Introducing Tirol’s top freeriding spots
Sponsored post: Dreaming of deep powdery turns and testing terrain this season? Then look no further than the Tirolean resorts of St Anton am Arlberg, Fieberbrunn and Kitzbühel
St Anton am Arlberg: A snow-covered playground
Photo: TVB St. Anton am Arlberg/Josef MallaunSt Anton and freeride go hand in hand. It’s located in the heart of Austria’s Arlberg region, an area known for its impressive snow record, creating a wintery playground. The freeride options are never-ending, from the intimidating Valluga North Face to the long and empty lines of Stuben. This winter it’s set to get even better still: The new Flexenbahn will connect St Anton with Zürs and Lech, creating Austria’s biggest ski resort (305km) and opening up even more options for powder-hungry skiers.
Back in town, the àpres-ski is almost as intoxicating as the mountain. We challenge anyone to try and walk down the main street and not get lured in by the pumping, table-dancing action spilling into the street. But don’t stay up too late; there’s far to much made-for-ripping terrain to explore.
Fieberbrunn: The Tirol’s snowiest valley
Photo: Bergbahnen Fieberbrunn/Toni NiederwieserThe PillerseeTal averages seven metres of snow a season. When storms come rolling in from the Northwest it catches all the snow, and with its winning mix of rolling meadows, wide open faces and challenging tree runs, Fieberbrunn is instantly transformed into a freerider’s paradise. No surprise then, that it plays host to the Freeride World Tour every year, with the biggest names in skiing laying down creative lines on the looming Marroka face. Last year, the Tirol S gondola connected Fieberbrunn with Saalbach for the first time, creating a colossal 270km area that established Fieberbrunn as one of our favourite resorts ever.
Another thing we love about Fieberbrunn? It’s one of the few resorts in Austria that offers doorstop skiing, combining the convenience of next-to-slope hotels with the charm of a Tirolean village and beautiful views over the Kitzbühel Alps. Plus, it makes accessing that phenomenal terrain even easier…
Kitzbühel: Backcountry for everyone
Photo: Kitzbühel Tourismus/Michael WerlbergerKitzbühel might be best known for playing host to the Hahnenkamm, the notorious Downhill race and highlight of the World Cup, but Kitzbühel is just as much about fat skis and Gore-Tex jackets as it is tight lycra and G-force turns. Like nearby Fieberbrunn, it can get huge snowfalls, and boasts an average depth of 2.4m. Its backcountry terrain stretches across an area of 200km2 and offers everything from wide powder fields to spectacular cliff drops. Plus, there’s plenty of action below the treeline, so you can enjoy knee-deep action even on white-out days.
The town is as Tirolean as it gets; filled with cobbled-streets, shutter-clad windows and olde-worlde charm. If you want table-dancing àpres, you’ll find it here, but you can just as easily find a quaint cafe serving strudel. There’s also night skiing, sledging, ice skating and curling on offer, should you still have the energy after a day of high-octane freeride fun.
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