Stubai Glacier resort is one of the largest ski areas in the Innsbruck area and is well worth an insider article of its own. The resort is located in the end of Stubai valley, some 25 kilometers away from Innsbruck. Stubai holds a good snow record and as a glacier resort it’s usually open from end of September until end of June.
Stubai Glacier offers a lot for a piste skier
The Glacier offers a wide variety of pistes, mostly aimed at beginner to advanced skier. There are only a few black pistes available. Compared to a lot of other resorts the pistes are usually well groomed and taken care of. Piste-carvers will be happy to note that the pistes are also nice and wide. The base of the resort is at 1750m while the top lift takes you to 3200m. Here’s the slope map for a general idea about the area:
The offpiste has some nice but short runs
The offpiste area in Stubai is fairly easily observed from lifts. There are not many runs that won’t be easy to spot from the lift. The terrain is not very steep, it’s a glacier after all. A very serious offpiste skier might want to look into other options such as Chamonix or Verbier but for a normal skier Stubai Glacier will do just fine. On a powder day it’s usually best head straight up to the four-seater chairlift “Rotadlbahn” and have a look at the options around and under the lift. If you’re more into mellow glacier-skipping then the new “Daunscharte” T-bar is worth checking out. Be aware of the hidden crevasses lurking below the snow, especially in autumn, early winter and late spring! There are plenty and falling into one wouldn’t be nice. Consult locals or hire a mountain guide and carry proper equipment and know how to use it. For the experienced the touring options around the resort are plentiful, including the highest mountain of the Stubai Alps, Zuckerhütl. There are also many alpine huts that offer great skiing (see photo below) within a days tour.
Getting to Stubai Glacier resort, accommodation & best times to visit
Stubai Glacier is some 25 kilometers away from Innsbruck and its airport. The flights to Innsbruck can be expensive so another option is to fly to Munich, which is 2 hours away from Stubai if the roads are clear. From Munich you can get to Stubai valley by either renting a car, getting a flight taxi or taking the train to Innsbruck and a bus from there.
The busiest times at Stubai Glacier are the European school holidays but especially the last weeks in the end of November and beginning of December when other resorts normally haven’t opened yet but people are already getting into “ski-mode”. The lift lines during this time can be very long, and if you do decide to come during the high autumn season then take my advice and take the lift down from the glacier before 3pm. This will save you a long wait in a line. But really the best time to ski Stubai would be during the late season, the weather is usually great and snow still plentiful. Crowds are also non-existant during the late season.
The base of the ski area is not in a village. There’s just a big, ugly parking lot and one hotel. Most of the guests skiing Stubai stay further down the valley, in villages such as Neustift or Fulpmes. There’s a free skibus running from the villages to the glacier quite often. The ride takes about 20-30minutes depending on which village you stays in, but during high season the bus can be very packed. If you’re staying in the Stubai valley there’s couple other resorts that are included in the Innsbruck Superski pass and are close by, such as Schlick and Elferlifte. Stubai Glacier is also part of the Snowcard Tirol.
For more information about the Stubai Glacier click here. For an article about skiing close to Innsbruck check Ville’s Resort Review of Innsbruck Area and more information about the villages and accommodation in Stubai Valley check out the tourist information site Innsbruck and its holiday villages.
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[...] terrain and definitely good slopes. There are also plenty of good lines within a short tour. Click here for a longer article about Stubai Glacier written by [...]
[...] Zillertal, Hintertux Glacier, Kitzbühel, Fieberbrunn, Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, Pitztal Glacier, Stubai Glacier and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. The resorts near Innsbruck are also covered by the pass. (Check out [...]
[...] from Nordpark towards Innsbruck and the Stubai Valley, hidden by the clouds And it is really deep today. With every turn I sink into the snow and get [...]