Season Review 2021/22

Looking back – looking forward…

Great season of powder, fun, smiling faces, endless ski touring and even Saharan sand!

As the dawn closes on the end of another ski season in the Arlberg, one that was even more special as we welcomed back all of you returning once more.

Early December 2021, as we faced a delayed lift start due to covid – we were once more spoilt by fantastic early season snowfall, clear blues skies . Without lifts – we were limited to ski touring but by using the free bus shuttle from St Anton to St Christoph, you could get in very satisfying ski tours and go home armed with a takeaway and crate of beers! Small pleasures kept us going, hoping always for a near normal season, nervous whether this would be the case.

In the end we were very lucky. The season survived, kicking off on the 14th December 2021 and we really appreciated the efforts so many of you made to get out here again and ski with us. We were once more able to run our Open Groups, our ski touring groups, Avalanche training camps and our Girls technique camps all through the season. We felt incredibly blessed and lucky and we know many of you were as thrilled to be back.

mountain ski guides st anton arlberg - book your ski guide now

Small delay at the start – back 200 percent!

On December 14th 2021 lifts opened and to our deep joy some familiar faces started arriving looking for ski touring – our guides were simply delighted to be guiding once more. Some restrictions were in place – but restaurants and bars miraculously managed to cope with the early curfew meaning only two sittings, but thanks to stirling efforts from teams who worked harder than ever before, we got through. The season would go on no matter what.

January and February, again we were blessed with great snowfalls, some record powder falls in the first week of the New Year topping up an already great base. Our Open Groups were back on and popular as ever. Our Open Tour groups. were also gaining in popularity as people discovered the wonders of ski touring, where a little effort is worth everything for the amazing reward of fresh powder lines! Europeans returned in full force and we even started to see more English managing the travel hurdles, some who declared to us nothing was going to stop them getting back to their favourite resort and skiing with us again.

Early February we were amazed to see our North American friends starting to return. They were rewarded with excellent Off Piste conditions all through the month.

Apres – what Apres?

By now we had become used to a more sophisticated St Anton, with fine dining and quiet drinking – none of the sometimes raucous behaviour characteristic of this party ski town. Everyone seemed rather to enjoy this transformation – even the 10pm curfew meant you could be early to bed and up fresh for some great Off Piste next day with no FOMO (Fear of missing Out!). In early March restrictions were relaxed once more and on March 6th Apres Ski returned, well almost to its former glory. Standing at the bar (a novelty by now for us) was again allowed, even dancing on the bar – and no longer did people have to sit quietly at tables and wait for service. Gunar, right on cue started playing again in Murmel bar with his legendary rock songs and there may even have been a few revellers dancing on the bar! Some felt like dogs let off the leash in the park, the first two weeks of apres were amazing!

March – epic Ski Touring !

March has always been a mecca for ski touring – but this March perhaps even more so. With almost continuous sunshine for most of this month – our Open Groups transformed into Open Touring Groups. Even our Level 1 beginner Off Piste groups were willing to give it a go and each morning we noticed the big smiles and playful comradery as the groups bonded in a way that is unique and a very special part of ski touring.

Mid March we welcomed back our American groups in Lech. With Saharan sand and unusually warm days, they good naturedly soaked up everything that is good and unusual about the Arlberg !

And so to April – with powder returning we were able to guide Off Piste until the very end finishing with an amazing, late season hut to hut tour in Otztal.

So what’s in store for Next Season?

Next season then, ski season 2022/23 – the emphasis is going to be even more ski touring. We will still run our standard freeriding Off Piste groups , using lift access and short hikes – but there is so much more in the reward from ski touring that we will be giving this a fresh face.

Also – after a dry period please come prepared to tour in all our Open groups It doesn’t matter if you have never tried before and you can easily rent all the kit. We will of course always let you know to give you the option, however expect in Level 3 groups always to have some ski touring.

Our ever popular Girls Technique camps are back again next season – including half day technical and a 3 day girls ski touring camp. (with a little touch of luxury!)

This season we had many signing up for the Piste to Powder SEASON PASS. This will be available again for those wanting great value for 10 or more ski days , including a special Piste to Powder goody bag, and a club for socials etc. If you are interested just contact us here.

