Snow report Obertauern, 04/14/2016

Snow condition

Bitter. Further west it looks a bit better in the Niedere Tauern (especially Rauris, Gastein), but here on the eastern edge it looks more like the end of May or alternatively November.ca 5-15cm of fresh snow.reasonable skiing is still possible on the north side up to about 1700-1800m. (Sometimes you can still slide down on suitable open areas/paths on remnants up to approx. 1600 m.) On the tour here, the high areas also looked really bad...

Snow quality

Better than expected on the way up, but not as good as secretly hoped. The fresh snow is often wind-pressed at higher altitudes, but softened up during the course of the day and is easy to smear, then very slow and sticky at the bottom.

Less tense than you might expect from the wind. Very small-scale changing conditions. Old snow with a grippy hardpack, soft fresh snow, pressed windpack, slush, cardboard snow. The soft fresh snow is easy to ski in the higher elevations, but in higher elevations in the fall terrain there may be problems with drifting snow, but overall not enough.

Overall impression

Ok, but the snow conditions spoiled the experience. But actually a great, long tour in very beautiful and lonely surroundings, ski tours in the area are only feasible on the really high mountains.