Pitzal

Published: 15.4.2008

One of latest stops of our walking along glacier ski winter resorts will be dedicated to Pitztal in Tirol, placed in the same valley, borderd with Otztal Alps massif. The valley, situated 60 kms in western direction from Innsbruck, is 45 kms long and its dominanta is Wildspitze Mountain, with its 3770 m the second highest mountain in Austria.

On its edge, you can find further popular winter holiday resort - Hochzeiger, as well as glacier resort Pitztaler Gletscher and Rifflsee in its neighbourhood. Pitztal alone has two glacier-priorities. In Austria we do not find glacier-resort placed in so high position, the second speciality is unique underground, allegedly the fastest in world. This resort allures especially, thanks to perfect quality and width of offered slopes, this fact stresses its attractivity. This area, at foot of highest Tirol mountain, could be taken as universal solution for relax and application of all kind of winter pleasure activities. The offer of slopes is really variegated, wide carving slopes cross sporting lines and vice versa. On contrary to its glacier brother of Hintertux, Pitztal loses as far as the extentional space is concerened, but offers more calm and quiet. The glacier act in modest and cosier way, it is a big advantage, in comparison to other overcrowded resorts.

A parking place has nothing common with ski-activities, from the first view, ski-towages and other typicals signs of standard ski-resorts are missing. Anyway, the fastest underground rope railway of the world (Pitzexpress) arises with visitors up to the altitude of 2840 m within 8 minutes! On glacier edge, we continue with extraordinary funicolar-cabin Pitz-Panoramabahn to its highest peak - Brunnenkogel (3440 m). From here, it leads a network of excellent, mostly red descent lines (they are used a lot) as many skiers wish to go here. They aim at more easy slopes at side ski-towage Brunnenkogel. From here, it is possible to prolong your way (blue descent line) to luxury six-seat Gletschersee. In the future, there will be constructed here new ski-line leading to resort-foot, in order to relieve the traffic of underground rope railway. You can use also 8-seated cabin-funicolar Mittelberg, you can follow spacy red „carving“ line (this line is ideal, thanks to its profile, for ski-descenders, as overtop exceeds relatively 600m). As to snowboardists: it is ready for them Snowborder Freestyle Park. The glacier is starting point for ski-alpinistic walking tours to Wildspitze (3768 m). Under favourable snow and weather conditions, there is a unique event for experienced skiers, 8 kms long descent along glacier from Mittelbergjoch Col (3182 m) down to Mittelberg (1740m). As to ski-runners: there is, on glacier, in an altitude of 2700 m, available a circle, 15 kms long, whereas in a valley, there is kept a trace, 21 kms long - in a section between Zaunhof (situated in valley centre) and mittelberg (placed at glacier foot).

In outskirts, we recommend to visit resorts of Rifflsee and Hochzeiger, offering standard universal palette of slopes, snowparks and ski-run circles ranging from 5 to 10 kms. As an interesting matter: possibility of freeride skiing outside arranged slopes, leading mostly through steep channel. The second winter-resort, Hochzeiger, belongs to the best what Tirol can offer. Local slopes serve as training corridor of experienced profesionals. Universal slopes are changed with running lines of highest requirements. Perfect ski-event is 3,5 kms long descent from Hochzeiger to low station of rope-railway with exceed of 1000m. Snowboardists can use the offer of snowpark, including popular boardercross and halfpipe. In general, Pitztal Valley is splendid alternative for mostly overcrowded glacier resorts of Austrian Alps. As the season here is since from September to June, so there is no problem to visit this area of Central Austria at any time period. You do not need to wait in queues or slip through crowds of skiers.