Skiing in Stuben am Arlberg
Stuben’s Albona Mountain has long red runs for intermediates and excellent off-piste freeriding. Stuben is also conveniently located in the centre of the vast Arlberg ski area – putting 300 km of pistes, ungroomed ski routes and masses of off-piste terrain within easy reach.
Photo: Copyright © Stuben am Arlberg Tourismusbüro | Alex Kaiser
Stuben am Arlberg Ski Area Overview
Stuben’s own area is the Albona. It’s reached by taking the Albona I lift from the village and skiing down a blue or red run to Alpe Rauz. This is the gateway to the whole of the Arlberg with lifts heading off in all directions, but if you want to explore Stuben’s own area first, select the Albona II lift which takes you to the ridge line near the top of the Albona. From here you can ski on both the north and south faces of the Albona on excellent red runs. The north face (pistes 105 and 106) tend to have better snow and the runs are longer. If you ski all the way to down to the village the total vertical is about 1000m – a real test of stamina. Half way down, near the Mittelstation restaurant, you can switch over to a blue run for an easier descent into Stuben (103). This also gives you the option of peeling off towards Alpe Rauz.
The south-face is much the same – a couple of red runs (both numbered as 107), serviced by the Albonagrat chair which goes all the way to the Albona summit. The south-facing pistes are not as long as the north-facing ones, but they tend to be sunnier, and that can be a welcome on an otherwise austere mountain.
Stuben’s only other pistes are its nursery slopes, serviced by two drag lifts, on the other side of the village and are often deserted. While Stuben is not a beginner’s resort, it has an excellent ski school.
The top of the Abonagrat chair is also the starting point for the off-piste itineraries down to Stuben and across to Langen.
Stuben’s own slopes are not the only reason for skiers and boarders to stay in Stuben. Alpe Rauz, just one lift and one blue run out from Stuben, is the Arlberg’s central crossroads. Whilst the Albona II takes you back to the area above Stuben, the Flexenbahn gondola heads towards Zurs and the Valfagehr chair towards St Christoph and St Anton. This means you are very handily placed to explore the whole of the Arlberg ski area – even the extremities like Warth-Schroecken although if you want to spend time there it’s probably worth catching the free ski bus from Stuben to Zurs or Lech as it’s quicker than crossing over by lift and piste. And don’t forget about the Sonnenkopf area at Klosterle – the only part of the Arlberg that is not lift-linked to the others. It’s easy to get to from Stuben, with buses leaving about every 30 minutes from the bus stop near the Apres-Post hotel. Off-piste skiers with a guide can ski to Langen which is half way there and pick up the bus to Sonnenkopf at Langen railway station, or take a taxi to complete the journey.
Beginner Skiing in Stuben am Arlberg
Stuben is not an obvious choice for beginners. There is a good ski school, however, and young children and novices can learn to ski on quiet nursery slopes before needing a full Arlberg lift pass to access longer blue runs.
Stuben’s nursery slopes are separate from the other runs and are serviced by two easy lifts. A special ticket is available for beginners using the nursery slopes, which is significantly cheaper than buying a full ski pass.
After two or three days on the nursery slopes, most novices will be competent and confident enough to ski the blue run from the top of the Albona 1 chair at 1,840m down to Stuben at 1,407m, but will need a full Arlberg lift pass in order to do so (and that’s an expensive outlay for a beginner who won’t make as much use of it as a more experienced skier).
Improving beginners will soon want to turn right when half way down this run and follow another blue piste (103) out of the Stuben ski area and into St Anton’s. They will soon reach Alpe Rauz where modern new lifts (quite a contrast to the Abona I chair) span out in three directions. Probably the most appealing initial option is to ride the Valfagehr chair up then descend back to Alpe Rauz on the wide and very long blue 100 piste. Alternatively, from the top there is another long all blue route (78, 56, 55 then 50) which goes in the opposite direction and twists and turns all the way into St Anton. Allow plenty of time and go slowly at the start because it’s easy to stray onto red or even black pistes by accident; at the bottom be prepared for either slush or ice. The return ‘all blue’ route from St Anton to Stuben via the Galzig, Osthang and Arlenmahder lifts can also be tricky to navigate at the start.
