St. Anton in picture-postcard perfection

St. Anton in picture-postcard perfection

On Wednesday of this week, St. Anton was a picture postcard autumnal scene. Fast forward 48 hours of snowfall to Friday and we are now wading down the Dorfstraße with the snow above our knees. The valley has been transformed into a winter wonderland and the ski season is suddenly, magically upon us!

And what better way to appreciate the fresh snowfall than to head up the mountain for the first tour of the season.

At 7am on Friday, I was at the bottom of St. Christoph. Skis dusted off and skins at the ready but something was missing? Ahhhh my ski jacket, never mind it could have been worse, I could have forgotten my boots. Onwards and upwards. Brrrrrrrr.

With the mountains illuminated by the pristine snow and the early morning silence filling my ears, it was a pretty perfect start. Perhaps a little too good to be true. Twenty minutes later the clouds had crept across my path and, with the sun still to rise in half an hour, my visibility was limited. I was no longer feeling quite so smug.

However, this was only a momentary blip in what was to be an epic October morning sunrise. The snow was gloriously fresh and deep. I passed piste-basher tracks and stood next to where they had cut through the snow, it was waist-deep!

I reached the top of St. Christoph at 2185m. The sun was shining, the clouds had moved on and St. Anton was in the shadows of the valley, it was stunning. Arlberg at its best. With untracked surroundings and fresh snow, its moments like this that make you feel pretty damn spoilt. I kicked back in the snow to admire the view, pulled a flask from my rucksack, and enjoyed a cuppa tea. Perfect!

In the fresh morning air, I skied back to town with powder beneath my skis, navigating a few uncovered shrubs towards the bottom, as the sun’s rays reflected off the snow. It was the best powder run I’ve had in any October. Here’s hoping it’s the foundations to an awesome season.

I’m already planning my next adventure. Who fancies joining me?

24^th October 2014