International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Arlberg Easter

[fatbob]

The Arlberg has been delivering the goods this Easter



Top of Stuben looking toward Zuers



North face Albona





Some other crusty mank



Guesthouse resident decor

 

[Philpug]

Looks like a Trip Report to me...moving it.

 

[Jacob]

Which town/village did you stay in for your trip? Did you manage to get over to Warth or Sonnenkopf?

 

[fatbob]

Stayed in Pettneu. Didn't make it to Warth or even bother with the Flexen/Fiascobahn. Sonnenkopf would have been a good call Sunday but high winds and absolute zero vis shut down lifts on Galzig meaning couldn't ski over to the Stuben bus stop.

 

[Jacob]

How were the crowds at the main base lifts in the mornings?

I've never been in the Arlberg area during any school holidays, so I've always wondered how busy it can get.

 

[James]

Wow, that looks nice. So what area do you buy a pass for?

 

[fatbob]

Wow, that looks nice. So what area do you buy a pass for?

It's all one pass. Quite expensive for Europe 5 days averaged Euro 48/day. You can actually get epic reciprocal tix but that's contingent on staying in 5 star hotels so any savings are more than lost

 

[fatbob]

St Anton town from the Rendl gondi this pm. Now at ZRH not as much fun.

 

[fatbob]

How were the crowds at the main base lifts in the mornings?

I've never been in the Arlberg area during any school holidays, so I've always wondered how busy it can get.

I was uploading Naserein at opening so not too much of a problem. Get a slow start though and a bit challenging. About 5 mins at Rendl Sunday when whiteout/wind had closed out Galzig.

 

[Jacob]

I was uploading Naserein at opening so not too much of a problem. Get a slow start though and a bit challenging. About 5 mins at Rendl Sunday when whiteout/wind had closed out Galzig.

That's funny that Galzig was closed but Rendl was open. The couple of times that I've seen wind closures in St. Anton, it was the other way around.

I always thought that the Rendl lift would be more susceptible to high winds because of the way it goes over that crest (not far from where you took the photo above).

 

[Bolder]

Why did you call it the "fiasco"-bahn? Article on Skimag touts Flexenbahn as the greatest thing since sliced brot...curious as I'd love to go the Arlberg someday.

 

[fatbob]

Why did you call it the "fiasco"-bahn? Article on Skimag touts Flexenbahn as the greatest thing since sliced brot...curious as I'd love to go the Arlberg someday.

Yep that's about the size of it - something they can brag about in the media and advertising (& we know that ski journalism is never too challenging in rebutting marketing claims - and claim a huge continuously lift linked area, along with hyping The White Ring and The Run of Fame (both nonsense BTW). There was nothing wrong with the old bus link from Rauz to Zuers and in fact it kept the "I don't like riding buses" snobs away or at least in their private taxi vans.

Main problem is that it dumps a lot of people from St Anton into Zuers where they end up on a run above their abilities if they ride to the top, then the cricuit to Lech is one way and you reach at Madloch and Zug old creaky 2 man centre pole chairs as the sole uplift hence queues of up to an hour at the former. The rich folk staying in Zuers and Lech apparently aren't too keen on the riff raff from St Anton clogging their slopes either. Basically they shouldn't have been enabling the full circuit until they'd upgraded those lifts first.

Then critically after getting back from Lech Zuers the main piste (Happy Valley) has been shut all season officially due to avy risk but rumoured heavily to be due to politics with a local farmer (which is kinda ridiculous for a ski area with the profile of the Arlberg). This means tired punters returning to St Anton are forced down a steep and bumpy black run or have to be fast enough to catch the last lift up so they download.



Among those who value the freeride/offpiste qualities of the area it is seen at something which adds no value but that the hype encourages a lot of tourist traffic and lift congestion that would otherwise be more dispersed.

 

[Jacob]

FWIW, my last trip to St Anton was the first season that the Flexenbahn was open, and I didn't have any problems with crowds or bottlenecks. That said, it was mid-January, not school holiday time, so crowds weren't really an issue in any part of the area. Also, snow conditions were excellent, so I was able to pop off the piste on the downward leg towards Zuers.

For me, the biggest hassle in the Arlberg area is getting from Zuers to Lech. I always end up on a scraped-down, icy ski route that bottlenecks into a flat spot, so it can be difficult finding enough space to build up the speed necessary to avoid skating/poling my way to the one lift heading towards Lech.