Warning: this post may be ski-technical in nature. If your name is not Uncle Peter, proceed at your own risk. If your name is Uncle Peter, buckle up and tell Aunt Donna you’re occupied for a few too many paragraphs.

I know you have concerns about booking a ski trip out here. You've skied the Alps before, you weren't impressed, and you don't want to do it again. But that was also decades ago...Now that I’ve gathered a season’s worth of data I’d like to address those concerns and give you the opportunity to re-assess.

First, we need to recognize that the Alps are a large mountain range: when you say “the Rockies”, there’s a ginormous difference between Kicking Horse up in Canada and the Colorado groomers, let alone the peaks of New Mexico. Ditto the Alps, stretching from France, through Switzerland and across northern Italy (surprising wide when most just think of the skinny little boot), and across half of Austria. [Plus a bit of southern Bavaria, but let’s ignore the German ski resorts as I agree you shouldn't go there.] What you remember or may have heard about specific areas simply may not be true in the broader sense. My input comes from 3 trips to France and then the rest are all western Switzerland and Austria.

Concern 1: The snow quality isn’t that good [and, it could be argued this is all that matters]

It is often firm, yes. Storms aren’t as deep, (especially in the eastern Alps where we are). Even with a good storm, the bounty is likely to be windblown.

BUT

Individual storms roll in from every which direction, such that there is usually good snow somewhere. Your average gaper may not know where that is, but by following the right blogs, we can try to find that good snow. For example, when Lee visited from Scotland this February for our first snow turns together in 6 years, we had planned two day trips to the nearby Austrian Alps. Friday night, at the Brauhaus with probably too many brews in our bellies, we open the apps and start reading the reports. We see that all the usual suspects nearby (St Anton, Hochflügen, Sölden) are looking mediocre, so we adjust the plan – we instead drive twice as far, towards the Italian/Slovenian border to a little-known-in-the-western-lore resort called Nassfeld. We have one of the best powder days of the year, with a foot of blower, fresh tracks easily hikable [fig 1], and yelps out of both of our powder-seasoned lungs. We only got a half day (due to the longer drive) but rendered it a complete success thanks to being: yup – FLEXIBLE.

And even if we can’t course-correct like that, within any mountain, there’s a LOT of variability. These mountains are big. Really big. So if one aspect isn’t skiing well, you can just hunt further up, further down, or further around: there’s likely to be more fun out there.

Verdict: MYTH

Fig 1: Yes, even snowboarders can make pretty turns - Lee & Dave's Nassfeld tracks — *Fig 1:* Yes, even snowboarders can make pretty turns - Lee & Dave's Nassfeld tracks

Concern 2: It’s dangerous to have fun.

It’s a semi-myth that only groomers are “in bounds” and maintained; there are a few “off-piste” runs that are considered in bounds by patrol. But mostly, if you follow the trailmap, you’re only on groomers. And groomers aren’t fun (though, they’re maintained much better over here, so they can be turny and enjoyable……wait, and you ski groomers 90% of your east coast year! But I digress, we like good snow and good snow means off groomers). So off-piste is (mostly) not patrolled. There are no signs. There’s avalanche risk, there’s cliff risk, there’s risk of getting lost. You could die. And after however many years you've been skiing, you’re not looking to die on an off-piste run: I get it. But, chill (you too, mom). The risk is minimal with just a few iotas of brain power. Play it at least medium-smart, and you’re completely totally fine. You should bring avy gear, read the snow report, and be cognizant of what you’re doing. But then you should do it because, again, you’re fine – especially where we’ll be going. I will never take Sarah to a scary spot, and Sarah has an eye for what's safe - and look what she can easily find in fig 2.

Verdict: mostly MYTH

Fig 2: Sarah easily found some boot deep pow with zero avy risk. — *Fig 2: S*arah easily found some boot deep pow with zero avy risk.

Concern 3: it takes work to have fun.

We have to be creative, yes. We have to do some trial-and-error, sure. We may have to ride an ice field or cross some rocks or traverse a melting creek to make it back. If you don’t want to do this work, then the verdict will be TRUTH. But I think you’re adventurous enough while your skis are on.

The bigger issue you’d have is that some small hikes can really help enhance the fun quite a bit. Not always the case (see fig 2 again), but we're going to encounter times when we should hike. Especially since we're going to have our head on a swivel on the chairlift, always alert for where the good snow might be. For instance, fig 3 was found at the very top of Engelberg, with just 15 minutes of uphill walking, seen from fig 4. It was tiring at 12k feet, but it was silky smooth, top to bottom visible and safe, and an effort you should be willing to put in…if you aren’t, then swallow your pride and let me carry your skis and let’s go. Fig 5 displays lines after another 15 min walk, this one mostly flat along a ridge, at Hochflügen. The important point is that we’re not talking about all-day, tiring, searching – we’re talking about just little movements to get to where the masses aren’t.