We will also have more hut to hut tours. Including our Introductory 3 day Silvretta tour and our standard silvretta hut to hut as well as Otztal for more advanced tourers.

And so it just remains to say a big thank for a special season! We are very much looking forward to welcoming you again next season – ready for an unique Off Piste experience?

Ready to book your first tour?

Our local UIAGM / IFMGA qualified mountain guides have expert knowledge of the terrain and are able to take you to secret powder spots on day tours or multi day hut to hut adventure tours.

Our friendly team are here to help and can advise you – just get in touch here, or check out our Hut To Hut Touring Trips and other ski touring guiding options in St. Anton, Lech Zürs, Arlberg.

Find more information about your private booking with Piste To Powder here!

Blog entry by Zoe

NataliaM3890

Another great year We have been skiing with piste to powder for a couple of years now, and at the end of every trip we say it would be impossible to have a better one. Yet, they keep getting better.
We skied slopes we hadn't done before and eventhough it was busy and we thought it would be impossible to find good untracked snow, the guides were always able to find untouched galleys with perfect snow conditions. It is the perfect way to make the most out of a good skiing holiday and we will definitely do it again next season. - 2019-03-24
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bj_rnv2019

Make the most of your days in the mountain If you wan't to experience the most amazing skiing day ever Piste to Powder is the company to see. They have experienced and knowledgeable guides that know the area by heart. If you love to go off piste, don't miss a day with Piste to Powder! - 2019-03-01
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CADebbie

Awesome experience I figured that if I was going to travel all the way from California to St Anton to ski, I wanted to get the most out of the experience. After spending my first day on the piste with long lines, crowded slopes and spending far too much time looking at the map, I was anxious to get off-piste and away from the crowds. I decided to join an open group level 2 with Piste to Powder and was rewarded with incredible scenery, endless fresh tracks on open bowls and a great guide (Bernie) who knew the mountain well and took us to the best spots that I certainly would never have found or ventured to on my own. I'll admit that a couple of the drop ins and traverses made me go weak at the knees at first glance, but Bernie instilled confidence and was very patient. I enjoyed the small group experience and comradery of like minded skiiers. We were all exhausted at the end of the day but were on a high from the experience. I highly recommend this organization and would go with them again in a heartbeat if I'm ever back in the area. - 2017-02-23
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John_snowlife

BEST decision was to be Guided for a week I signed up for the Level 3 Open Group for the Monday. Snow still wasn't deep but the guide found us fun off-piste skiing with some fresh powder. It was so much fun and we went to places I could never find on my own. So I signed up for the whole week and it was the best decision I could have made! Tomas took us over the mountains, down the valleys and through the trees in search for untouched powder and we found loads of it. He was extremely professional and I felt safe at all times with him. Being guided the whole week made all the other expenses of the trip so much more worthwhile. - 2017-01-21
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Christian M.

The technique training with Geli prepared me perfectly for the upcoming season. Very professionally organized. Together with a great team we had a lot of fun that day whilst improving our skills. Geli had a lot of good tips for us - really looking forward to putting them into practice. - 2023-06-12
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Timm A.

Wir haben zwei Tage „private Guiding“ bei Flo und einen Tag „offene Gruppe“ bei Rupi gebucht. Kurz gesagt, es waren die besten Skitage in 44 Jahren für mich. Mit Flo haben wir zwischendurch immer mal wieder für 15-30 Minuten die Felle benutzt und sind dadurch in Gebiete mit sehr langen unberührten Powderruns gekommen. Rupi hat aus einem wetterbedingt schlechten Tag das beste herausgeholt. Obwohl die Schnee-Bedingungen, auf Südhängen durch den sonnigen Tag vorher und auf der Nordseite durch den Wind in der Nacht, sehr schlecht waren, hat er immer noch Hänge mit gutem Schnee gefunden. Insgesamt ist die Ortskenntnisse der Guides hervorzuheben. Durch ihre jahrelange Erfahrung wissen Sie wetterbedingt genau wo noch ein klasse Run zu finden ist und passen ihre Pläne immer wieder an. Das war definitiv nicht unsere letzte Buchung bei euch. - 2024-03-12
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Peter W.

