SILVRETTA MONTAFON SILVER LININGS IN AUSTRIA WORDS AND PHOTOS: TONY HARRINGTON SKIER: MIKE SLATTERY
One thing I really love about skiing in Europe is it pays to be nimble and open to hopping trains and skipping over borders at the drop of a hat to catch storms as they weave through the Alps. A passport and a willingness to upend your plans can seriously pay off. I was sitting in France under a relentless parade of bluebird skies with zero snow on the horizon. Instead of crying into my croissant I dove into weather forecasts and spent hours crossreferencing multiple models to hunt down a storm. I’ve lived my life chasing isobars on quests for powder runs, and that’s exactly how this spur of the moment jaunt across to Austria came about.
Left page: Stay away from school holidays and weekends and there’s plenty of terrain like this to score with ya mates. Above, clockwise: Avalanche barriers might look like an attractive place to ski, but they are there for a reason - because its avalanche
Unlike the US where storms careen in off the ocean and hit most of the mountains straight on from a westerly-biased direction, the European Alps run west to east. While some resorts are tucked away on aspects that receive a lot of snow from one direction, others just around the corner or literally on the other side of the ridge don’t see a single flake from the same weather event. Educating yourself on storm direction and what resorts are likely to benefit takes doing some homework. With the impacts of global warming another integral factor of any storm chase is to head for high altitude when you can for added snow insurance. For me, terrain is also high on the check list.
terrain. Crosses are a symbol of gratitude for protecting those in the mountains and ensuring their safe return. Forgot your goggles? Doppelmayr’s gondolas have got you covered. Authentic cuisine and ambience abounds. 85
