Trip report: Glacier Alert

After I came back from my long 4x4 weekend with kids and friends and I checked wePowder, there was instant stoke: the first snow of the season! Ladies & gents: wax on and start your engines: PA # 1 of the 14-15 season is a fact and we call it the Glacier Alert! After some thinking about this alert I got a PM from a guy named Guy: hey RP, I see that you also have plans to go. Erm, yes, I certainly have! What do you say? Shall we ride together? Well, why not! My Toyota Landcruiser is in the garage for maintenance, what do you have? Mini Countryman 4x4. Say no more, where are we going?

Hintertux

Thursday, October 24 at 14:00 Guy arrived at my house and five minutes later we were on our way to Hintertux. Acco was an excellent guest house less than a kilometer from the lift and after a relatively prosperous journey (Baustellen and some stau) we arrived at 23:15. We had breakfast at 7.15 and in the lift at 8.00.

Fellow-wePowder-members

In the queue for the passes we met Roelaano and TimV who arrived at 2.00 last night. Fortunate for us there were only racers waiting and no one had the intention of skiing powder.

Bluebird

It was a bit foggy up to 2,000 meters, but then we got above the clouds … SUN! Full house bluebird and that on the first day after the dump! The wind was strong, but we were able to find some places that the wind didn’t alter that much, so we could ride great powder! It’s October, lots of snow, no stress and bluebird. What else could go right?

Shark valley

Time for some more serious work. Roel knew a nice line to the mid station, but there could be some sharks…And yes, the line was nice, the snow was deep and the sharks present. Big time. Poor skis…At the end of this valley, we got a nice hike up back to the mid station, sweating in the hot sun but it’s more than worth it. We skied Tux the whole day in great snow. What a start of the season!

Pitztaler Gletscher Zug

After a pow-wow session in a Mickey D at the end of the valley we decided to go to the Pitztaler Glacier because of the rising temperature. Roel and Tim also thought it was a good idea and would come that way as well. And so it happened. The next day we were at the lift at around 8.00 in the morning. Again, lots of racers with no intention to ski pow.

Great terrain

Although the temperature was pretty high and the influence of the wind was visible, we still found some nice snow. After skiing on the glacier, we skied a line around the ski area back to the mid station. The Pitztal delivered and we decided to drive home at one in the afternoon. What a start of the season!

Aftermath

This was a great Glacier Alert and the conditions were awesome (keep in mind that it’s still autumn). We had a full house of good conditions, enjoyed glorious sunshine and great snow! Let’s start the winter!