Lifts & Terrain
Lech Skiing and Zürs Ski and Snowboard Terrain The ski terrain at Lech and Zürs is interconnected by lifts and piste, and consists of the areas of Lech, Zürs, Oberlech, Stubenbach and Zug. The area can be accessed using the electronic Alberg skicard, which also services the St Anton ski area. Essentially the experience is ski touring with a difference, and it’s fantastic to move from one dining and drinking establishment to the next. If the weather’s nice, you add some sunbaking to the agenda.
The skiing and snowboarding terrain at
Lech and Zürs ski resorts consists predominantly of wide open interlinked runs that are mostly suited to beginners and intermediates. There’s only one black run on the piste, but there are ski routes and off-piste skiing to challenge experts. Considering that most of Alberg’s tough terrain is around St Anton and Stuben, very few advanced skiers venture to Lech and Zurs, so the plus is that the off-piste areas don’t get tracked out too quickly. It’s possible to still find nice powder a few days after it’s snowed. Compare that to
St Anton ski resort where you’d be lucky to find freshies after 10am.
Everyone seems to like to compare the terrain between Lech and Zurs, so we’d better join the trend (considering that Lech and Zurs is all about being trendy). Zurs is much more suited to the beginner, whilst intermediates tend to prefer Lech. The snow quality can be better at Zurs due to its higher altitude, and the off-piste terrain is absent of trees. Not surprisingly, there are also differences between the actual
villages of Lech and Zurs.
Lech and Zurs Lifts The lifting infrastructure is quite developed with incredibly fancy new high-speed lifts. Fitting in with the luxurious image of Lech and Zürs, these chair lifts have padded and heated seats, and perspex covers for extra warmth. One of the lifts is an 8-person chair which means the whole ski posse can fit on one chair – it’s quite bizarre but very social! There are also lots of surface drag tows which seem incredibly primitive in comparison to the padded seats.
There are some short queues for lifts exiting the villages for which traditional Austrian assertiveness may be required. Thankfully the slopes are much less crowded than the neighbouring resort of St Anton, but you certainly won’t be alone at Lech and Zurs unless you’re venturing off piste.
Beginner Ski and Snowboard TerrainBeginners have a good variety of nursery runs in both Lech and Zürs that are near the villages. In Lech the Schlegelkpof II chairlift provides suitable easy terrain and the next lift up, the Kriegerhornbahn can provide a little more variety. More confident beginners can catch the Rufikopfbahn and snake down to Zurs. In Zurs there are ample beginner runs including some long trails off the Muggengrat chairlift.
Intermediate SkiingThe area is paradise for the intermediate skier or snowboarder. Beautifully groomed long wide runs that connect you with the next pit-stop – fabulous! The clockwise circuit of The White Ring is a highlight of the intermediate terrain. Other favourites include runs off the Steinmahderbahn (Lech), or trails off the Muggengrat at Zurs.
For the Family/Kids All the ski areas are family-friendly with easily accessed learning slopes, and high quality ski school. Lech in particular is well set up for families, which is enhanced by the many lodgings that are ski-in ski-out. There is also a children-specific terrain park, and a slalom race track for family fun.
For the Shredder Lech boasts a terrain park in the Schlegelkopf area above the village of Lech, but it remains questionable as to whether this area is worth boasting about? The park includes jumps, rails and boxes and might be enough to keep shredders entertained for at least a little while.
Advanced Ski and Snowboard TerrainDon’t expect much in the way of steep groomed runs but there are ski routes to keep the advanced skier entertained, and plenty of off-piste opportunities. Generally there is no out-of-bounds – you can ski or board wherever you like (so long as you know where you’re going!). Examples of bumps challenges can be found on the Sudhang ski routes around the Kriegerhornbahn chairlift.
For the Powderhound/Expert There are many off-piste options at Lech and Zurs, and not the same crowds that are generally encountered in St Anton. The only thing lacking for powderhounds might be the fresh powder, and when it hasn’t snowed for a while you’ll be more inclined to encounter big moguls than powder fields.
The mountains at Zurs are mainly devoid of trees which has the advantage of being able to access more terrain, but the disadvantage of poor visibility on bad weather days. There are lots of descents off the back, and you may require a guide to assist in the navigation of these runs. The ski schools can assist you with the hiring of a guide. The Zurs Gams route off the top of the Muggengrat chair provides lots of vertical. The entry is tight and steep, and then there are plenty of lines, all with reasonable pitch. The route ends up near the tunnel between Lech and Zurs and you can get a bus back to a chairlift.
The Steirloch is another option from the top of the Madloch-Joch chair, which starts with a narrow couloir and eventually descends to a lift in the Zug village. Another example is the Flexenmulde from the top of the Trittkopf bahn, with a traverse towards the Rauz slopes. There are lots of steep couloirs in this area, and the descent finishes in Stuben. The Valluga (St Anton) to Zurs route is also well known.
For off-piste descents in Lech with a guide, there is the steep and challenging Schwarzewand descent off Rüfikopf.
Snow Conditions Lech and Zurs is not renowned for a consistent snowfall with only an average of 2.5 metres per year (less than Mt Hotham), although the reliability of the reporting of snowfall is also questionable. The resort is incredibly reliant on snowmaking facilities to provide adequate snow cover, with a significant proportion of the piste topped up with the artificial white stuff.
It was not a great season when we visited, and the snow conditions were far from ideal. Most of the runs were adequately covered, with the exception being some trails down to Zug where the cover was very marginal. This made for perilous skiing as well as a desire to have the rock-hoppers underfoot.
Off-piste areas commonly lacked an adequate base, and the sun-facing slopes were disastrous. Some of the north-facing slopes held their condition well and made for some enjoyable off-piste riding.
Important tip (?) Regardless of the conditions or the terrain you’ll be tackling, don’t forget to don your most glamorous outfit. Grunge doesn’t fit in too well in Lech and Zurs, but of course there’s nothing wrong with going it alone!