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Lech links to Warth-Schröcken
by Fraser Wilkin, 30th August 2013
It is one of skiing’s great mysteries. Just how has Austria’s Bregenzerwald region remained below the British radar for so long? In particular, why have so few people heard of Warth-Schröcken, the snowiest ski resort in the Alps.
All this is about to change…
Not the snowfall of course, but the ski resort’s profile. After years of legal wrangling, the green light has finally been given to link “snow capital of the Alps” Warth-Schröcken, with world famous (and nearly as snowy) Lech-Zürs. The resulting area is one of the largest and most varied in Austria offering 190km of ultra-reliable skiing (340km if you include nearby St Anton and Stüben).
Even without this link, Warth-Schröcken offers an extremely worthwhile 68km of immaculately groomed runs served by 14 efficient lifts, a high percentage of which are fast chairs. The runs may not be especially long, but they are varied, with a good mixture of open bowl skiing and more wooded terrain.
And then there’s the snow. Warth-Schröcken’s average winter snowfall is a whopping 10.6m, about twice that of Val d’Isère and on a par with the likes of Snowbird in Utah! Needless to say, there are plenty of powder days and some fabulous off-piste to be explored with a local guide. Not only that, most of the slopes face north assuring a high quality of skiing well into spring.
The new link to Lech, a gondola, departs from deep within the Warth-Schröcken ski area, but will reach that of Lech in little more than 5 minutes. Exploring any part of the Lech-Zürs ski area is therefore a perfectly realistic proposition for skiers based in Warth, and more adventurous types might even consider a trip to St Anton and back in a day!
Staying in Warth-Schröcken is also a very different experience to that of staying in world famous Lech or St Anton. The villages are quiet and unspoilt, and the people some of the friendliest and most genuine we have come across in the Alps.
If it’s a warm welcome and personal service you are after, look no further than the 4 star boutique Hotel Lechtaler Hof run by the indomitable Martina and her mother Angela.
Key facts:
Ski Arlberg ski area* |
|
Number of lifts |
94 |
Pistes |
340km |
|
|
Lech & Warth-Schröcken ski area |
|
Number of lifts |
47 |
Pistes |
190km |
|
|
New lift Lech – Warth-Schröcken |
|
Length of lift |
2071.66m |
Departure altitude |
1719m |
Arrival altitude |
1786m |
Lift type |
10-one-cable gondola orbit, Doppelmayr |
Transport capacity |
1490 passengers per hour |
Cost |
12 million Euros (including avalanche safety) |
Owner |
Auenfeldjet GmbH & Co KG |
* Includes Lech - Zürs - Warth-Schröcken - St Anton – St Christoph – Stüben – Sonnenkopf – Klösterle
Contact us on +44 (0)20 3397 8450 or info@snow-wise.com for further advice or a quote...