Westendorf is definitely one of the best freeride spots in the Tyrolean lowlands. Shady slopes, cliffs, long runs into the valleys, in short: here you will find everything a real freeride area needs. With 40 centimetres of fresh snow, we had the perfect timing in mid-February. A real blue-bird day in the Kitzbühel Alps.
Those who know Westendorf really well will appreciate its advantages. In contrast to the popular freeride areas, there is still plenty of untracked terrain here even a few days after the last snowfall. The word "hectic" is still largely unknown here in Brixental Valley.
Forty centimetres of snow fell the day before yesterday. The sky was covered in clouds until just now, but now the sun is slowly pushing them aside. We take our skis in peace and take the Alpenrosenbahn.
Today is Saturday. Changeover day. Obviously the people leaving hadn't expected such good weather. There's no other explanation for the empty slopes. All the better for us. We make our first tracks in the snow on the Talkaser slopes and use the snow-covered mountain huts to let our skis fly.
There is a Stairway to Heaven not only in Verbier and numerous other areas, but also in Westendorf. The entrance to this somewhat hidden run winds its way through the forest for 100 vertical meters. We speed down the subsequent clearings to the waterfall trail and follow it back onto the pistes. Partly on and partly off the slopes, we speed down into the Windautal valley to the Almbahn.
Interestingly, the Brixenbachtal valley has lost some of its appeal due to the construction of the Skiweltbahn. At least we see far fewer tracks here today than would have been the case a few years ago. Obviously, most off-piste skiers tend to concentrate on the runs that lead directly back to the gondola stations. As we are prepared to take a short ski bus ride, we have the Brixenbachtal to ourselves.
Time for a short break. Even though a number of new huts have opened in the Westendorf ski area in recent years, the Alpenrose is still our favorite. In this weather, we even allow ourselves a few more minutes than we normally would.
Towards the afternoon, we head for the summit slope of the Choralpe once again. The snow-covered trees form a perfect backdrop for deep powder photos. Then we head over towards Ki-West. At the top of Fleiding, we discover one or two spots around the summit cross for a photo. While Jessi pulls out the camera, we keep shouldering our skis to get the pictures in the box.
The eastern slope of the Gampenkogel is too dangerous for us. The sun has now melted the fresh snow into a critical layer. No connection with the old snow cover. Luckily, there are plenty of less avalanche-prone slopes in the Ki-West area.
Finally, we head into the shadow flank of the Fleiding. The snow has retained its fluffy consistency until the late afternoon thanks to the exposure facing away from the sun. To be honest, these are actually the best turns of the day.
On the way down to the valley, we make another stop at the Alpenrosenhütte. After a day like this, the beer tastes twice as good. And the conclusion: As so often, Westendorf has once again proven that it is one of the kings of hidden runs. A little local clientele is simply a must. But if you have them, Westendorf offers far more runs than you could cover in one day.
