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In February 2006 we are back in Lech for a week's skiing and socialising. When we arrive the weather and snow is fantastic. Hard on the piste and lots of powder off piste if you are prepared to go and find it. Jurgen's class, 2A, is determined to walk or climb as much as it takes to find great snow. Here we are traversing above the Steinmahder lift before a long off piste run around the Juppenspitze to the neighbouring resort of Schrocken.
Click the button for a video of off piste skiing.
(note this only works on browsers with ActiveX enabled - ie. not Firefox).
Skiing etiquette means that we keep our wiggles close together to leave lots of fresh snow for the next party.
Returning out of Schrocken we climb again to get the height to make the traverse of the Karhorn. This is another fine off piste run which ends in Stubenbach from where the bus brings us back to Lech.
The next day we make a big, 40 minute climb behind the Rufikopf to reach a very long off piste down the Bockbachtal valley ending in on a road below Warth.
Our last big off piste run is off the back of the Rendel, in St Anton. Again we climb for about 20 minutes - it was really worth buying that rucksack which I can strap skis to - much easier for climbing. This run down the Malfontal valley ends up by a swimming pool in Pettneu! Not a very gemutlich spot for lunch.
Meanwhile, off the piste, the Arlberg Hotel proves a popular spot for meeting after ski school for tea, gluhwein or the first beer of the day.
The Rudalp takes over from the Arlberg later in the week as the weather gets more snowy and, as Louise points out, the Gluhweins are half the price.
After hours the Sneggerei gets much of the teenage custom as the gang below demonstrates.
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