25 centimetres of fresh snow have been reported for the third weekend of Advent. What hardly allows a descent in the rocky high mountains can be a lot of fun on grassy mountains: the best conditions for making the first powder turns of the season in the snow of the Kitzbühel Alps.
It takes us a little longer than a normal ski morning to get all our equipment together in the cellar. After all, the good freeride backpack needs to be packed properly. Skis on the roof and off we go to Westendorf, whose wide aisles are well known among powder freaks.
After two or three runs to get used to the Talkaser, the usual lack of inner skis at the start of the season subsides. Now it's finally time to get going. The fluffy deep snow is a real invitation to approach the unprepared slopes bit by bit. Finally that floating feeling again that we had to do without for months. As the Almbahn lift to the Choralpe is not yet back in operation, we shoulder our skis and hike up in around fifteen minutes. While on a normal ski day, the slope directly below the Choralpe can be ripped up in just a few minutes, today only a few skiers take on the hardships of the footpath. All the better for us, because the first speed turns of the season follow. Wonderful!
In addition to Westendorf, the lifts have also been running in Kitzbühel since this weekend. The good conditions from the previous day prompted us to get up really early on Sunday and set off directly from the Fleckalmbahn lift at the start of operations in the morning.
This time with telemark skis under our feet, we head down from the Ehrenbachhöhe into the Ehrenbachgraben to warm up. The combination of a long descent and a fast lift ride sheltered from the wind is perfect for getting into the swing of things in the cold temperatures. First run on the piste, second run, of course, in deep snow.
To our surprise, we find enough drift snow in the hollows below the Steinbergkogel for some nice pow runs. Over a lunchtime snack at the Steinbergkogel hut, we recharge our slightly tired freerider bones. We feel as if we were fitter last season. So in the afternoon, we round off the first Kitzalps powder weekend of the season with leisurely runs on the Steinbergkogel and Silberstuben lifts.
