Ski Touring & Touring Skis
Known as the “Valley of Mountain Huts” in summer, Grossarltal may fairly be called the “Valley of Ski Tours” in winter. Away from the busy pistes, countless remote mountaintops also await you in and around the towns of Grossarl and Hüttschlag. Numerous tours of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty invite you to enjoy the snowy hillsides, glistening ice crystals and warming rays of radiant sunshine. What more could a ski tourer ever wish for?
Grossarl and Hüttschlag are both home to gigantic areas of alpine pastures along with countless peaks, ranging in elevation from 2,000 to 2,884 m above sea level. Probably the valley’s most famous ski mountain is the Kreuzkogel, while the surrounding mountains are significantly quieter and more peaceful. This includes the "Kreuzeck", one of the most popular ski-touring mountains in Hüttschlag. Barely over 2,20o meters in elevation, it is a popular touring destination all winter long, as are the Filzmooshörndl and Loosbühel in Grossarl’s Ellmautal valley. Later in springtime, the ski-touring peaks at the valley head have a real appeal, including the Mandlkogel (2,439 m) and Keeskogel, the valley’s tallest mountain, which dominates the majestic valley head with its 2,884 meters.
All the ski-touring equipment you need can be rented out from sports shops in Grossarl.
Ski Touring
Ski-Touring Rules
To guarantee your safety during ski tours, please always obey the following rules:
- Always take note of the avalanche risk level.
- Plan your tours based on avalanche and weather reports.
- NEVER go into the backcountry (even when avalanche risk is low) without required equipment (transponder, shove, probe, charged mobile phone). This rule applies to all group members.
- Check your avalanche transponder before every tour to insure it is working correctly.
- Never ascend steep hillsides closely bunched (leave 10 m between each member of the skiing party).
- Always cross steep mountainsides alone; with inclines of up to 35 degrees, leave at least 30 m between each tourer.
- When the avalanche risk level is 3 or higher, avoid slopes with more than a 35-degree incline.
- Choose an appropriate time of day.
Guided Ski Tours
Guided ski tours are free for guests of BERG-GESUND member businesses. You will always be accompanied by state-certified ski and touring guides. Tours take place even if just 1 person has signed up.
Ski-Touring Guides
In cooperation with a number of ski-touring specialists in the valley, Grossarltal has brought out a ski-touring guide describing the 17 most beautiful tours in the valley.
This 44-page brochure contains detailed descriptions of the individual ski tours, color photos and 17 detailed maps, as well as general tips about ski touring and the valley as a whole. The guide is available for a price of € 5.00 from Grossarltal Tourist Office (€ 3.00 upon presentation of your guest card). You can also obtain an accompanying hiking & touring map, No. 311 "Grossarltal" from Verlag Tappeiner, scale 1:35 000 (€ 6.50, with gust card € 4.50).