The Zillertal
The Zillertal is a wide, flat valley and stretches from Strass to Mayerhofen, where it divides into the high valleys of Tuxertal, Zemmtal, Stilluptal and Zillergrund. Due to the good accessibility of the wide valley, it was already settled in the Bronze Age. Today, in addition to tourism, various economic sectors, such as the timber industry, are also important.
In addition to the relatively good accessibility from the north and the wide range of options for freeriders and ski tourers, the valley also scores highly thanks to the high-altitude ski areas with guaranteed snow and often good snow conditions. The climate in the Zillertal is somewhat more humid compared to the drier Stubai and Ötztal Alps. Especially when there is a northern thaw, a considerable amount of fresh snow often accumulates in the Zillertal far into the valley. Due to the length of the valley and the numerous possibilities, you can often find fresh snow or wind-protected slopes here even after some time, especially as the wind here is often weaker than in other areas. Nevertheless, the sun is not to be neglected. The Zillertal and especially the mountains around it have an above-average number of hours of sunshine, especially in winter.
Of course, the Zillertal tends to be very busy, especially during holiday periods, and it's best to plan an arrival or departure on Saturday with the Zillertalbahn. Nevertheless, outside of the absolute hotspots, there are often surprisingly few freeriders and ski tourers in particular.
The ski resorts
When you think of the Zillertal, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the large and well-known ski areas, such as Hochzillertal, which "grew together" many years ago from Hochfügen and Kaltenbach, or the Zillertal Arena, which stretches from Zell am Ziller over the Gerlos Pass to Salzburg's Lang. Of course, Hintertux, the last year-round ski area in the Eastern Alps and the merger of the ski areas from Mayrhofen via Finkenberg to the Eggalm are also "household names". Then there are the little-known "small" ski areas in the Zillertal, such as the Spieljoch, Ahorn and Gerlosstein areas, which are popular with families.
With so much choice, it's hard to say where it's most interesting for freeriders. Hochfügen and Kaltenbach alone offer practically everything your heart desires, from long treeruns in the "Goldwald", easy slopes right next to the pistes to the steep contest face of the "Ostwand". There are also numerous starting points for interesting ski tours. However, especially on powder days, you are rarely alone - the area is too well-known and popular. The same applies to Mayrhofen, where you can find interesting descents in almost all exposures between Penken and Wanglspitze and beyond. Away from the pistes, things are a little quieter in the very extensive Zillertal Arena area. Here, especially if you start in Zell, you often sit in the lift for quite a while, but then you have numerous opportunities for relaxed freeriding, especially from the "Wilde Krimml" and the other parts of the ski area to the east.
The Zillertal also offers numerous options for freeride enthusiasts who want to stop off after their adventure. In spring, when the days get longer, the valley offers numerous huts and refreshment stops where you can round off the day with friends on the sun terraces of the mountain huts and top up on vitamin D.
