Albona (above Stuben) and Rendl. Also, Schindler must be done at least once.

Good luck. Enjoy.

 

[Ulmerhutte]

With the train, the stop is Langen am Arlberg and I have two recommendations. 1. Pay a bit extra for first class tickets. The car will be less crowded and have much more luggage space available. 2. Be sure to you have a plan for getting from the bus stop downtown in Lech to your hotel

^^^This!!! Emphatically. Go first class and get seat reservations, especially if travelling on Saturday. The trains can also be busy during the week. St Anton & Langen are on the mainline between Wien and Zürich, and lots of business people travel on the EC and Railjet trains on that line.

 

[Jacob]

Well, I'm already booked in Lech, so let's not get too adrift. We'll be staying at the Hotel Garni Edelweiss, which is close to the Schlosskopfbahn. Any tips about where to stow shoes or pack them around all day? Places to eat? Things not to miss doing?

In Europe in general, lodges aren’t really a thing, so there usually isn’t a place to stow a pair of shoes for the day. People tend to just walk to the lifts in their boots. Looking at the map, it looks like you’ll be a pretty short walk from the Rodelbahn. The Schlosskopf chair is closer as the crow flies, but it looks like you’d have to walk through a field to get there directly from your hotel.

I highly recommend grabbing lunch one day at the restaurant at the top of the Zursersee lift. It’s got good food and views. Although to be fair, there are a few others around the area that are the same. You’ll be spoiled for choice.

 

[Jacob]

Roughly how steep and long is the steep section of the Langer Zug? As I said above, the You Tube video I saw said it was the steepest run (assumed groomed) in Austria. That won't mean a thing to my daughter, but I'm sure I have my limits. I see it says 80%, but I have no idea what the grade is here on Heep Steep, I guess I'll have to see if I can figure that out. It didn't look bad in the video, but Go Pros make things look flat. I may try to figure out how to meet up with her at the bottom.

I think this video does a decent job of showing the steepness (skip to 2:45)


The skiing on show isn’t great, but it gives you an idea how challenging it is.

 

[James]

I see it says 80%, but I have no idea what the grade is here on Heep Steep, I guess I'll have to see if I can figure that out.

I really dislike slope percentage. I suppose it’s good for roads, as degrees would sound like nothing.

Slope percentage is defined as the vertical rise divided by the horizontal run.
A 100% slope is 45 degrees, equal rise and run.
Conveniently, tan is the opposite/adjacent


So we can use the inverse tan calculator. tan(-1)
tan(-1) of 1 = 45 degrees
80% slope = 80 units rise per 100 units run, 80/100 = 0.8.
tan(-1) 0.8 = 38.7 degrees

I’m sure @dbostedo can tell you which slope at Whitefish is closest. Now closest groomer he’d need local input.

 

[Sibhusky]

The Schlosskopf chair is closer as the crow flies, but it looks like you’d have to walk through a field to get there directly from your hotel.

Supposedly you ski to it.

 

[Sibhusky]

I think this video does a decent job of showing the steepness (skip to 2:45)


The skiing on show isn’t great, but it gives you an idea how challenging it is.

@Fuller Expect and insist that I do a lot of No Name and Heep Steep this winter. This snow looks better than Heep Steep, but it might have been a better than normal day when this was filled. If it's edgeable then I can do it. If it's hard pack, I'm in trouble. The problem is I'm committed.

 

[dbostedo]

Roughly how steep and long is the steep section of the Langer Zug?

Per FATMAP, it tops out at 37 degrees. That's very steep for a groomer.



Looking at the profile, the steep part is about 1000 vertical feet, give or take. (hard to read on these profiles).



The Caltopo profile of the steep part shows a bit more detail and max of 35 degrees:



FATMAP is great for looking at the terrain though, since it's 3D and you can zoom, pan, and rotate.... here's another view showing how it comes down through a big chute:

 

[Sibhusky]

Looked at the info for our trails, this might be a bit much. For me, not my daughter. There is a section of Power Trap that scares me and it's only 33°.

The problem is you can't meet back at the lift that took you up, but one that goes up the other side of the valley.

 

[Sibhusky]

I noticed Fat Map is missing large bunches of trails for Whitefish. I'll have to carry my phone with me next season.

 

[Jacob]

Supposedly you ski to it.

Could be. I can’t really get a good 3D look at that area on my maps app. If it’s flat(ish), then you could skate/pole across the field.

That said, it looks like it would take less than 5 minutes to walk to the Rodelbahn along the road.

 

[Sibhusky]

I think we'll be doing both, depending on what the plan is for the day.

 

[dbostedo]

I noticed Fat Map is missing large bunches of trails for Whitefish. I'll have to carry my phone with me next season.

I don't know Whitefish at all... it looks like the full trail map is in FATMAP, but I could not be seeing some things. You do have to make sure you have the activity set to "Resort Skiing" or you mostly just see the lifts.

 

[Sibhusky]

They've got the Flower Port chair, but none of the runs, really. I didn't even check to see if they've got the new runs over in Hellroaring