Ischgl: piste guide
Expert guide to Ischgl
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Ischgl's high altitude – its highest peak, the Palinkopf, has a top lift station at 2,864m – combined with some of the most sophisticated snowmaking anywhere in the Alps, pretty much guarantees at least adequate snow cover here in a season that runs from the last weekend in November to May 1. With the exception of the lower runs immediately above the resort, nearly all pistes are above the treeline, so it's best to head to those lower runs to avoid white-out conditions when the weather closes in.
With 239km of extensive, snow-sure and sunny terrain on which to play, intermediates can have a ball here. Some of the blacks would be marked red in other resorts, and piste highlights include a glorious red of 1,000 vertical metres served by a giant cable-car, the Piz Val Grondabahn. There is an overall absence of truly steep slopes, but the off-piste and touring opportunities with a guide are excellent.
The 45 lifts are constantly being updated – most recently, in the 2017/18 season, the four-seat Palinkopf lift was replaced by a six-seater chairlift with heated seats and weather hoods, taking up to 2,800 people per hour from the valley station to a height of 2,853m in under six minutes.
In December 2014, the Pardatschgrat gondola, running from the edge of resort, greatly improved what was already good mountain access, feeding skiers into the network of lifts and runs that stretches across the Swiss frontier and down to the village of Samnaun at 1,840m.
Beginners need to buy a full lift pass, and ride either the Silvretta or Fimba lifts from town up to the mountain base at Idalp. The ski school meets here and broad, gentle nursery slopes are served by a moving carpet, T-bar, and a chairlift. After first turns, learners can progress to some marginally more challenging blue runs on the east side of the bowl. The runs down to town are red and can become icy and crowded in the afternoon rush hour – first-weekers are strongly advised to catch the gondola down at the end of the day.
The Jeep Snowpark Ischgl is one of the best terrain parks in Europe. Its presence is a deliberate lure for all the 20-something snowboarders and twin-tip skiers who – music apart – might otherwise have considered Ischgl to be too middle-aged and expensive for their taste.
The park is one of the longest in the Alps, well maintained and constantly updated. It has a host of kickers, ramps and rails and is served by three chairs. Separate beginner, intermediate and king-sized lines are matched to varying technical skills. There is also a halfpipe and a boardercross course. Samnaun has the Samnaun Obstacle Park, specifically designed for experts, while Galtür has the Zeinispark Galtür.
