Folks, just got back from Lech-Zurs. Your advice on this forum and another was dead-eye on target. 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 (way bigger than Sunshine and Lake Louise put together), 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 Steinmaide 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.
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.
On the hotel advice here, you folks were tremendous. 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, I 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.
What can I say, you folks gave superb advice, for that my son and I genuinely thank you. I cannot recommend Lech-Zurs enough, for families its the ideal place, especially staying in Oberlech (I'd give the nod to the Montana over any other, location, hospitality, staff efficiency and food) and skiing with Klaus, well we made a superb new pal.
We never made it Haus #8, but main thing was son was too tired after skiing, though he played with pals and all till 9 at night or more at the Montana, and the food at the Montana was so good, could'nt think of missing the next surprise on their menu. The family Ortlieb (Gran'ma on down) are supremely gracious and welcoming.
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 Double Blacks here, 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 only NEGATIVE is that 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. Well, the jostlers were mostly german or french !-)
And we did'nt even get to St Anton or St Christoph!
The pics below are :
1. About to begin endlessly long run off the Ruffikopf
2. Off the Kriegerhorn lift relaxing before getting poles to begin run down to Lech
3. Post brutal red run off of the Steinmaide lift
4. Top of the Ruffikopff lift
5. The Black Run in Zurs off the Seekopf lift
6. The White Ring circuit at the top of Madloch-Joch
7. View of Ski route down from Madloch to Zug from the top of the other side, i.e. Balmengrat
8. View of Oberlech from the Ruffikopf Gondola
9. Chairlift upto the Madloch-Joch
10. Top of the Trittkopf lift, late afternoon, getting geared up for long and hard red run down..through avalanche spots
Edited by dustyfog - 4/18/2009 at 06:32 pm GMT
