Visitor reviews for Pitztal Glacier Ski Resort

Pitztal Glacier Ratings

Overall: 4.4. Based on 9 votes and 3 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 5.0

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Pitztal Glacier is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.2

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Pitztal Glacier has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 4.7

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 4.4

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 4.2

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Pitztal Glacier.

Public Transport: 4.8

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Pitztal Glacier, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.6

(1) No places to stay in/near Pitztal Glacier, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 4.9

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.8

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Pitztal Glacier.

Ski in/Ski out: 4.3

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.5

(1) There are no child care facilities at Pitztal Glacier, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.1

(1) Pitztal Glacier relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.4

(1) There are no snow groomers at Pitztal Glacier, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Pitztal Glacier are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.5

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Pitztal Glacier is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 4.3

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Pitztal Glacier, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.7

(1) Pitztal Glacier usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 4.9

(1) The staff at Pitztal Glacier are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Pitztal Glacier are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 4.9

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.9

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 5.0

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 4.8

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.7

(1) No intermediate terrain at Pitztal Glacier, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.7

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 4.2

(1) Not even a kicker at Pitztal Glacier, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 4.8

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Pitztal Glacier, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 3.5

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Pitztal Glacier has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.4

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.3

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 3.3

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 3.7

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 3.3

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 4.8

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 3.6

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.3

(1) Overall, Pitztal Glacier is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 4.1

(1) Overall, Pitztal Glacier is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

January 31, 2013
Iancu from Ski Romania Romania
Had a great time skiing in Pitztal in January 2013. I would recommend it for advanced skiers, as the red-only runs from 3440m are pretty challenging. As the previous reviews pointed out, besides the great skiing, new lifts and amazing scenery, there are basically no crowds - we had absolutely no queues during the entire trip, and the slopes stayed in good shape throughout the day. We enjoyed skiing from the 3440m lift during the first part of the day, as the slopes there are steeper and have more sun during the morning. After lunch, we moved to the other side of the resort, to the 3270m lift, which received more sun in the afternoon, had a fun snow park and easier slopes. The retreat from the resort can be made by cable car; if the avalanche risk is low and there are at least 40-50 minutes of daylight left, you can take the "emergency retreat" to the valley, which crosses the glacier and winds through a wild and huge alpine valley. Watch out though, as avalanches there DO happen, and the path is NOT protected. It's worth paying the extra 10 euro a week for the ski pass to include Hochzeiger ski area, as a backup for stormy days, or simply as a variation. It has about 50km of slopes and great views all around. I would recommend the slopes 10 red and 12 black - the first has a great view, the second is long, challenging and fun. On Thursday nights the 6km sled track is lit until 1.30 in the morning. We had a great time in Pitztal and actually prefer it to larger resorts such as Solden and Zillertal due to the lack of crowds and great skiing. If you are a beginner though, there are better choices out there.
March 21, 2012
A-ski from Ski Luxembourg Luxembourg
I will be short. If you are into: 1) spectacular scenery and views; 2) massive glaciers and a high-mountain environment; 3) off-piste skiing and ski-alpinism; 4) pristine and uncontaminated alpine valley; 5) friendly locals; 6) no queues; and 7) great value for money, then this is THE place for you. Look no further. Pitztal has it all. If on the other hand you are after showing off, discos, apres-ski and drunken crowds avoid this place altogether. Go to nearby Soelden if skiing is still important or head to Ischgl if partying is top priority. If great food is your priority, avoid Austria altogether I am afraid. Head for the Reschen Pass (nearby) or the Brenner and ski Italy.
March 05, 2007
chris wright from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
First, I must say that this place is a gem of a find! It's all locals here. Some from Germany but hardly any from the UK. Which is great, not because I don't want to see my fellow countryman, it's just a nice indication that it isn't bombarded by tourists. In the area of Pitztal you have Pitztal glacier. Right next door you have Rifflsee and a couple of minutes down the valley you have Hochziger. You can get a lift pass for all three for a week at around 170 Euro's. First, the glacier is fantastic. The well looked after runs are not the greatest if you are a beginner but for intermediate and expert there's lots to keep you going. Not stacks of off-piste but they are working on a run from the top to the base station. This is off-piste at the mo and there are fantastic views on the way down. The summit at the glacier is over 3000 meters so take some o2! (or stop smoking.) Right next door is Rifflsee. Again, not the widest of runs but you can really get some great speed up here. A little better for the beginner here and a little more off-piste. There is a really nice cruisey blue run from the top to the base station car park. Good fun and if you want to come off early it brings you to Pitztal glacier base station. Now, Hochziger. This place is fantastic. Over 45k of runs. Loads and loads of off-piste. Great for everyone and one mammoth run from the top to the base. You know you are alive when you get to the bottom and waiting for you is beer! I would really recommend a trip here. You can fly cheaply from the UK to Salzburg. Innsbrook is closer but served by BA so not the cheapest. I stayed with a family. It was really cheap and very clean with everything you want and the view every morning was fantastic. Hausbritfuss in St Leonard is where they also run a ski racing camp. Check it out and have a ball.