Kitzbuhel 2024

[Hawk]

Like Kusty, we book our trips in August when we are bored. This year we are doing the 4th of 5 IKON Europe destinations, Kitzbuhel. I know all about the Hahnenkamm Races including The Streif Downhill but I know little else. A friend told me that there is unlimited back country all around. Anybody got any intel of the "don't miss" category? or insite on do's and don'ts? We Booked a Flight into Innsbruck and are taking the 1 hr train into Kitzbuhel.

 

[ThatGuy]

Post some pictures when you go! Hopefully the Alps get more snow this season than last.

 

[LonghornSkier]

Like Kusty, we book our trips in August when we are bored. This year we are doing the 4th of 5 IKON Europe destinations, Kitzbuhel. I know all about the Hahnenkamm Races including The Streif Downhill but I know little else. A friend told me that there is unlimited back country all around. Anybody got any intel of the "don't miss" category? or insite on do's and don'ts? We Booked a Flight into Innsbruck and are taking the 1 hr train into Kitzbuhel.

What time of year are you going? Kitzbuhel is pretty low elevation so hopefully in the dead of winter.

Was in Lech Zurs last year for Christmas and the skiing was very elevation dependent (good above 2k meters, mediocre between 1800-2000m, and downright depressing below).

 

[Hawk]

Mid February. I don't worry about that much anymore. It is what it is and whatever it is we find something that is fun to ski.
I skied at St Anton / Zurs / Lech about 5 years ago. We had everything under the sun for weather. That is a very big place.

 

[2Planker]

Spent winter of 90/91 in Stutgart. Kitzbuhl was one of our favorite places to go back then

 

[Hawk]

2 Planker, what do I need to know? I know you have similar tastes as me.

 

[2Planker]

2 Planker, what do I need to know? I know you have similar tastes as me.

1 Don't drink too much Austrian brew.
2 Brings $$$ for tips
3 Eat lunch of the Mt

 

[crank]

We are thinking about either Kitz or Cham or Jackson Hole for our February trip. Outside chance of SLC. All I know is it will be somewhere that takes Ikon.

 

[2Planker]

We are thinking about either Kitz or Cham or Jackson Hole for our February trip. Outside chance of SLC. All I know is it will be somewhere that takes Ikon.

Chamonix is where everyone should go first. Chamonix is more skiable acres than K, SR, Stowe, SB, Mt Blo, & Okemo combined.
On Piste, Off Piste, we spent 14 days there. Skied 12 days and still left a few places for "next time"

 

[crank]

This would be our second time for Chamonix. I've never skied in Austria. My wife has a few times.

 

[Hawk]

OK so I have been to Cham twice, Zermatt, St Anton and Ski Dolimiti.
This is the order I would do these if I was to start over.
1) Like 2Planker says, everybody should go to Cham first. The cradel of mountaineering. The mystique and the vibe are incredible and the town and skiing are both great. The only con for me was that you have to take transportation(Car, Buss or Train) to get to Le Tour, Grands Montets/Argentière or Les Houches.
2) I've already raved about Zermat. Simply magical, huge place, many lifts, highest elevation in Europe for skiing, endless possibilites for off piste, good food, great vibe. Con - Hard to get to. you have to take a train. We flew into Genieva and had a change over in Visp.
3) Ski Dolimiti is the biggest area by far with the most sking. The italians measure skiing in distance. Best food by far. Frendliest people by far. There is challangeing skiing but you have to seek it out and know were to go. Best Groomed terrain I have been on. Get a guide and the place will unfold. I don't have any cons for this place. Stay in Arabba.
4) St Anton, lIke Dolimiti, Huge with endless terrain and off piste. Great skiing, Great Apre, food is not as good as Italy but it is certainly a place I would go again. Con - just the food selection. You can only eat so much Schnitzel and Spetzel.

 

[Hawk]

1 Don't drink too much Austrian brew.
2 Brings $$$ for tips
3 Eat lunch of the Mt

Right! I've started my research on you tube and Vimeo. With a guide we will get it done. I've been to Ausrtia and understand that Apre and Drinking beer is professional for the Austrians. I learned the hard way in St Anton at the Krazy Kangaroo. I saw that they have bunches of huts and refuges on the mountian. We will be exporing a bunch of those. All good.

 

[tumbler]

Do you bring your skis on these trips or just boots and rent there?

 

[Hawk]

We bring a hard case ski tube that holds our 2 sets. It has wheels and a strap. Not a big deal and I hate renting.

 

[RH29]

I'm headed to St Anton in early March. Itinerary is looking something like this:

3/7: Fly to Zurich
3/8: Arrive Zurich, train to St Anton
3/9-3/11: Ski St. Anton/Arlberg
3/11, evening: Train from St Anton to either Davos or Andermatt. Likely the former as we didn't get Epic passes before the price went up, and the lodging there is very affordable.
3/12-3/13: Ski
3/13 evening: Head to Zurich
3/14: Explore Zurich, fly home in late afternoon

After the terrible snow year in the French alps last year, we were very hesitant on Chamonix and even Zermatt - the pricing for Zermatt didn't help. Settled on St Anton because of the exorbitant snowfall that region gets at elevation - even if things are crappy down in the valley, we can get up to Lech and Warth. Chose either Davos or Andermatt for the second leg of the trip mainly because of the train routes - it would've been a full day of travel to go to Zermatt or something. I may also flip it to put the Swiss leg before the Austrian one, but that's dependent on a few things.

Curious to hear tips from people who've done a similar trip before. Obviously the food isn't as great as Italy, but I've still heard very good things about it from people who've been to St Anton before.

 

[Hawk]

Here are some links, Click through the tabs on Sidney Riely's site for sking and apres. They also have lodging.
Life of Riley
Snow on line map
Main Website Weather
Lech / Zurs Main Site
J2Ski Site

 

[crank]

I've brought skis to Europe and I've rented. Will likely rent if we go.

 

[Hawk]

OK Back from Kitzbuhel. I'll keep this brief. As everyone knows they did not have a great year for snow so far. It has been warm for the last couple of weeks and there is no snow in the valley. This did make it difficult to ski Off piste back to the village but it did not stop us from some really good adventures up high and on North facing slopes. The place is really big with a tremendous amount of side country right off the lift. On a good snow year the untracked possibilites are basically unlimited. The dining on slope is really good also with like 50 huts serving all kinds of different food. Not just Schitzel. LOL. Lifts are mostly all modern with 6's, 8's, gondolas and trams and guess what.....they don't stop all the time. Lots of really fancy people. Bogner, Fur, Gold, Onepiece madness. The Hahnenkalm, Strief is no joke. Really steep, off camber winding it's way down the hill. I do not know how you stay on that slope at 70-80 mph. The town is off the hook. Many bars and resturaunts and things get hopping after 9pm. Apre is also really good on and off the slope.

So for my skiing experience, it was a mix but we got a break on the 2nd day. It snowed and then we had squalls. The guide we hired Mathias called us and said, move your resi to tomorrow. I have a cancelation. we did and it paid off.

I would go there agin in a heart beat......