Top 3 Freeride Ski Runs at Arlberg: Famously deep Powder Skiing from Lech to St. Anton

The Arlberg is one of the most famous powder ski destinations in the Alps. Ever heard of Nordstau or Nordwest-Stau? When you like deep powder snow, you will learn to love these terms. Here we show you the best 3 powder runs at the Arlberg Ski Area.

On ski tours and when freerinding, preparation and timing are very important, and indulging yourself in the area folklore only enhances the experience. The long skiing tradition in Arlberg is as deep as the snow, and it is waiting for adventurous spirits like yourself to explore it and get to know more about it. Here at Mountain Moments, we will show you the way. Find the tour maps, photo spots, as well as useful tips and tricks below.

The film by director Arnold Fanck from 1931 still helps the Arlberg to its illustrious image today: “Der weiße Rausch” is not only the title of the film but also promises to turn skiing into an experience and a way of life. 

On the Arlberg, snow often falls from the sky in heavenly quantities. The location on the northwestern edge of the Alps ensures that congested areas from north to the west provide precipitation. 

The closer to the town of Lech, the higher the mountains of snow on the roadside. St. Anton also gets its share, with an average of about nine meters of new snow per season. 

Another advantage of the Arlberg is that fresh snow and sunshine very often alternate ideally: as soon as the weather improves overall, it changes here particularly quickly

By the way, the classic deep snow short turn is not called the “Arlberg school” without reason. Close together, in perfect symmetry, many of the tracks still line up through the area’s large, wide slopes, which tend not to be too steep. 

The Arlberg is only an hour’s train ride or drive from Innsbruck. Fast trains also stop at the St. Anton train station – and in three minutes you’re a quick walk to the valley stations, which make the ski circus very accessible.

The well-known deep snow areas are often already covered in the morning after snowfalls. Fortunately, however, the mountains and slopes are so wide that the masses spread out. If you know your way around, you can find untracked runs even days after the last snowfall.

The terrain is so vast and varied that it’s hard to say which gives the top 3 runs. There are umpteen classics. In the Arlberg area, you will find many rewarding ski touring opportunities, with or without lift support. 

If you are fast enough, you might even make it to the top of the Mehlsack before the first heliskiers and be able to steal the first untracked run from the rich and (or) beautiful

Photo tips that will make your Instagram pop – The early bird catches the worm!

At the ski resort, successful photography especially means being faster than the crowd. Know your spots and plan the perfect light angle! 

Get close to the trees in snowfall when photographing in the Maienwasen. You are on the way to the Rendl Via Ferrata? Get the perspective once from the front and once from behind. At Schindlerkar you can get the special location and the steep slope by clever positioning. 

Due to the inaccessible terrain and the time pressure, you will achieve the best results here if you already know a target image in advance.

In general: Position yourself so that the following free riders do not see you directly. Otherwise, they often drive into your picture and produce unsightly tracks or stand around in the picture.

Book Tip: 

Andy Thurner: Off the slopes around the Arlberg, self-published by Andy Thurner in 2009. (German)

Andy Thurner: Arlberg ski tours. Andy Thurner, 2006 (German)

Powderguide Tirol: The best freeride tours, Tyrolia Verlag, 2nd revised edition 2012 (German)

Mountain Moments Photo Workshops provide Photo Tours for everybody, Alpine Experience for beginners and intermediate-level photographers with 3 to 6-hour routes, as well as Summit Experience for more advanced photographers and hikers. We have private workshops and group classes.

Top Freeride Run #1 – Maienwasen

Maienwasen is a bad-weather classic on the Arlberg. Where all free forest runs are currently banned in Lech and Zürs (Vorarlberg), a beautiful, expansive south-facing slope with contrasting trees and bushes awaits advanced skiers here.

The best Winter Adventures in and around Innsbruck – Skiing, Freeride, Skitour and more

Fancy more Winter adventures in Tyrol and around Innsbruck? We got you covered! The best outdoor sports activities for Winter enthusiasts as eBook: Innsbruck Winter Outdoor Guide.

Here we have compiled the most beautiful locations and photo opportunities. 30 activities with numerous photo spots are selected and described in such a way that you can easily experience these wonderful adventures around Innsbruck for yourself – including track infos, and maps and all other information that you need.

You can take a closer look at the Innsbruck ebook here– – why not share it with your adventure partner in crime?

Route description for Maienwasen

The actual variant begins south of the top station of the Galzig gondola. Immediately after the terrace of the restaurant, leave piste no. 8 to the left, over beautiful and flat slopes. At about 1900 m light vegetation begins. 

Metal poles point past the left steep slope. Then on the wide slope arbitrarily downhill. Above the high-voltage power line, keep left so that at about 1540 m you meet a forest road. You pass the futuristic-looking ventilation shaft of the Arlberg tunnel. 

Then you cross a road and continue opposite on clearings to the left along the slope. Above the houses, you meet ski route no. 3 and follow it back to the ski area.

