By Cole ButcherSitting above a snow covered cliff unable to see where I might land, I thought to myself, “I’m in Innsbruck Austria! There is no turning back now!” As I pointed my board down the slope, my heart started racing and I was worried that this may not be the soft landing I was hoping for. Maybe I should have listened to the lift operator when he said, “stick to the trails.”
Innsbruck had been on my mind for two years prior to coming to Italy. It has been called the snowboarding capital of Europe and the Mecca of freeride snowboarding. In addition, the city has been the host of two Winter Olympic Games (1964, 1976). Innsbruck has 30 ski resorts within a two hour drive from downtown that offer something for snowboarders and skiers of all skill sets. However, if you are a beginner boarder or skier, it would be wise to stick to the easy and moderate runs when you start out your trip. It is pretty easy to put yourself in some dangerous positions if you aren’t careful.
Patscher Kofel is a great resort to start with in order to get your legs back under you. The resort is only 20 minutes from downtown and a free ski bus offers rides every 30 minutes. This is a smaller resort and the majority of the runs are blue (easy) and red (medium). Its highest point is 2250 meters and, on a clear day, you can see the entire city of Innsbruck from the Panorama Restaurant at the top.
However, this resort isn’t the best for freeriding snowboarders. Many of the runs turn into cat walks and it is hard to keep your speed up. On a day with very little visibility, 10 to 15 feet, it is very easy to get stuck on the catwalks if you are worried about flying off that invisible cliff. It would be best to visit this resort when the visibility conditions are good.
For the more advanced snowboarders, Stubaier Gletscher (Glacier) is a resort you do not want to miss out on while in Innsbruck. To get to the resort we took the free ski bus which has various stops throughout downtown Innsbruck. The bus takes 90 minutes to get to Stubaier, so if you want to get a full day in be sure to get on at the first bus stop.
Once we arrived at the resort, I was amazed at how big the glacier was. The entire resort is above the tree line and the runs are wide open. Its highest point is 3333 meters and it is the highest point accessible by a lift in the entire Tyrolean region. Stubaier is also the only resort near Innsbruck that offers year-round snowboarding and skiing. Unlike resorts I have been to in Colorado and California, riders have the freedom to go wherever they want. The trails are marked by stakes rather than ropes or trees so it is easier to get off the beaten path. However, first time visitors should remember the warnings. Avalanches, crevasses and high cliffs are the main hazards.
The only terrain open to boarders and skiers is accessible through a series of gondolas that take you above the tree line. Earlier in the day the marked runs had a seemingly endless amount of champagne powder, but they tended to get choppy toward the end of the day. If you are willing to accept the risks, the best powder riding is away from the marked trails. This is precisely how I put myself in the pickle of staring down at a cliff with no knowledge of how high it was or where I would land.
As I rapidly approached the edge of the cliff the adrenaline began to kick in and I knew there was no turning back. As my board carved through the pristine powder I hopped off the ledge not knowing when I would return to the ground. Luckily the cliff was about 15 feet high rather than a deadly 100. It was still the biggest ledge I had ever leaped off of. I hit the ground and nailed the landing. However my excitement was short lived as I caught an edge soon after and had a “yard sale” in a flat section of some deep, cold powder.
Innsbruck, truly the snowboarding capital of Europe, offered the best snow conditions I had ever seen and many challenging runs that allowed me to become a better snowboarder. Putting myself in the position of having no choice but to hop off of a ledge without spotting my landing may not have been my smartest decision. However, I will always remember the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment I had when I landed. Flirting with that imaginary line that exists between exciting and dangerous will always create memories you will never forget.
Cole Butcher, a University of Oklahoma public relations student, studied in the CIMBA undergraduate program in spring, 2009
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