Solden in Feb

[skier0178]

I'm heading to Solden (Austria for those not in the know) Feb. 12-22 and was wondering if anyone had any insights into where the steepest and deepest is to be found...

s.

[skier0178]

Anyone, i know you wanna help

s.

[Idris]

British half term...things are gonna get buisy, but you are sooo much better off in Austria than being tempted to France

[ulty_guy]

that's actually where i learned to ski! so obviously, i wasn't shredding the gnar while 10 years old and snowplowying, but fond memories nonetheless.

[subtle plague]

Well i'll try to. The decent runs nearly all begin at the Gaislachkogel. But lets start with the easy ones. You ca basically ski everything down the Valley from the Rettenbach Ferner along the Glacier Road, or from the Gigijoch down to the Glacier Road, they are both easy terrain and you wont end up at a cliff or something....
The Gaislachkogel runs are different. You start at the top and ski the red slope for about 300m and then climb the other peak you see (most likely there are already tracks leading up) youll end up doinf niiiice Powderfiels and couloirs leading to the glacier road.... nothing serious but you have to watch where you are going. You can avoid climbing the peak (about half and hour bootpacking) and go along the red slope until you can drop towards the glacier road left. Do that when there are no tracks uphill for these couloirs get tracked out sooner than the stuff where you have to climb.
I saw tracks going down from the Gaislachkogel south side(i dont know where this route ends though...), but we didnt do it because it was warm and sunny and who wants to ski slush, corn, and half frozen stuff on a southern slope when you can get Powder on the other side.
The direct route from the Gaislachkogel facing eastnortheast towards the midstation is reaaallyyy cool when there is fresh stuff, but it gets tracked out super fast.
but as always beware of avalanche danger for there is no safe offpiste skiing even 20m from a marked slope. always take your equipment with you.....(in Austria someone died 20-30m from a slope when he triggered a miniavalachne and got buried in a small gully next to the slope....)
but i guess youre from Europe anyway so you'll probably know that European ski resorts are no safe "inbound" american playgrounds when it comes to offpiste skiing.

P.S. I marked the routes in Orange. And dont get confused about the one at the Gaislachkogel which seems to go to the glacier. it is actually pretty far away from the glacier in another valley.....(crappy area maps... ) The question marks mark possible routes (the southern one from the top for example) or areas where possible freeride areas could be but i have not skied.
http://www.surfingbiber.mynetcologne.de/skimap2.jpg

[skier0178]

Hey subtle plague,
Thanks a lot for the info. It will come in very handy. I'm actually orginally from Europe but now live in Canada and go to school in California. I've been to Austria before, Hintertux and Ischgel but this is the first time in Solden, should be a great time. Thanks again for all the info.

s.