We spent 3 nights in the Bergland Hotel in Sölden, another excellent recommendation from Fraser. As in 2017, this is another high standard Austrian half board family run hotel. On these drive trips it’s very nice to settle in for a few days to the all inclusive places with excellent food, impressive spa facilities and top notch service.
Sölden proved a logical choice for the advancing spring conditions in the Alps, notably for its two glaciers topping out at 10,500 feet.
The Bergland Hotel is close to the short B20 funicular, from which we could ski to the Geislachkogl two stage gondola. The top at 10,000 feet has impressive views, this one SE towards Hochgurgl, where we skied the next day.
View down Geislachkogl to town:
There are some impressive couloirs dropping in there, but timing would need to be precise in spring conditions and early morning was obviously not the right time.
There is only the #1 piste from the top of Geislachkogl, and it winds down the north side with mostly winter snow for at least 2,000 vertical. Partway down we get a good view up the valley to the Rettenbach Glacier piste at upper left.
We skied down into that valley and rode the C31 lift to Rottkogljoch. From the lift we get a good view of north facing off piste dropping off #1, lots of potential there with good snow conditions.
We skied to Giggijoch, which is most popular for its mellow and sunny slopes. At the top of lift C36 is a Funslope, a rolling course which is likely a big hit with kids.
After three Giggijoch runs we had a chain of three lifts to the base of the Rettenbach Glacier. Piste #23 between the first and second lift:
The north face farther up is mostly cliffs though in ideal conditions a couple of couloirs might be skiable.
The third lift is a transport only gondola, with view of the glacier’s terminal cave and the top of the long piste #20 down the bottom of the valley.
As we walk to the E61/E62 gondola which ascends the glacier, there is a snow sculpted ziggurat which is used for some kind of stage performances as there was a grandstand for it.
From the top is this view north.
The peak in the frame is exactly between us and the Geislachkogl, which explains why Sölden’s glaciers are not visible from there.
A ski tunnel leads to the Tiefenbach Glacier.
The E66 gondola on Tiefenbach has closer views of Austria’s alpine spine. The Wildspitze at 12,379 feet is the highest peak in this region.
Lower down its glacier are some Sahara dust deposits.
The dust cloud only reached Sölden for one day last week.
Here we are at the end of a viewing platform.
Zoomed view to Pitztal Glacier, which we hope to ski in a few days.
The support poles of the viewing platform are plastered with stickers, a recent one here.
We skied an extra lap down Rettenbach, where this snow sculpture would be at home at Mammoth.
Returning to Tiefenbach, this was my one long off piste run under its gondola.
My timing at 1:30 was about right as some snow was crunchy and some too soft but about half of it skied well.
We left the glaciers via that long #20 piste and returned to the top of Geislachkogl to visit the 007 Elements Museum. Significant parts of the James Bond movie Spectre were filmed at this mountain top restaurant in 2015.
The museum is built into the mountain next to it and the pic above is from its backside viewing deck. From the same spot is this view down to a lake, the upper part of an off piste route I’ve read about.
Pics from inside the museum:
We started skiing down 5,000 vertical about 4:10PM. Fortunately the #1 piste was still mostly illuminated.
The middle part, piste #4, was in shade and scraped down considerably. But then we got lucky for the bottom 2,000 feet. Pistes #3 and #10 were being freshly groomed for night skiing. We followed them to the top of the funicular.
We skied 26,900 vertical. We missed just a couple of small sectors and I would have liked a shot at one of those couloirs under the Geislachkogl. But we have decided under current conditions we would rather survey a couple new places before we drive to Val Thorens Sunday.
Sölden proved a logical choice for the advancing spring conditions in the Alps, notably for its two glaciers topping out at 10,500 feet.
The Bergland Hotel is close to the short B20 funicular, from which we could ski to the Geislachkogl two stage gondola. The top at 10,000 feet has impressive views, this one SE towards Hochgurgl, where we skied the next day.
View down Geislachkogl to town:
There are some impressive couloirs dropping in there, but timing would need to be precise in spring conditions and early morning was obviously not the right time.
There is only the #1 piste from the top of Geislachkogl, and it winds down the north side with mostly winter snow for at least 2,000 vertical. Partway down we get a good view up the valley to the Rettenbach Glacier piste at upper left.
We skied down into that valley and rode the C31 lift to Rottkogljoch. From the lift we get a good view of north facing off piste dropping off #1, lots of potential there with good snow conditions.
We skied to Giggijoch, which is most popular for its mellow and sunny slopes. At the top of lift C36 is a Funslope, a rolling course which is likely a big hit with kids.
After three Giggijoch runs we had a chain of three lifts to the base of the Rettenbach Glacier. Piste #23 between the first and second lift:
The north face farther up is mostly cliffs though in ideal conditions a couple of couloirs might be skiable.
The third lift is a transport only gondola, with view of the glacier’s terminal cave and the top of the long piste #20 down the bottom of the valley.
As we walk to the E61/E62 gondola which ascends the glacier, there is a snow sculpted ziggurat which is used for some kind of stage performances as there was a grandstand for it.
From the top is this view north.
The peak in the frame is exactly between us and the Geislachkogl, which explains why Sölden’s glaciers are not visible from there.
A ski tunnel leads to the Tiefenbach Glacier.
The E66 gondola on Tiefenbach has closer views of Austria’s alpine spine. The Wildspitze at 12,379 feet is the highest peak in this region.
Lower down its glacier are some Sahara dust deposits.
The dust cloud only reached Sölden for one day last week.
Here we are at the end of a viewing platform.
Zoomed view to Pitztal Glacier, which we hope to ski in a few days.
The support poles of the viewing platform are plastered with stickers, a recent one here.
We skied an extra lap down Rettenbach, where this snow sculpture would be at home at Mammoth.
Returning to Tiefenbach, this was my one long off piste run under its gondola.
My timing at 1:30 was about right as some snow was crunchy and some too soft but about half of it skied well.
We left the glaciers via that long #20 piste and returned to the top of Geislachkogl to visit the 007 Elements Museum. Significant parts of the James Bond movie Spectre were filmed at this mountain top restaurant in 2015.
The museum is built into the mountain next to it and the pic above is from its backside viewing deck. From the same spot is this view down to a lake, the upper part of an off piste route I’ve read about.
Pics from inside the museum:
We started skiing down 5,000 vertical about 4:10PM. Fortunately the #1 piste was still mostly illuminated.
The middle part, piste #4, was in shade and scraped down considerably. But then we got lucky for the bottom 2,000 feet. Pistes #3 and #10 were being freshly groomed for night skiing. We followed them to the top of the funicular.
We skied 26,900 vertical. We missed just a couple of small sectors and I would have liked a shot at one of those couloirs under the Geislachkogl. But we have decided under current conditions we would rather survey a couple new places before we drive to Val Thorens Sunday.
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. Jungfrau it ain't.