Florian and Christoff turned a good ski vacation into a great one! For North American skiers (where off piste is still in bounds), these guys are essential to get to experience the whole resort. They not only know how to find the best snow but also are experts at managing the crowds on the hill. - 2024-03-12
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Arden R.

Such a great guide service. We originally signed up for 2 days but ended up extending to a third day because we enjoyed it so much. The guides found all the best snow at a challenging time of year and were great at guiding those in our group of friends who had less experience in deep powder. Would absolutely use again next time I’m in St Anton which is hopefully soon! - 2024-04-12
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Maximillian A.

Florian is a legend!! One of the best vacations I’ve ever had! Piste to Powder is the only way you should ski the Alps :) An incredible blend of knowledge, fantastic skiing, perfect execution, & great energy! Definitely recommend - they gave us an unforgettable trip! - 2024-04-12
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Malik K.

We had an absolutely epic day with Phillip. He was incredibly patient with us as new ski touring enthusiasts, and he put us on some awesome snow. SO FLUFFY!!! This despite the fact that the mains resort was a total zoo. His expert knowledge of the mountain meant that we had fresh tracks all day long. - 2024-03-12
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Justincarrick

Fantastic Day with guide Our group contained a mix of skiers and boarders, adults and a child - Tom was able to put together a great day/itinerary that worked for everyone. Technique tuition, safety advice and excellent route selection.

Thanks Piste to Powder, we’ll be back soon! - 2024-02-14
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Marc L.

Had the best guided day-tours ever. Very well organized and flexible company! If you're an experienced ski tourer ask for Moritz, he's helped me progress in the sport faster than I ever have and we got some sweet lines in. Highly recommend PTP - 2023-06-12
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Nathan R.

5 stars for Piste to Powder. The whole experience was top-shelf. Florian was as good a guide as my family has ever had. And Zoe worked behind the scenes to accommodate changes, additions and our every whim. They made a great team and were a huge part of our family’s first experience to the St Anton/Lech area. Can’t recommend them more. - 2024-04-12
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Philip S.

Piste to Powder is a world class off piste guide company. Our instructor Emi, was extremely knowledgeable of the terrain/safety and found us perfect powder on every run. Highly recommend for anyone looking to make the most out a snowboard trip to ski Arlberg! - 2024-02-12
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Bjarni E.

Go with the flow I have been to Sankt Anton number of times to chase some off-piste lines and never hired a guide until now. We had two epic days but yet very different. One day of touring and even though the mountains were lacking snow our guide managed to find some fresh untouched lines. The second day was after it had snowed quite bit and we managed to ski untouched powder the whole day without doing any touring. I will definitely hire I guide again the next time I will be in Sankt Anton. Thanks for two epic days and great companion - 2022-01-24
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Kári S.

Another side of St. Anton with Piste to Powder We had two excellent days skiing the St. Anton backcountry with Flo who is both very competent and a fantastic guy. Finding fresh tracks for almost every run in a popular place like St. Anton is really impressive and he was really skilled at matching the objectives to the ambitions and skills of t - 2022-01-23
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Frederik B.

My friend and I (both snowboarders with several backcountry trips under our belt) had a private guide for the day after 150cm+ snowfall and severe avalanche conditions. Our guide Stefan was excellent and very aware of reading the risk levels throughout the day. We got some amazing lines and Stefan was very professional and easy to talk to and guided us away from some of the riskier places. The booking process and payment process was all very easy. Would definitely recommend to all. We will definitely come back next year. Thank you! - 2022-06-12
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pieter e.

As a solo traveller Piste to Powder gave my the chance to join a different group every day instead of paying for a private guide. It's also a nice way to meet other people from around the world who are into skiing. I went on a skitour with Stefan, who is a nice, friendly and calm guide. Later on I also joined the off piste technique course which I can recommand to everybody! Too finish my stay in Sankt Anton Magnus guided the way up the Arlberg winter ferrata. A cool small adventure. We used our spare time to do some off piste descends, finding and riding untracked powder. Magnus gave me a run for my money as my legs were completely empty at the end of the day! - 2023-06-12
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Karen M.

Guides to ensure the perfect adventure Piste to Powder handled all the details and ensured an amazing adventure week with just the right pace and fabulous lunch spots. Our guide Florian was a pleasure to be with and was flexible, moving things around in the week to ensure the right activities with the right weather. We would follow him anywhere- and we did. Great week. Thanks to Zoe for handling so many behind the scenes details with our dinner reservations and paragliding and even grabbing us something back in St Anton. We would most definitely utilize Piste to Powder again. - 2024-03-15
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Joshua D.

