20th March 2024 | James Cove, Innsbruck, The Tirol.
We’re here in Innsbruck in the Tirol for a month or so – the ultimate Ski + City location in the Alps. 13 ski areas around the city with 23 attractions off the slopes – all on one pass. NEW
For the time being that’s enough of the smaller resorts around Innsbruck.
Since arriving a week or so ago we’ve skied Axamer Lizum, Muttereralm, Oberperfuss, Glungezer and Schlick 2000.
Read all about it in the Week One blog: PlanetSKI is in Innsbruck for an Extended Stay.
It details all that is on offer in the Ski+ City Pass, and we also have extra information at the end of this article.
Now I’m going glacier skiing.
Week Two
As our second full week in Innsbruck gets underway and the temperatures rise we’re heading high, to one of the biggest resorts on the Innsbruck Ski+City Pass.
Step forward the Stubai Glacier:
It was a joy driving up the 30km valley and seeing the high-altitude ski area getting closer and closer.
It is just a 50-minute drive from Innsbruck city centre.
It is a resort I know well and rate rather highly with its 65kms of runs.
It is Austria’s largest glacier area and in the past I have started my season here at the beginning of October and finished it in the second half of May.
Here are some stats:
36 runs (14 blues, 7 reds, 2 blacks)26 liftsLongest run is Wilde Grub’n – 10kms with 1,500m of verticalSnowpark Stubai ZooViewing platform at 3,210mIntersport shops at base and on-mountain
We chose to head to Stubai as the temperatures were forecast to go up, so not much point in skiing at 2,000m when you can ski at 3,000m.
Also, it was mid-week so the crowds should be OK.
It was a busy car park as we headed up.
Some of the main slopes were crowded so I do what I always do in such circumstances: look for the slow lifts and ideally ones with a black run off the top.
The crowds tend to avoid such areas.
Once again it worked a treat and we had the slopes to ourselves.
With some of the most stunning views of the area.
At the base of the run I simply absorbed the wonderful high altitude mountain panoramas:
When a resort is busy you need to have lunch before 12 or after 2 – you’ll find a table and have some skiing in between on less crowded slopes.
We chose to lunch late and had no trouble finding a table in the sun.
Stubai is one of those great all-round ski areas with a family and beginner area, to go with the steeper stuff.
And here’s something I haven’t been able to do in a while due to the warm temperatures melting the snow at low altitude – ski back down to the base of a ski area.
And once again there were plenty of local buses taking people back to Innsbruck after a day on the slopes.
All included the Ski+City pass.
Next up I’m visiting the ski area of Patscherkofel that is right above the city.
Look out for those reports later in the week here on PlanetSKI.
With a spot of city site seeing after.
The Golden Roof and its museum.
Plus the neighbouring Innsbruck City Tower with its fabulous views of the city.
After you have walked up the 133 steps inside the tower to get to the top.
Wow.
Do check back…
INNSBRUCK SKI+CITY INFO:
On the Ski+City Pass there’s the high-altitude glacier resort of Stubai, the ever-popular resort of Kuhtai + the hidden gems of Axamer Lizum and Schlick 2000.
Then some little-known ones off the beaten track:
PatscherkofelGlungezerBergeralmMuttereralmHochetzOberperfussSerlesElferNordkette
13 ski areas with 296 kms of slopes, 50km of ski routes and all served by 111 lifts.
They are all within an hour of the city, some are under half an hour away and one, Nordkette, has its base lift station in the centre of Innsbruck itself.
It’s a 5-minute walk from the front door of the apartment PlanetSKI has rented.
Nordkette is situated at an altitude of 2,000m with some gentle beginner slopes and a super steep descent on the ‘Karinne’ – it’s a 70% gradient and for experts only.
You wouldn’t want to be in some of the resorts for a week-long holiday, but you don’t have to be on the Innsbruck City and Ski Pass – just a day will do, thank you very much.
Then there’s the 23 attractions on the Pass including the Bergisel ski jump, The Imperial Palace, Ambras Castle, the Golden Roof museum, the Alpenzoo, the Swarovski Crystal World in Watten, the Hofkirche and many, many more.