With a drought in the Cascades I decided to spent early April in the Austrian Alps. Fortunately my good friends Lea and Lorenzo lived in Innsbruck and invited me to tag along. They had been ski touring in the area for many years and had a detailed knowledge of Zillertal and all the surrounding areas. A few years back they had wrote a guidebook about the area and were happy to show me around.

With a plane ticket in hand I flew to Munich and with 10 dollars I was on a bus to Innsbruck. The moment I arrived in town I knew it was a special place. The main area was surrounded by massive mountains with a ski lift in the town center. As far as cites with mountain access you can’t get better than Innsbruck.

Lift Accessed Powder Day at Zillertal Arena

I had come at the tail end of a storm and after a few days we were off to the Zillertal area. Lea had some work to do so Lorenzo and I met up with Juho and made our way to the lifts. Arriving at the Zillertal Arena area the skies were clear and it would be a great day. Before long we were heading up a ski lift and with a quick traverse riding deep north facing slopes.

With a quick traverse down the valley we found ourselves back at the base of the chair. While all the easy accessed terrain was tracked out we had a valley to ourselves. It typical lift accessed fashion we repeatedly rode the same zone throughout the day.

Being north facing slopes it didn’t matter that the area was at a lower elevation. While most people were riding in the alpine we stuck to the trees the entire day. It was a great introduction to Zillertal Arena and the perfect way to stretch my legs.

A Lift Accessed Ski Touring Day near Zillertal Arena

Lea had the next day off from ski so we decided to do a ski tour. Heading back to the Zillertal Arena area we used a few chairs and all of a sudden were in the alpine. From the side of the chairlift we put on our skins and started traversing the ridge. While there were clouds in the early morning soon they would burn off. With scattered blue skies we worked our way along the ridge. Once finding the best snow it was time to make our first descent of the day.

Our First Untracked Run of the Day in the Austrian Backcountry

The conditions were unreal as we watched Lea drop into a blank canvas. Each turn would kick up snow that glistened in the sunny sky. It was the perfect start to the day as well as my trip to Austria.

Before long she was riding into the flats of the valley and preparing for our second ascent. Though the ski lifts were only ten minutes away we had a huge bowl to ourselves. I had heard of the unreal terrain in the area and finally I was checking it out.

Once Lea was at a safe spot I made my way over to the next chute and prepared to drop in. From my first turn the snow exploded in all directions and was bottomless conditions.

Skinning up for Our Second Lap of the Day

Once everyone was in the basin it was time to get moving for our next ascent. I had no clue where we were going but knew the best option was to trust the locals. It was wild looking at the ski lifts in the distance and breaking a chin deep skin track.

Making our way past the Zillertal Arena area we worked with the rolling terrain. Every foot we gained in elevation the snow just seemed to get deeper. Soon enough we made it up to the high ridge and it was time to transition.

Standing on top of the peak we watched Lorenzo ride halfway down the slopes to snap photos. From his first turn we knew somehow the snow would be even better then our first run. Once he was at a safe spot it was time for us to ride down. One at a time we would drop in and ride all the way to the flats of the valley below.

Our Main Run in the Zillertal Backcountry

For the second run Juho dropped in first laying tracks into the blank canvas. With each turn he would disappear behind a plume of snow.

Soon enough he was gone and all that was left was a trench of snow. By now it was a perfect blue sky day and although it seemed warm the snow was in perfect condition.

Before long I got the thumbs up from Lorenzo to drop in. From what I had just seen the snow seemed stable and I knew it was going to be one of the better runs of the season. With my first turns it confirmed what I was thinking.

Loosely following Juho’s tracks I kicked up snow with every turn. Though the upper slopes were wide open the area seemed to be wind loaded.

Working with the walls of the lower slopes I hit up the sidewalls. Picking up speed I would charge over to the features. With one carefully placed turn I would cause the snow to explode until riding into the valley below.

With both Juho and I in the valley Lea found a spot to put in first tracks. Each one of us had our own canvas to lay our tracks into. With the wide open slopes in every direction we could have stayed busy in this bowl alone.

Skinning up for our Final Lap of the Day

With the crew in the valley it was time to get moving for our final descent. Soon enough we would be back at the base of the Zillertal Valley but we needed to gain a ridge first. Switching off trail breaking duties we made sure to stay on the mellow terrain. By now we were on the edge of tree line with sparse trees.

Skinning up we made sure to minimize avalanche exposure sticking to the edge of the massive bowls. Though it was a challenge heading up it felt great to be breaking trail in new snow.

Once we arrived on the ridge we had clear views of our last run.. There were only four tracks off a massive ridge after 3 days without snow. It was crazy as we were only a 2 hour skin away from Zillertal Arena.

Snowboarding Back to the Ski Hill

Our final run would take us down to another resort. With the change of aspects the snow was much heavier then our previous two runs. While it was still bottomless I had to battle to keep my board nose above the surface. where we would take a bus back to our car after a beer and some schnitzel. It was a great tour exploring world class mountains and I was looking forward to more trips. I was super fortunate to be ski touring with Lea Hartl, Lorenzo Rieg and Juho Karhu. The Zillertal Arena area has world class mountains and I was looking forward to exploring more areas. Thanks to all 3 of them for a great day as well as the photos.

Thanks for Reading this Trip Report in the Zillertal Valley

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