Another option from Alpe Rauz is to take Flexenbahn lift then descend into Zurs on the Trittkopfbahn I bubble, thus avoiding the narrow and often crowded and icy red run. Once you’re in Zurs there is no shortage of beginner-friendly blue runs on both sides of the valley. If you get tired of these, take the free bus from Zurs to Lech and there are even more. Oberlech which is in the middle of this patchwork of blue runs makes a very tempting lunch spot, but if you want to keep going you can get all the way to Warth and back on blue runs. This is a very long expedition though for a novice.
Lastly, remember the family-friendly ski area at Sonnenkopf is just 5km from Stuben and offers a choice of mostly easy blue and red runs served by T-bars and accessed from the gondola station in the valley at Klosterle. It’s not connected by lift but it’s easy to reach by car and taxi, and there are regular scheduled bus services too.
Ski Schools & Ski Lessons in Stuben am Arlberg
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Intermediate Skiing in Stuben am Arlberg
Stuben’s north-facing Albona boasts excellent skiing for intermediates on long, uncrowded red runs. Despite being a quiet village, Stuben is also located near the middle of the Arlberg ski area, with over 300 kms of marked runs within easy reach.
Compared to nearby St Anton and Lech-Zurs, Stuben is less crowded and often has the best snow conditions. There are only a handful of marked red and blue runs on the Albona, but they’re well maintained with a 1,000m vertical from top to bottom. You can also choose between North-facing and South-facing slopes – the latter will usually have more give in them but can be icy in the morning and slushy in the late afternoon.
When intermediates have finished exploring the on-piste opportunities in Stuben (the off-piste is almost limitless but can be very challenging), they can ski to Alpe Rauz and ride the Valfagehr chairlift to connect to the St Anton ski area. With so much on offer, it’s almost pointless to highlight any single run, but if you’re returning to Stuben and like long uninterrupted runs, try the descent from the top of the Schlindergrat chair. First, take the red piste (85) then the blue (100), then a further blue (102) which snakes under the road and back to Stuben – that’s over 1200m vertical and a real thigh burner if skied top to bottom non-stop. (Lesser mortals can stop off for refreshments at the popular Ulmer Hutte mountain restaurant on the way.)
Lech-Zurs is another vast area to explore and easily accessed from Stuben by taking the Flexenbahn lift from Alpe Rauz. Perhaps the best way to sample its slopes is the popular White Ring ski circuit from Zurs to Lech via Zug then back to Zurs – mostly wide, open, well-groomed red and blue runs which are ideal for intermediates with plenty of restaurants on the mountain and in the resorts themselves (especially Oberlech).
And if both St Anton and Lech-Zurs are not quite enough, beyond Oberlech, and connected to it via the Auenfeldjet, is Warth-Schroecken. This is a smaller area but big enough to justify one or two day-trips from Stuben, particularly as there is so much enjoyable skiing at Lech and Zurs along the way, It’s almost entirely composed of runs suitable for intermediates – mostly blue and red runs although there are a few blacks and ungroomed routes for those wanting tougher challenges. Intermediates from Stuben should have no trouble getting to it and back before the lifts close, provided they don’t start too late or linger too long over lunch.
Finally the Sonnenkopf ski area (covered by the Arlberg lift pass) at Klosterle is just 5km down the road from Stuben and worth visiting, although few people do, which is part of its appeal. Almost all the slopes suit intermediates You can get to it by bus, car or taxi.
Advanced & Expert Skiing in Stuben am Arlberg
The off-piste skiing and freeriding on the Albona mountain above Stuben is world-class. The better you are, the better it gets, but be prepared to hire a guide to reach the best terrain. Stuben is also near the centre of the Arlberg ski area, giving advanced skiers easy access to the challenging pistes, ungroomed ski routes and even more off-piste in the other lift-liked resorts.
A cursory glance at Stuben’s piste map warns you of what to expect. Compared to the much busier ski areas of St Anton and Lech-Zurs, which are crisscrossed with pistes and official ski routes, the 1000m vertical Albona mountain above Stuben has only a few marked runs, leaving most of it as a powder heaven for off-piste skiers, ski tourers and freeriders to explore.