More information about your Maienwasen trip

How to get there by public transport: By train from Innsbruck to St. Anton. 3 minutes walk to the valley stations. Ascent can be with Verwall lift.

Hike difficulty level: easy-medium

Duration/distance: 0.5h/3.5km   

Ascent/descent: 0m/775hm   

Highest/lowest point: 2085m/1305m  

Refreshment stop: Verwall mountain station, St. Anton, Moserwirt, Crazy Kangaroo

Start/finish: Verwall lift top station (coordinates: geogr. 47.130651,10.230331) 

Best season: Jan-March

Top Freeride Run #2 – Schindlerkar

This is a short, and quite steep directly visible variant in the ski area of St. Anton. Caution is advised in case of large fresh snowfalls. The Schindlerkar is located directly at the mountain station Galzig and the ski slopes. 

From the starting point, you can see directly into the cirque, which makes every free rider’s heart beat faster with its photogenic southern flank. You should not be deceived by its location in the middle of the ski area

Directions for Schindlerkar destination

From the Schindlerkar mountain station, follow the ski slope for a few meters. On the left, there are always possibilities to enter the steep west slope. Depending on conditions and snow conditions (stony!) you can choose the flatter option and stay a little longer on the ski slope before crossing the west slopes. 

Another option is to enter one of the steep gullies just after the top station. This route ends directly on the ski slope and you return to the Schindlerkar chairlift.

Variant: If you don’t want to descend too far, you can ski left and traverse towards the prominent large gondola support (Valluga I) (not marked). From here the route goes into the actual south-facing basin of the Schindlerkar. Here finally, cross back to the ski route and back to the Schindlerkar chairlift

More information – how to get to Schindlerkar? 

How to get there by public transport: By train from Innsbruck to St. Anton. 3 minutes walk to the valley stations.

Difficulty level: medium

Duration/distance: 0.25h/ 2km  

Ascent/descent: 0hm/600hm  

Highest/lowest point: 2648m /2010m 

Start/finish: Schindlerkarlift top station (2638m) (coordinates: geogr. 47.149976, 10.221941) 

Best season: Jan-April

Special dangers: –

Top Freeride Run #3 – Rendl Via Ferrata

The only winter Via Ferrata in Tyrol is recommended to sure-footed free riders. After a relatively short, but airy and beautiful via ferrata, various long descents down to the valley await.

Route description for Rendl Winter Via Ferrata

Ascent

At the top station of the Riffel 2 chairlift in the Rendl sub-area, strap your skis onto your rucksack and walk a few steps southeast towards the ridge that leads to the front Rendlspitze. 

The start of the via ferrata is right at the beginning of the rocky ridge. After putting on the harness and via ferrata set, you ascend to the Vordere Rendlspitze (2816m) via the via ferrata, which follows the course of the ridge. 

Except for a few passages, you climb on the rock with the help of the steel rope. Only rarely you walk, partly without a rope, on a snow ridge. 

After the Vordere Rendlspitze, the via ferrata leads down to the Rossfallscharte (2732m), where the harness and via ferrata set are stowed and the skis are put on.

Downhill

The most rewarding descent leads from the Scharte first to the east, then briefly to the southeast into the Malfontal, and through this to the northeast to the Hintere Malfonalpe (1825m). 

From there, continue to follow the course of the valley northward over the Vordere Malfonalpe (1688m) into the valley to Pettneu. The lowest part of the descent is on a forest road. Where this ends, you can still descend across a meadow to the first houses. 

From here you go down on the road to the leisure center, where the bus stop is located. From here the ski bus takes you quickly back to St. Anton.

More information for Rendl Via Ferrata by skis

How to get there by public transport: By train from Innsbruck to St. Anton. By Rendlbahn and ski slope to the Rendl ski lifts.

Difficulty level: medium

Duration/distance: 4h/ 11km 

Ascent/descent: 160hm/1510hm  

Highest/lowest point: 2645m/1284m 

Start/finish: Rendl 2 mountain station (coordinates: geogr. 47.101111,10.285070) 

Best season: Jan-March

Tip: Buy individual tickets for mountain trips.

Special dangers: Via ferrata! Appropriate equipment, surefootedness, head for heights, and knowledge required.

Refreshment stop: Verwall mountain station, St. Anton, Moserwirt, Crazy Kangaroo.

Start/finish: Verwall lift top station (coordinates: geogr. 47.130651,10.230331) 

The best Winter Adventures in and around Innsbruck – Skiing, Freeride, Skitour and more

Fancy more Winter adventures in Tyrol and around Innsbruck? We got you covered! The best outdoor sports activities for Winter enthusiasts as eBook: Innsbruck Winter Outdoor Guide.

Here we have compiled the most beautiful locations and photo opportunities. 30 activities with numerous photo spots are selected and described in such a way that you can easily experience these wonderful adventures around Innsbruck for yourself – including track infos, and maps and all other information that you need.

You can take a closer look at the Innsbruck ebook here– – why not share it with your adventure partner in crime?