I spent three ski seasons working as a dishwasher in Lech in the 1990s so that I could free ski. I had fantastic memories of the place and when I visited in Jan 2019 I was so excited but also worried that I'd put the place on a pedestal. As the days approached leading to our arrival the snow forecast was incredible. In the end most of the European ski resorts were having the most snow they had seen in decades. There was so much snow that we couldn't get in the first day as Flexen Pass was closed. When the pass opened the next day it was still dumping in Zurich. We got there and they had about 1.5 metres of snow. Our first day of skiing was a minus 10 bluebird day with thigh deep powder. The place just kept on giving as we got another metre plus in the following days. I had my kids with me and couldn't afford ski in ski out accommodation so we stayed in a beautiful pension in Stuebenbach. Buses run every 10 minutes and there are a couple of restaurants near by. We had 12 days skiing and the kids had 5 days ski school (Oberlech ski school). They made friends and were pushed hard by the instructors. They had a ball! I got a ski guide one day alone and managed to get freshies all day as the snow had finally settled and the avalanche danger fell from the maximum 5, meaning endless off piste was suddenly accessible. I had skied loads of the off piste in the 90s but needed someone to ski with. I highly recommend a guide if you can afford it. Our unit had a kitchen so we ate breakfasts at home and ate out for dinner about half the time. Lech isn't cheap but it is worth every penny!!!
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One of the world's greatest ski areas is Ski Arlberg Austria. And smack bang in the middle of it all is Lech. Whilst its reputation would have you think Lech is unapproachable to anyone that doesn't own a Maserati, the reality couldn't be further from the truth. The traditional village retains its original architectural lines & the skiing, whilst busy at times, retains its reputation for perfect piste & deep freeride powder.

There is nothing better than skiing in the Arlberg at Lech during a blinding blizzard in March. The slopes are deserted, the powder unsullied & life is good. With the wind howling & snow blowing horizontally, all lifts were still running & face shots were the order of the day. The generally well-heeled Lech establishment seemed to be cozied up in front of the fire in their chalets or sticking to the few tree lined groomers whilst we were striking gold in knee deep goodness. The freeride routes off the old Zugerberg lift, the pleasing intermediate pitches off the back of the Zuger Hochlicht, advanced routes off Kriegerhorn & anything open on the Rüflkopf were all brilliant. Ski Route 241 had the deepest snow of the day. Had to follow it marker to marker between gasping for breath as unseen face-shots clogged my throat. Sadly, not much of a day for photos.

The next day dawned gloomy, but the sun arrived mid-morning (along with the hordes of fair-weather skiers after a day of cabin fever!). The sun provided a clear indication of the breadth of the side & backcountry available at Lech. We barely delved into any of it. A longer stay is required. Instead, we snuck across to Warth Schröcken for lunch. Skied some wonderful fresh lines, then returned to Lech via the connecting gondola. Such is life at Ski Arlberg.

Even though we were staying up the valley in gorgeous Zürs, we wandered through Lech extensively to get a sense of the place. It is a lovely pedestrian friendly ski village. It may have a high-end reputation, but what major ski resort doesn’t? We found it welcoming & accessible. There are plenty of chalets & apartments in the quieter parts of town that are well served by local buses, even though walking is just as easy. The après ski in the heart of town is great fun with the Hotel Krone being the best of them along the river. Without a doubt though, if one has the dollars, staying up the hill in Oberlech would be the way to go during a long stay. Access down to town is via winter walking tracks, taxis buses or cable car. Oberlech is quieter at night & has far & away the quickest access to the slopes on a powder day via the Petersboden six-seater. And just to make sure that it doesn't feel to high falutin, Oberlech still has active farms with cows in the shed, right next to the ski runs.

And whilst I think about it. How many places in the world can you ski as many lifts, trails & routes in one day for a lift pass price of a measly €56? Do the math in your currency then compare it to skiing in the USA, Canada, Chile, Argentina, NZ or even Japan. Lech will win. Accommodation may be a little pricey in some parts, but the lift price, food & drink are all excellent value.

Everyone must visit the Arlberg to ski Lech & its close relatives at least once in their skiing & snowboarding lives. Once you do, you’ll be back for more.
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Ripping place to ride. Not as busy as St Anton. Awesome for a family ski holiday (thanks Dad!)
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I visited the Arlberg region in Austria for 2 weeks in February 2014. The area itself is massive, bigger than anything I’ve ever skied before (Japan, NZ and Aus.) I skied for 10 days and each day was a new area with different runs, you definitely need a lot of time to fully explore the place and I can see why people keep coming back here year after year! I had heard/read a lot about how expensive skiing can be in this region and I found that for the most part this was not the case. There are countless options for accommodation, ranging from the inexpensive budget motel, to the + $5,000 euro a night luxurious chalets, and the same was for food/drinks/hire equipment. If you wanted to eat at a fantastic fancy restaurant with amazing service you can, but you pay for it. Alternatively eating at a cheap café or bakery is just as easy and viable and I often ate amazing food for about $15-$20 AUD a meal. Overall the holiday was far cheaper than I anticipated and much cheaper than Aus/NZ.

Having skied the infamous Japan powder before I did notice that the snow in Austria is generally not as light or as dry, but still very nice to ski. Being such a large area, there are obviously large variances in the height of different runs. Lech village is at 1,300M, whilst some areas (Rendal, Valluga) have runs above 2,800m. So as you can assume, the snow quality can vary greatly between areas. We had days when it was pouring rain in the villages, but dumping snow up high. The same can be said for weather conditions, visibility can be horrendous in one place, but over the ridge in another area it’s a bluebird day. It’s just a matter of knowing where to go in what conditions and this is what makes skiing the Arlberg so fantastic. The grooming of the slopes is perfect, and the amount of off-piste terrain is literally endless. Combining this with amazing food (and drinks!), modern and comfortable lifts and the stunning vistas, the Arlberg region is a must visit destination for any snow lover.

(Tip: get up early and try and catch the first lifts up. Most ski schools don’t get on the mountain until about 10am so you can literally have the mountains to yourself!)
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Lech and the surrounding ski areas provide some great cruisy groomers to travel from one lunch spot to the next drinking hole. 

The lack of steep groomers is one limitation, but the off-piste is fun when the snow conditions are good.
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