Stuben itself does not have any particularly tough pistes or officially marked ungroomed ski routes but there are plenty at St Anton and St Christoph, in Lech and Zurs, and in Warth and Schroecken, which can all be reached from Stuben through the Arlberg lift system. About the closest is the Pfannenköpfe ski route (101) near the Valfagehr chair going up from Alpe Rauz, which is rated extreme and with cliffs on the skier’s left (as you descend) so don’t attempt it in bad visibility or if it is closed.
Off-piste & Freeriding in Stuben am Arlberg
From the Albona to Langen and Sonnenkopf
There are several highly recommended itineraries from the top of the Albona down to Langen. The starting point is the ridge line to the left of the Albona Bergrestaurant as you ski to it from the top of the Albonagrat chair. Some require only a little side-stepping up the mountain or a brief hike, others are accessible only to ski tourers with skins. All are best skied with a guide. The Stuben ski school mountain guides will know which descents have the best snow, and can select routes with easy ascents for first time ski tourers. When you reach Langen, you can take a train from the station to St Anton or a bus back to Stuben, but a taxi back to Stuben is the quickest option – it’s a 5 minute journey.
You also don’t have to stop at Langen, because instead of returning to Stuben your bus or taxi can take you 10 minutes’ further down the road to the Arlberg ski area’s most remote outpost, Sonnenkopf. There is great off-piste at Sonnenkopf – both between-the-piste freeriding in the main North-facing bowl around the Glalttingrad and Obermuri lifts, and genuine ‘off the back’ intineraries which can take you all the way back to Langen railway station via a beautiful descent across an open powder bowl, followed by a steep chute through the woods (there are several to choose) and a winding snow-covered footpath through the forest. The route is not obvious though, and it’s easy to get into trouble, so you are strongly advised to hire a guide who knows the area well, such as those from the Stuben ski school.
Albona North Face: the Mulde
There is excellent between-the-piste freeriding and off-piste skiing on the Albona North face. The main bowl (or “Mulde”) is best accessed from the ridge to the left of the Albona Bergrestaurant. (You can see the top half of the descent from the restaurant’s windows.). There are several entry-points: the ones furthest along the ridge point you towards Langen Forest. You can also access most of the Albona North face from slightly lower down, by taking the Albonabahn II lift, skiing down piste 105 for a short way, and when the piste swings around to the right, come off it and traverse left.
Off-piste skiing is always potentially dangerous so hiring a guide is recommended. If you don’t hire one, there are three extra hazards to look out for at Stuben: firstly Stuben can be very windy, so look out for unstable wind-affected snowpacks; secondly there is a band of rocks encircling almost the entire North face of the Albona about a quarter of the way down, and whilst there are plenty of ways through, some are much steeper and narrower than others; and thirdly, don’t try to descend off-piste all the way to the bottom of the Albona 1 lift in Stuben, because there are some very dangerous precipices and a half-frozen river to cross. Instead, before you get too low, either traverse across to the right and exit onto piste 104 and use that to enter the village; or stay to skiers’ left of the village (head towards the lower of the two car parks below Stuben) and only swing back towards the village when you’re almost level with it and can see the bridge over the river.
Another descent from the top of the Albona, is on the North East shoulder of the mountain, to skier’s right of piste 106 and accessed from the Albonabahn II lift. From here you traverse to the right then head towards the strange isolated concrete building in the middle of the mountainside. (It’s sometimes nicknamed “Stavros’ Lair” because it looks a bit like a James Bond villain’s hideout although it’s really just a tunnel access shaft to the railway deep below the Albona.) Once you have passed this, you return onto Piste 103 allowing you to ski down to Alpe Rauz and repeat the experience. Most of the route is visible from the Albona II lift so you can plot your descent as you ride the lift up but there are cliffs and avalanche risks, so check the conditions carefully before proceeding and always take a transceiver, shovel and probe (and preferably a guide as well).
