 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I've done endless Google searches but come up blank. Does anyone know of any good guidebooks or maps of the off piste options round Sankt Anton? German or English.
All I can find is lots of expensive human guides, but that looks to be around 400 euros per day, which I can't afford.
I've done lots of slack piste or whatever it's called, the various itinaires at St Anton and a few of the more obvious couloirs (eg the ones on the left getting off SchindlerGradBahn (or whatever it's called).
For example, far end of Rendl was really good two years ago, but it looked like you might be able to continue into the valley bottom rather than cutting back skiers' right through the trees. I guess there's also loads of excellent OP if you go over the back of Rendl, but I don't want to head off into the unknown without some idea of what's there.
I'm conscious that this sort of post might attract a certain level of opprobrium, along the lines of "if you need a book then you aint good enough". Probably true, but to try to give some perspective I've done a reasonable amount of off piste at The Mighty One, Easy Gully on Aonach Mhor, Gorm, Glenshee, Raise (aint it all!) Yads Moss, Ricksgransen, Gaustablick, St Anton, Lech, Zillertal, Gerlos, Zermat, Andermat, Engelberg, Val De Mesde, Alta, Snowbasin, Canyons, PM, Snowbird etc etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have a look at the 2 books by Andy Thurner - one is lift served off piste and the other ski touring routes. We went a few years back and they served us better than the human guide. More info in the thread below
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=74877
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@TheGeneralist, Search back a few seasons (at least 6-8 I cant remember ) on this forum I wrote up a lot of the Off Piste Routes in Arlberg.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@TheGeneralist, check out Rother and Panico, two (German language) publishers who have ski touring / off piste guidebooks (skitourenführer) for that area. Both usually available through Amazon uk.
Also the FATMAP app is pretty good for Arlberg; in English too. And also the Bergfex app/ website, although it’s almost all German.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi All,
Thanks very much for the excellent suggestions. My GoogleFu is clearly as weak as my off-piste technique.
The two freeride maps and the Arlberg off piste guide arrived yesterday from backcountrybooks. Of anyone wants 10% off then feel free to use TAKE10 at checkout to get a discount. Likewise TAKE15 at Gemstock.com (whatever the hell that is)
So the maps look like, well maps really. With some colouring in of different areas dependent on the general grnaliness of the area. But disappointing really for £17 each. But never mind, I'll hopefully be able to transcribe some of the routes across from Any Thurner's book.
So the book, good pictures, but no bloody captions. Weird descriptions which don't bother mentioning whether they refer to uphill or do
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@TheGeneralist, get the FATMAPs app and download the arlberg map. It’s free and they are pretty good
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If I remember correctly, you need to be very careful off the back of Rendl. I went with a guide some years ago down a fairly tracked out slope, asked why didn't we go over another 100 yards to the nice looking untracked bit only to be told it was untracked because it was a very dangerous avalanche prone slope.
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Cheers gordy. Rendl was one of the options I was keen on. Will be careful.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| TheGeneralist wrote: |
| Cheers gordy. Rendl was one of the options I was keen on. Will be careful. |
How can you hope to ‘be careful’ if you’re just using a book and not a human guide?
Is the dearth of off piste guides down to the possible nervousness of publishers and authors if it all goes wrong for someone who reads their book?
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Ski tour guides and climbing guides are hardly rare, they're a huge part of the operation of alpine clubs for example. They simply don't make a lot of money, in fact they generally make a loss and are provided as a service rather than a commercial venture. Even a successful guidebook, or technical manual for that matter, sells in tiny numbers.
Alpine clubs do publish guides and manuals because access to accurate information clearly improves safe practice and encourages participation.
And of course, the law doesn't work like that, Europe or anywhere else. You can't sue the writer or publishers if you fall off something.
The move now is to get them online which shows an optimism about the technology skills of the average ski tourer in this area 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
| How can you hope to ‘be careful’ if you’re just using a book and not a human guide? |
Obvious troll is obvious.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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@TheGeneralist, Andy Thurner and Trimmel as above
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Inboard wrote: |
@TheGeneralist, check out Rother and Panico, two (German language) publishers who have ski touring / off piste guidebooks (skitourenführer) for that area. Both usually available through Amazon uk.
Also the FATMAP app is pretty good for Arlberg; in English too. And also the Bergfex app/ website, although it’s almost all German. |
Thanks inboard,
I'm in St Anton from Mar 11th -21st, so on your suggestion I just checked out the FATMAP app navigating maps for the area, which I already know pretty well. But they look great and I'll use them, I just hope I don't get myself and my ski buddies in too much trouble with them.... 
Thanks for the heads up, very handy!!
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