Such a wonderful ski area. Gargellen is one of those Powderhounds secret stash destinations which after the first top to bottom powder run is accorded a few moments of respectful silence. There are others like it in Austria (many in fact - See, Kappl, Diedamskopf, Kühtai … the list goes on...). Small (ish) by some measures but big in stature, it is unknown to most skiers outside Austria & Germany, and has terrain that will tantalise, tempt & tease before delivering exactly what one hoped for. Superb powder days here are superb and just as good days after powder days!
A quick look at the trail map usually tells us whether a resort is going to be ‘the juice’ or not. And Gargellen screams ‘JUICE’. Long piste trails that wrap around the best advanced terrain allowing for simple exits on groomers back to the ski lift bases. Combine that with some steep pitch, north-aspect terrain plus typically bountiful Vorarlberg snowfall and you have an absolute winner. Add in the fact that much of the best terrain is accessible from the main gondola which tends to run in all-weather regardless of wind or snow and it is enough to make your head pop.
We visited two days after the main storm having been on assignment in neighbouring Silvretta Montafon for the best bits of an early February blizzard that delivered 60cm of fresh over a few days. Hoping for the best but keeping our expectations low, we were more than pleasantly surprised to find unsullied powder all over the resort. Riding up in the gondola scoping the terrain, it was obvious the 'low hanging fruit' under the Gargellner Alpe-Schafberg chair had been plucked the previous day (wish we’d been there!), but the main Nidla face and sections on the flanks of Madrisa (plus loads in between) were completely unsullied. Oh the joys…. As expected, all the exits were simple on groomed trails with the exception of the 2c trail. From below the Madrisa Steilhang (steep slope!) 2c was ungroomed and officially closed, but some kind souls had already set a ski track before us and so exiting along it to Vergalda was a synch.
The one disappointment of the mountain was the self-serve section of the main mountain restaurant Schafberg Hüsli . Overpriced and poor quality, if you are keen to eat here, go with the full-service restaurant. The traditional Austrian dishes dosed with lashings of pork, potato & cheese will not disappoint. There are several other superb options, not the least of which was the pizza restaurant at Vergalda called Barga. Gourmet pizza and other dishes done fabulously. Two other restaurants are located discreetly mid-mountain, bot buried in snow during the season. The Kessl-Hütte on the Nidla exit is the quieter of the two. The Obwaldhütte near the end of ski trail 2 is a worthy après ski stop with tunes playing until 5pm. A sporty ski down piste number 1 is then assured, fuelled by the powder of aperitifs!
We were unable to secure accommodations at Gargellen at short notice (we always do stuff at short notice because we follow the storms!), so stayed in a well-priced 3-bedroom apartment near the gondola base at nearby Schruns. With our own car, the drive up was straight forward. But equally without a car, the direct bus to Gargellen would have picked us up 100m from our apartment. Super simple. Parking at the gondola base appears to have a fee of €3.50 attached to it. However, the ticket machine didn’t take coins (WTF?), so we went for the free option instead, without consequence! The car park is ski-in at the end of the day for ultimate convenience.
So enamoured were we with Gargellen that it we rated it 1st in the Best European Ski Resort for Powderhounds in 2022. Combined with the neighbouring Silvretta Montafon, Gargellen offers fantastic, uncrowded freeride powder & on-piste sliding of the highest quality in one of the snowiest parts of Europe. Go get some.
Four days after last snowfall, nice sunny day might be good on the groomers I thought. Yeah nice groomers to look at but off-piste was still powder. Sure it was a bit sun affected in parts but fun nonetheless. Ski routes to skiers left & right were better as they were still in the shade so save them for later if not crowded. There are some great secluded huettes lower down the mountain for lunch or to end a fantastic day.
Some of the upper mountain was closed on previous days while snow was falling so we delayed our trip there on a couple of occasions. So maybe we got lucky, or maybe one of our ski group had done the research!
(Editors note - sounds like good management, not good luck!)