Great experience with Matthias. We only went for three hours, but was amazing what you can do in a short amount of time. Great to have someone knowledgeable that you can trust. Fully recommend. - 2024-04-12
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Reed A.

My experience with Emi was like no other. It was out of this world. His knowledge of the mountain terrain, incoming and passing weather conditions to allow us to find the best spots was amazing. Personality wise, he was so great, it was like riding back home with one of my ‘boys’. After each section of riding it, he was just as excited and pumped as I was, always giving me ‘props’ and telling me how amazing that was. Emi was great with my go pro always making sure it was filming and in the right position for me to capture this day. His positivity and attitude puts him at the top of my experiences. I can’t thank him and your company enough for this day and one I will happily share with everyone. I say, when I’m back, I will definitely be reaching out. Thank you so much for ‘filling my bucket’ - 2023-06-12
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Dreamer41546841138

Enjoy! This was the eight time that we were instructed and guided by Geli and it was as always, we learned again, we made great trips, safely en joyfully guided by Geli. We'll be back next year! - 2024-03-16
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Konstantin L.

Ein toller Tag im Tiefschnee mit unserem Guide Philipp! Dank ihm haben wir trotz weitgehend verspurtem Gelände noch traumhafte, fast unberührte Abfahrten erleben dürfen! Und immer auf der sicheren Seite. Das bleibt in Erinnerung - 2024-03-12
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Fearless663482

Amazing Experience Absolutely outstanding, professional and knowledgeable guides. They took us to some amazing places we never would have found on our own and made us feel safe the whole time. While the conditions looked dodgy at first, we wound up finding some great little nooks. The last day where we spent most of our time on Randl, was one of the best ski days I have ever had in my life - 2024-02-22
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Arden R.

Best guide in St Anton Amazing guide service. Was so nice to get off the crowded and icy pistes, and our guide Flo was constantly checking the weather and guiding us to the best snow among the many back country options in St Anton. He expertly adapted to what we wanted which was a combo of hiking/skinning paired with great lunch spots :) He knew the mountain like the back of his hand pointing out rocks from hundreds of meters away. Very impressed with the service and would absolutely use again next time I’m in the area. - 2024-03-15
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Ross W.

Just had an epic day with Tom and piste to powder. Got to see some fantastic spots and fresh tracks most of the day. Will be signing up again tomorrow! Recommend the group guiding sessions if by yourself and not wanting to fork out for a private guiding day that seems to be the only option of most of the companies. - 2019-03-09
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Dr. C.

Outstanding week! Great company to work with. Tom is the absolute BEST. WILL BE BACK SOON! - 2024-03-12
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Dreamer18705891263

Amazing day in Arlberg Incredible experience with Piste to Powder right from the first phone call. Zoe was encouraging and spoke English well. She followed up with me and set me up with my guide Stefan. Stefan was awesome. He crafted our tour to my abilities and was knowledgeable and fun to spend time with. It felt like spending the day ski touring with a friend. We climbed and skied a completely untouched route that was spectacular. Thank you again! - 2024-04-01
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Morten Ø.

With the conditons at the moment I did not expect much, but I was positively surprised! Tom is a very good guide who knows the moutain very well. He managed to find some very nice runs with good snow and fresh tracks in theese challenging conditons. - 2023-06-12
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H B.

Having planned a late season family ski vacation in Lech Zürs am Arlberg during a year of less than stellar snowfall, we were a little apprehensive about snow conditions. We hired a guide from Piste to Powder for our first day, hoping to get a sense of the various areas and where to find the best skiing. We scored a home run with Rupert (aka Rupi), who did a phenomenal job of navigating curve balls “Mother Nature” threw our way. With high winds leading to various lift closures, Rupi managed to find us plenty of great terrain in Zurs and St Anton, not to mention a fantastic lunch spot in St Christoph. His local knowledge was indispensable and his winsome manner marvelous! Thank you Rupi and Piste to Powder for a day we’ll all remember! - 2024-04-12
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Season Review 2021/22