Verdict: MYTH (well, it’s true, but it’s not too much effort and we should do it)

*Fig 3: An otherwise mediocre day saved by a short hike.*

*Fig 4: the turns from Fig 3 required just a short (tiring) walk up the peak over my shoulder and down the leftern most portion visible*

*Fig 5: blow this one up, it's hard to see, but those turns stretching up to the top, 1500 vertical feet, could be yours if you're okay with a little ridge walk*

Concern 4: It’s hard to go with a group of varying ability

“I’ll meet you at the bottom of the quad” doesn’t cut it when the 8 quads off the top each end in a different village often with their own zipcode. Instructions must be precise. And timing must be flexible because it’s so damn easy to be 30+ minutes away from where you thought you were. Solution: a run with Sarah/Donna in the morning, a well thought-out lunch spot, and a run after lunch. The rest of the day can be a girls day! Lucky them! They’re going to enjoy it so much!

(ok, easier said than done, so start laying the groundwork months in advance).

Verdict: TRUTH

Concern 5: The liftlines are chaos.

On busy days, it’s a cluster getting onto the lifts. But usually isn’t an issue. Even if it were, you’ve got over a half century of practice, you’ll be fine. And let’s be honest, wouldn’t you rather take the singles line every lift if societal norms allowed it?

Verdict: MYTH (well, ok, can be true sometimes, so the verdict should be: WHO CARES)

Concern 6: Visibility

When you can’t see, you really can’t see. Many places are above treeline, and so there’s no recovery during any sort of a storm day. It can be a complete waste of a day and really suck. Even groomers are scary. Sometimes I think why the hell anyone is out…but on the flip side, not many people are out (no crowds!). And the weather does change, either in whole or for some parts of the mountain. Last April in Engelberg, I had a ski-tip-visibility sort of day. I enjoyed the completely empty slopes, venturing just-barely-off-piste to get completely untouched turns, knowing I’d easily get back to the run. No pictures because, you know, you couldn’t see shit. Sure, I flew off a 10’ cliff completely positive while in the air that I’d ended my snowboard career, but I landed softly, rode away, and told myself I’d never blog about that moment. The point is, see fig 5: two hours later, a little bit of a break in the sky, and I had one of the most epic off-piste runs I’ve ever had (at least since Sölden, 2010, with Lee).

And sometimes, these are the days to just take the dog cross-country (fig 6). I know, I didn’t think it could be any fun either, but maybe you’d learn to enjoy it like I did.

Verdict: TRUTH

*Fig 5: Can't see on 80% of the mountain, but it was sure sweet up top*

*Fig 6: their fun at this 'sport' is infectious*

Concern 7: You need to hire a guide

Some people love this aspect. Lindsay’s boyfriend Cory totally dug his guide in Chamonix with his friends. For me, there’s something about it that just isn't the same. Maybe the loss of creativity, loss of accountability, loss of risk. No: I don’t love risk, so I dunno. It is absolutely true that a guide provides plenty of safe off-piste fun. If you want to do the single most famous run in the world, Vallee Blanche off of Mt Blanc in Chamonix, you need a guide (Australian Shannon and I considered doing it in 2011 without a guide, but my risk-dar said No). And a couple of days post-snow, a guide really makes a difference. But maybe you’re okay with the whole guide-thing (you don’t complain about it while heli-skiing), so maybe we can do it one day. Andrew: you too. Arash: not you, I know, don’t worry.

Verdict: ok, fine.

Concern 8: Crowds

Lift lines suck. I’ve waited in many States-side, with hour waits in Squaw (hour++), Vail, Stowe, Snowbird, Kirkwood, Heavenly, Sugarbowl, even your venerable Alta. Never experienced anything like that in Europe, knock on wood. Partly, cuz they’re so god damn big, people spread out. Partly cuz I’ve gotten lucky to avoid ski-week where all kids have off school and all Germans head for the Alps [February and early March are danger zones for crazy crowds. January, late March are safe zones. April can be awesome].

This is one area that may have changed since you last visited - the high speed quads, brand new gondolas and spinning trams are mind-blowingly well-designed, and really fan the masses out across the mountain. They are always building building building to make your experience better.

Verdict: MYTH

Concern 9: no spring corn. [I love spring skiing. More than you do, but I think you appreciate it too.]

I’ve found spring corn elusive. It took until May of this year, on the glacier Hintertux to find the spring snow that I know and love. Worse, the avalanche courses I’ve taken have taught me to be afraid of warming snow. Tahoe skiing has taught me otherwise: there’s no danger of too-warm snow in the Tahoe snowpack. In the Alps, I’ve experienced junk snow that is not safe. Steeps must be considered carefully, decreasing the "hero" effect of spring snow that I love. Overall, this is a downer for me.

