Schnalstal

When we want winter before winter

Schnalstal — Val Senales — is a completely different kind of resort for us than the home slopes. The cable car takes skiers up to 3 212 m and thanks to the glacier, the winter season starts here much earlier than in regular Alpine resorts.

Loko view: in autumn we do not go here to rack up kilometres. We go to get early contact with snow and technique at a time when at home we are still running on grass.

Why the glacier is valuable for training

The first days on snow after summer preparation are specific. We need to feel the ski, the edge, the pressure, and the rhythm again. Wide high-altitude slopes provide space for technical runs and a gradual return to the gates.

Schnalstal is a well-known training venue, and there is a ski training center directly in the resort. The long season from autumn to May is exactly why sports teams come back here even before winter sets in at lower elevations.

What we can train here

• return to snow after summer,
• basic stance and edge work,
• technical runs on a wide slope,
• giant slalom,
• slalom depending on conditions and assigned runs,
• adapting to a longer day on snow,
• movement at high altitude.

Altitude is both an advantage and a factor

The range from 2 000 m up to 3 212 m means a long season, but also thinner air. For children, the goal is not to increase the volume recklessly. We monitor fatigue, drinking, recovery, and choose the first days wisely.

High-altitude conditions can punish a bad routine faster than an ordinary resort. That makes sleep, food, and breaks even more important.

Slope character

The resort offers wide slopes as well as more sporting runs. One highlight is the eight-kilometer valley run toward Kurzras/Maso Corto, along with the Leo Gurschler training slope. For a club camp, however, the goal is not to “cover everything.” Much more important is to get a quality training section and repeat a specific task on it.

Logistics

Schnalstal is far from Bratislava, so the trip makes sense mainly for a multi-day camp. The advantage is a compact access from Kurzras and a high concentration of sports teams. The downside is the strong demand for training runs — reservation and organization are important.