Lech-Zurs off-piste

The neighbouring villages of Lech-Zürs are a great place to be on a powder day. Less crowded than neighbouring St Anton, the snow stays fresh and deep long after the last snow fall and there are plenty of challenging "off the back" descents

Between the pistes in Lech-Zürs

Lech is the gentler, softer option in the Arlberg, but even here there is plenty of off-piste skiing where you can more easily find yourself excelling in confidence and technique among the perfectly angled slopes between the pistes. The Kreigerhorn and Petersboden lifts offer excellent off piste terrain, from natural half pipes to gentle slopes and you’ll always be able to rejoin the piste without any trouble.

Zürs offers superb off-piste ski errain, but good visibility is required before venturing off piste as no trees are present and the area is fairly exposed. Both sides of the mountain offer excellent off-piste skiing but experience is required in route finding as the terrain is undulating. The Hexenboden lift offers the best options for skiing between the piste as here you can easily escape and regain the piste when necessary. On the opposite side of the Zürs valley you can venture off the sides of the Zürser Tali which offers very steep skiing at its entry point or close to the Muggengrat bahn.

Off the back in Lech-Zürs

Zürs - Gams Route
The Zürs mountains are mainly absent of trees and offer excellent opportunities for high mountain off piste adventure. From the top of the Madloch-Joch chairlift the Gams Route offers impressive vertical and varying terrain. After a long traverse under the lift and to the left you finally end up at the steep couloir style entry point which requires good skill to maintain control due to its initial steepness.

Once in the only way is out and you’re faced with many exciting options, but all rather steep and certainly this area requires good judgement in route finding and understanding avalanche risk. The final slopes with bring you out at the left side of the tunnel between Lech and Zurs where bus can be taken in either direction to get back to a ski lift.

Zürs - Trittkopf
Commonly know as the “Antenna”, Trittkopf accesses steep terrain opposite the Valluga and only for those who enjoy adrenaline and a challenge in steep terrain. The entry point is gained from the top of the Trittkopf bahn and a fairly strenuous walk for 25 minutes gains the airy ridge top.

There are many entry points depending on skill level and avalanche grade on the day. The descent is steep almost 45-degrees and its bottom slopes join Paziel Tal and the lower section of the Valluga descent.

Zürs - Ertzberg
Shadowing over Stuben the Ertzberg descent is set in staggering surroundings. From the top of Zürsertali you ski down half way and traverse skiers left across a bowl which leads to a short step for 50 meters to again traverse a second bowl to reach a ridge, here tracking right a short distance leads you to wonderful rolling slopes to end at the Flexenpass where a bus is either taken to Zürs or Stuben.

Zürs - Flexenmulde
If you like steep couloirs then Flexenmulde offers many challenging variations in a quite radical looking environment. From the top of the Trittkopf bahn the piste is skied a short distance before a long traverse left gains you a col towards the Rauz slopes above Stuben. Route finding and experience here is needed as there are many extremely steep couloirs over 45-degrees. This awesome and challenging descent finally leads to Stuben where a jump over the tunnel may be necessary!

Zürs - Steirloch
The hidden Steirloch descent is another option for skiers when skiing the “White Circle” from Zurs to Lech. The descent looks rather intimidating from the entry point (left at the top of the Madloch-Joch chairlift) as a very narrow couloir must be negotiated before you shoot out into wide open slopes leading to yet another narrow couloir then more wide open free ride style turns. This valley eventually leads to the chair lift in the village of Zug which takes you up the old Zugerberg chairlift to Palmen Alp restaurant and access to the ski area above Lech.

Navigation

Avalanche gear

Away from the marked runs, you depend on your friends and your equipment should anything go wrong.

Make sure you have the best gear, available from Facewest.

Avalanche guide

Some passages in this section are extracted from Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper, Director of the Utah Avalanche Center.
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