Verdict: TRUTHish

Concern 10: Steeps – the Alps are flat

Not true. ‘Nuff said. (but I’ll say more)

Not true, especially if you’re creative, work for it, and are mindful of the danger factors. I can easily meet my goal of being scared once per day (all I need is Fig 7 from Hintertux). And at most resorts, they groom some super steep angles with winchcats (I think much more so than back in your day here, thanks to improved cat technology?). Besides, it’s not like you’re skiing the Palisades (which, side note, I did on May 15th of this year and appreciate what you offer, Squaw).

Verdict: MYTH

*Fig 7: Check out the rollover effect in between the two rock bands - good pitch angle, while being inbounds but off piste and 100% safe.*

Concern 11: Elevation is low, putting snow quality at risk

Well, that’s why German resorts are not considered - they are lower elevation and feed this concern. And the media does pick up on this for a number of large European resorts which are low-ish. But every year, some region of the world has bad snow (ahem, northeast this year, and Tahoe the previous 4).

Sölden goes from 4,544' to 10,725'; Davos has snow down to the valley; St Anton has snow in every direction most of the year. Granted, the lower portions are often man-made, but when a mountain has 6k of vertical, you only need to ski the top half to be bigger than most US resorts and still have good snow.

Verdict: MYTH

First concern you don’t have but should (12): Euros learned to venture off-piste

The vast majority of family vacationers stick to those groomers, on-piste. Doesn't matter how much fun lies just next to the run, they won't venture off of it. The Alps you experienced back in the day left the goods for you alone...but times have changed. The Scandinavians (who are powder hounds) have shown the Continentals the way, and of course the snowboard-inspired ski revolution made it easier for the masses. In just the last 6 years, I've really felt a difference in how quickly the snow is skied off-piste, and chairlift chatter confirms that the good ole days are gone. Hence concern number 3. To be sure, it's still a crazy different world over here of people staying on groomers as we saw in fig 8, but the trend is very clear as fig 9 shows. (so: hurry up!)

Verdict: TRUTH

*Fig 8: at Davos, maybe this used to be totally untouched. Still, plenty of fun to have. Everyone else is on the groomers*

Fig 9: The masses are still on the groomers, but I suppose this used to be less skied out; just off the run at Hochzillertal — *Fig 9: The masses are still on the groomers, but I suppose this used to be less skied out; just off the run at Hochzillertal*

Second concern you don’t have but should (13): Traffic

The mountains are so close! With Flexibility, you can go anywhere! No mountain passes to drive over! Highways and tunnels and valley flat roads!

Well, 1) the traffic around Munich was just rated as the worst in Deutschland (fig 10), 2) the valley roads are just 2 lanes – any amount of tourist traffic and BOOM, you’ve just lost a few runs thanks to being in your car, and 3) the roads aren’t as flat as I thought: soon after convincing Sarah that we could buy a 2WD car with good snowtires, we drove to Davos in a rental 2WD with good snowtires….and got stuck (and so: the Goose is 4WD). [side note, if you do have a 2WD stick shift and your (my) tires are spinning out trying to get going, what gear should I be in?]

Verdict: The traffic and driving is just as annoying as in the US

Concern 13: You have to go to one resort for a whole week

The Euros sure do. And so accommodations assume you will. But once I reiterate for the third time that I only want to stay one night, it’s usually fine. Guesthouses are plenty happy to host for any duration, and the breakfasts are often incredible. Stay a couple miles form the resort center, in a tiny village, and see Europe from the romantic point of view, and at an affordable price – then we can take the convenient-enough bus to lifts in the morning. Or, we park at the base of the lifts and bunk up in the van!

Verdict: MYTH

Concern 14: if you’ve seen one good mountain view, you’ve seen them all

Yes, the BC Rockies are awesome. They’re huge, inspiring, and you’ve seen them so you’re done..right?

Well, I’ve seen those too, and somehow with the Alps I feel more in the mountains. They build the infrastructure to the tippity-top of the peaks where the views are best, and provide the viewing platforms to appreciate it, with gimmicks for the non-skiing tourist including glass-ceiling, suspension bridges over sheer rock cliffs and the like [fig 8]. I guess the mountain views haven't changed since you were here, but maybe you forgot?

Verdict: MYTH

*Fig 8: Suspension bridge built over 5k' straight-down drop. These views are unlike anywhere else, and Austria really wants you to know it.*

Concern 15: it’s dangerous to ski alone

Verdict: TRUTH!!

That’s why you need to book your trip: your nephew is relying on it for his safety!

Utah will still be Utah in 2 years; who knows how long we'll be here.

And if the snow sucks, there’s always the on-mountain huts with amazing food and even more amazing bier.

*Fig Delicious: Apple strudel in vanilla sauce, overlooking the world*

By: Dave