Albona South Face
On the south face of the Albona there is plenty of between-the-piste skiing and freeriding on all sides of the pistes. Because it is South-facing it should be skied as quickly as possible after a fresh dump of snow before it turns to crud. Without a guide you should not ski below the bottom of the Albonagrat chair, because there are no other lifts to return you to the ski area. However with a guide, you can make the Milchboden descent towards St Anton, which is largely East facing.
Off-piste in the Arlberg
Apart from Stuben’s off-piste, there are plenty more freeriding opportunities in the Arlberg including St. Anton’s ‘Back of the Valluga’ descent to Zürs, Rendl North Face, Hinter Rendl, Malfontal and steep couloir descents from Schindler. Similarly, there is some excellent off-piste skiing in Lech and Zurs, including the Gams route, Trittkopf, Ertzburg, Rufikopf and the steep Flexenmulde route back from Zurs to Stuben, which is for experts only.
There is also heliskiing at Lech-Zurs which can be accessed via mountain guides based at Stuben.
Stuben am Arlberg Boarding & Freestyle
There’s no half-pipe, no terrain park, nor any other man-made features for boarders in Stuben, but if you’re sufficiently experienced to ride off-piste, Stuben is a natural roller-coaster ride for boarders, but watch out for the flat section at Albona Middle Station.
If you like terrain parks, Fly-In Rendle Fun Park on Rendle (St Anton) includes kicker, roller, rails, boxes and Snowboard Academy. The Schlegelkopf Snowpark in Lech has safe mini-kickers for children, one of the best triple kickers in the Alps for advanced boarders and a six rail-line with large wall ride. There’s also a terrain park nearby at Sonnenkopf.
Longboard Classic Snowboard Event in Stuben
Since 2000 Stuben am Arlberg has hosted the Longboard Classic Event, mid-April each year, beginning with a ‘Le Mans’ style start – run with your board – then a race down Albonasteilhang, more than 1,000m vertical. The event, which attracts snowboarders mostly from Germany and Austria, includes separate categories for men, women and “legends” (pro riders).
Stuben am Arlberg Mountain Restaurants
There are two mountain restaurants above Stuben: the Albona Mittlestation near the top of the Albona 1 lift at 1840m, and the Albona Bergrestaurant at about 2400m near the top of the Albonagrat lift. The most popular lunchtime spots are not on the mountain but in the village where there are several restaurants close to the piste.
The Albona Mittelstation restaurant is on piste 104 leading down to Stuben from the top of the Albona 1 lift. It’s in a slightly inconvenient place – it takes a short uphill trudge or push to get from the restaurant to the pistes going to Alpe Rauz – but it’s out of the way location means it’s often much less crowded than the mountain restaurants in St Anton or Lech and Zurs. It has nice views and if there is a sheltered sun trap on the Albona’s famously cold and windy North-face, this is it.
The Albona Bergrestaurant is right on the ridge at the top of the Albona and can only be accessed from the Albonagrat lift. It has a small open terrace terrace and an even smaller inside restaurant and bar. It’s a favoured hangout of freeriders, ski tourers and off-piste skiers – you will often see them peering nervously out of the window of the restaurant or leaning over the bannisters of the terrace to check possible off-piste descents, or downing an energy-giving hot chocolate before setting out on skins to make an ascent. It does simple good value food, but the inside restaurant can be very crowded when it’s too cold or windy to sit outside.
The main lunch time spot is not on the mountain but the Apres-Post Hotel in the village, just a short walk from the piste and lift. On a sunny day its sun terrace is thronged with lunchers and drinkers.
The Fuxbau bar is more informal and closer to the lift. It’s a popular apres-ski hangout as well.
S’Murmele is further into the village but is another popular lunchtime spots with a sun terrace.
The Hotel Mondschein, a short distance further up the hill, is one of the oldest properties in the village and serves excellent food in the most traditional of settings.
S’Murmele
M +43 664 55 21 347
[email protected]
Hotel Apres Post
T +43 5582 761
[email protected]
Ski Hotel Mondschein
T +43 5582 511
[email protected]
Hotel Arlberg
T +43 5582 521, Fax: 521 997
[email protected]
Fuxbau
T +43 5582 301 88
[email protected]