Trip Report: Oberlech/Lech-Zurs April 2009

Read on a different thread someone requesting a TR so I thought will share ours with folks on this forum who have also been most gracious. So here it is:

This was the "Heavens coming down to Earth" ! What a place, Lech-Zurs is! My boy and I skiied 7 days straight in 60deg weather, with so much snow though not one flake showed up while we were there (April 8 to April 16, 09). Though the day we left, I believe snow fell that evening. The place is really all about "soul". Facilities are tremendous, staying at Oberlech was perfect, ski right up to our Hotel Montana and ski right out. Lech-Zurs by itself is huge (as big as Sunshine and Lake Louise put together is my guess), and probably only Whistler-Blackcomb in North America is bigger. We did'nt even get to ski all the runs. They are endless. The White Ring (Der Ring Weisse, 11miles to 13.75miles depending on who you ask, but its long!) is awesome. The runs at the back of Lech, i.e. over the top of the Kriegerhorn lift, especially off the Steinmahder lift - they are reds but trust me, anywhere else, they'd be Black Diamonds, steep as sh*te, sheer drop-offs, and in spring conditions, mogully and piles of soft snow after 12noon, very, very hard to ski through. The runs off the Ruffikopf lift in Zurs (you get up there from Lech) are long and endless and then there is the Trittkopff lift with all red runs. The blues off the Ruffikopff were about the gentlest and some off the Petersboden lift above Oberlech too, that is they were North American blues, only time one can call anything Greens were the kids training slopes or approaches to Zurs at the bottom. And yes, the approach into Lech is pretty much a Black at many NA resorts but broad and wide so traversing down is possible until the bottom where there is a "chicken neck" so to speak and can get pretty crowded. Lots of hard off-piste for the die-hard and hard core skiier.

For my son, it was incredible, great racing (he did his first slalom race) and finished well, and is now way ahead of his proud dad! He skiied seven straight days, as did his Dad. Dad's body is now feeling the effects, Dad skiied with torn rotator cuff and shredded bicep tendon (lots of advil, and shoulder armour for mental fortitude). We skiied with Klaus Mair of sofaskischool fame and what a class act he is. A friend now and the guy de-programmed and re-programmed Dad, and took son's skiing to the next level.

The Montana in Oberlech is something else. The hospitality of the Ortlieb family who own and run it was out of a fairytale, took my son in like family, and treated us as if we were guests in their home. And the food, holy guacamole, wwe live in Manhattan, none of the fancy-schmancy places in NYC like Le Cirque, Bouley or Le Bernardin etc etc, or places in Paris and London or wherever could compare. This was everyday, the menu was a treat, even got my son off his beige diet. The rooms were really nice, heated pool in the building and location to die for with alpine views for miles. We even got to see and hear two pretty large and scary avalanches!

The town of lech is nice, bars etc, did go there a couple of times for late drinks, pleasant place.

For families its the ideal place, especially staying in Oberlech (I'd give the nod to the Montana ) and skiing with Klaus, well we made a superb new pal.

Go to Lech-Zurs, experts will find a lot to ski, and for others its an ideal place, for couples, families etc. Note though, the Blue runs are harder than most Greens in North America, and some of those Red Runs would be Blacks for sure, while there are parts like the Blues here in NA, sections are real tough going, and some lifts have NO blue runs down, so pick and choose sensibly. It is serious big mountain skiing.

Note three NEGATIVES:
1. Europeans are somewhat rude on the way onto chairlifts, they jostle and kind of push, its really weird since what's the big hurry they are'nt going to get up any faster and the lift system in Lech-Zurs is state of the art..I found that really anomalous given the otherwise most gracious Austrian conduct.
2. Some east german skinheads were lurking in the bars even in Lech, nothing major but sure did'nt fit with the environs
3. Ski schools do "lose" your kids..no kidding..be alert..this happened at Oberlech - shocking but true so let kid know exactly what to do in the event this transpires.

Now for some film:
1. Lech by KMair:
http://www.vimeo.com/4568835

2. Oberlech in front of the hotel montana by KMair:
http://www.vimeo.com/4568861

3. Downhill kids ski race-son did it without a practice run and lifetime 1st race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW5AF-WBFIA

4. top of trittkopff by KMair, all red runs(really blacks) downhill from here
http://www.vimeo.com/4568934

5. for those who have not seen the other post with the link: two days in lech..carve-o-rama
http://www.vimeo.com/4335854

Lech-zurs is a ski paradise and oberlech literally ski in/ski out

dustyfog wrote:Read on a different thread someone requesting a TR so I thought will share ours with folks on this forum who have also been most gracious. So here it is:

This was the "Heavens coming down to Earth" ! What a place, Lech-Zurs is! My boy and I skiied 7 days straight in 60deg weather, with so much snow though not one flake showed up while we were there (April 8 to April 16, 09). Though the day we left, I believe snow fell that evening. The place is really all about "soul". Facilities are tremendous, staying at Oberlech was perfect, ski right up to our Hotel Montana and ski right out. Lech-Zurs by itself is huge (as big as Sunshine and Lake Louise put together is my guess), and probably only Whistler-Blackcomb in North America is bigger. We did'nt even get to ski all the runs. They are endless. The White Ring (Der Ring Weisse, 11miles to 13.75miles depending on who you ask, but its long!) is awesome. The runs at the back of Lech, i.e. over the top of the Kriegerhorn lift, especially off the Steinmahder lift - they are reds but trust me, anywhere else, they'd be Black Diamonds, steep as sh*te, sheer drop-offs, and in spring conditions, mogully and piles of soft snow after 12noon, very, very hard to ski through. The runs off the Ruffikopf lift in Zurs (you get up there from Lech) are long and endless and then there is the Trittkopff lift with all red runs. The blues off the Ruffikopff were about the gentlest and some off the Petersboden lift above Oberlech too, that is they were North American blues, only time one can call anything Greens were the kids training slopes or approaches to Zurs at the bottom. And yes, the approach into Lech is pretty much a Black at many NA resorts but broad and wide so traversing down is possible until the bottom where there is a "chicken neck" so to speak and can get pretty crowded. Lots of hard off-piste for the die-hard and hard core skiier.

For my son, it was incredible, great racing (he did his first slalom race) and finished well, and is now way ahead of his proud dad! He skiied seven straight days, as did his Dad. Dad's body is now feeling the effects, Dad skiied with torn rotator cuff and shredded bicep tendon (lots of advil, and shoulder armour for mental fortitude). We skiied with Klaus Mair of sofaskischool fame and what a class act he is. A friend now and the guy de-programmed and re-programmed Dad, and took son's skiing to the next level.

The Montana in Oberlech is something else. The hospitality of the Ortlieb family who own and run it was out of a fairytale, took my son in like family, and treated us as if we were guests in their home. And the food, holy guacamole, wwe live in Manhattan, none of the fancy-schmancy places in NYC like Le Cirque, Bouley or Le Bernardin etc etc, or places in Paris and London or wherever could compare. This was everyday, the menu was a treat, even got my son off his beige diet. The rooms were really nice, heated pool in the building and location to die for with alpine views for miles. We even got to see and hear two pretty large and scary avalanches!

The town of lech is nice, bars etc, did go there a couple of times for late drinks, pleasant place.

For families its the ideal place, especially staying in Oberlech (I'd give the nod to the Montana ) and skiing with Klaus, well we made a superb new pal.

Go to Lech-Zurs, experts will find a lot to ski, and for others its an ideal place, for couples, families etc. Note though, the Blue runs are harder than most Greens in North America, and some of those Red Runs would be Blacks for sure, while there are parts like the Blues here in NA, sections are real tough going, and some lifts have NO blue runs down, so pick and choose sensibly. It is serious big mountain skiing.

Note three NEGATIVES:
1. Europeans are somewhat rude on the way onto chairlifts, they jostle and kind of push, its really weird since what's the big hurry they are'nt going to get up any faster and the lift system in Lech-Zurs is state of the art..I found that really anomalous given the otherwise most gracious Austrian conduct.
2. Some east german skinheads were lurking in the bars even in Lech, nothing major but sure did'nt fit with the environs
3. Ski schools do "lose" your kids..no kidding..be alert..this happened at Oberlech - shocking but true so let kid know exactly what to do in the event this transpires.

Now for some film:
1. Lech by KMair:
http://www.vimeo.com/4568835

2. Oberlech in front of the hotel montana by KMair:
http://www.vimeo.com/4568861

3. Downhill kids ski race-son did it without a practice run and lifetime 1st race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW5AF-WBFIA

4. top of trittkopff by KMair, all red runs(really blacks) downhill from here
http://www.vimeo.com/4568934

5. for those who have not seen the other post with the link: two days in lech..carve-o-rama
http://www.vimeo.com/4335854

Lech-zurs is a ski paradise and oberlech literally ski in/ski out

An honest Austrian report at last, thanks and well done :wink:

People would have known what you were talking about without quoting the whole thing^^^^ :wink:

Good report, I think in general lift queues in Europe (IME) are pretty terrible. Especially when you get the person behind who has his skis on the tails of yours or slides right up to the point where his tips are by your bindings (one ski between your 2 and one on the outside).

Pablo Escobar wrote:People would have known what you were talking about without quoting the whole thing^^^^ :wink:

Good report, I think in general lift queues in Europe (IME) are pretty terrible. Especially when you get the person behind who has his skis on the tails of yours or slides right up to the point where his tips are by your bindings (one ski between your 2 and one on the outside).

Morning Pablo, a tad grumpy this morning are we :wink:

Yeh, it's going to rain for what must be the 20th day in a row here. Everything looked so good out my window from bed then I looked the other way down the loch and a huuuuge black cloud was moving in. Literally this second as I am typing it started pissing down :lol:

Pablo Escobar wrote:Yeh, it's going to rain for what must be the 20th day in a row here. Everything looked so good out my window from bed then I looked the other way down the loch and a huuuuge black cloud was moving in. Literally this second as I am typing it started pissing down :lol:

20 deg and sunny here, not a cloud in sight, just thought that might cheer you up :?: :wink:

Pablo Escobar wrote:People would have known what you were talking about without quoting the whole thing^^^^ :wink:

Good report, I think in general lift queues in Europe (IME) are pretty terrible. Especially when you get the person behind who has his skis on the tails of yours or slides right up to the point where his tips are by your bindings (one ski between your 2 and one on the outside).

Pablo,in some parts of Europe that position is considerd a proposition, so it is highly recommended to check over your shoulder before taking further action :lol:

:lol: As long as someone is getting good weather. :shock: :shock: :shock: