Silvretta Montafon - Nova reviews

In the heart of Voralberg you will find this little hidden gem, or rather gems, as the resorts of Gargellen, Golm and Brandnertal are also included in the lift pass. Each location has its own type of skiing and character, but Silvretta Montafon - Nova, which is also connected to the Hochjoch, is without a doubt the biggest and best ski resort. The resorts are all linked by ski buses, which makes it easy to get between them.

It feels like you constantly hear about "hidden powder holes", but after a little quick research it usually turns out that these powder holes are really real holes with a single "drag line" that could have been taken directly from the piste guard. Nothing wrong with that and these places are of course fantastic when the forces of the weather are with you, but with the right bow any small hill can be experienced as paradise on earth. What makes the Silvretta-Montafon stand out from these is that it is actually a modern and well-developed lift system that has yet to be discovered by too many powder lovers. I want to believe that even if I had known the German word for powderiness, the Montafons would have had no idea what I was talking about.

I spent the 2023 season here and even in the busiest sports holiday weeks untracked runs could be found several days after the dump, without having to climb for them! However, this does not mean that you should count on it being completely queue-free, on weekends the slopes tend to be filled with piste cutters who have made a pilgrimage from the nearby German lowlands, so it is not completely undiscovered. However, these queues are rarely longer than 5 minutes and very few of those you meet in the queue ever take a turn outside the piste markings. However, if you think there are too many people, there are Golm, Gargellen and Brandnertal as good lifelines and regardless, there are definitely fewer people here than in its slightly more well-known neighbor Ski Arlberg.

If you like to be lucky, there is a gold mine in Bielerhöhe that you can reach via the cable car in the Partenen and then by buses that go through narrow tunnels in the mountain. All this is also included in the lift ticket and just the journey up there is an experience in itself. Another little Easter egg that they don't promote in the lift pass is that it also applies to a one-way trip up from Swiss Klosters, which means you can take a very nice trip from Gargellen around the Madrisella massif over to Switzerland and back.

If you are looking for après-ski and nightlife, Silvretta-Montafon-Nova may not be the right place to go. There are some places that can sparkle at times such as Lammhütte, Brunellawirt and Urmonti. After 7 pm, however, the valley dies completely, both because the last ski bus leaves then and it is next to impossible to get hold of a taxi and because the range of bars and clubs is about as large as the range of taxis.


+Off piste
+The top tour possibilities
+ The possibility to easily vary between different locations
-The outdoor life
- A bit crowded on the slopes during the sports holiday weeks

The best place for free riders looking for powder without the effort!

There were four ski days in January 2019.
Had three good ski days out of five.
Accommodation in Schrums. Top trip on Schwarzköpfle mm.
Found a really good lift near off-piste skiing in Gargellen on the last day. :-)

Very good off-piste that doesn't get run as fast as the big brothers Ischgl and St. Anton. Genuine alpine environment with varied skiing. There is something for everyone in the Montafon.

Montafon in Austria is a large and scattered area with a lot of interesting slopes and good opportunities for nice off-piste. When we were there we stayed in Gaschurn and took the ski bus to the slopes in the mornings which worked well. The weather was varied and most overcast, but one day it was brilliant sun and then we went with a guide. If you are prepared to go for a couple of hours on the shallow paddocks, there is very good off-piste. Both very steep and very buttery depending on what you want. The slopes in Silvretta did not really come into their own when the visibility was very limited. Just in the village of Gaschurn there was no nightlife at all, but below the lifts one could after-ski before jumping on the bus to the hotel and finishing the evening early. Which in itself was good if you wanted with the early ski bus to the slopes.

A pretty unspoiled valley not many Swedes found.
Cruel offpiste ride.

Contains many of the previous reviews.
The valley is sleepy in the evenings. And the ride is of varying type, something for everyone, therefore.
Can otherwise recommend renting a guide and taking the trip
Starting from Gargellen with hiking and off-piste skiing that finally takes you to Klosters in Switzerland and from there hiking and offpiste back to Gargellen. Very good ride at good snow access. There is also an easy trip further into the valley of the village of Partenen where you get up by lift and something called tunnel taxi to silvrettasee and piz buin and on to the village of Galtür which lies furthest into the valley at Ichgl (excuse spelling maybe) and then back down the Montafon valley.
Have spent a lot of time in the valley since the first time in 1986. Have been 2 weeks in the valley every year since then, so a little over 50 weeks in the valley has made it a second home. Which has resulted in a fairly good insight into what is happening in the valley and what is going on. The slow-lift lift system meant that there was a problem in some places, especially on the mountain hoch joch now belonging to Silver Nova, and nowadays, it is also built together with a lift down the valley where Valisera valley station is located. The work is with new lifts on the way ahead all the time.

Spent seven ski days in the area of ​​February / March 2014 with a polar. Falling heights are not huge but we found several beautiful runs both inside and outside the piste. Really no congestion hill, longest waiting time at the falls was 10 minutes a Sunday morning. The areas had not received any snow for a while, but it was easy to find untouched lots if you were in a hurry. We seemed to be the ones in the valley who at all hurried to get beyond what was reached by the lifts. Great potential for fine walks in the (forest) forest if there is snow there, which it did not last year.

In addition to a bus ride from Västerås, we were alone Swedes in the area. Note that week 9 is a sports permit in Holland and Montafon seems to be one of their favorite places. Just as others have mentioned, it's still dead in the evenings. Little locals who hang out on the weekend, otherwise nothing anywhere in the valley.

Visited the area a dozen times, very good area when you get to know it. Good range of slopes and offpiste and snow proof!

Hello

Montafon Valley: "The Alps' Family-Friendly Valley"
Review on the whole valley, not just Silvretta nova.
Made three months in the Montafon Valley 2009. The lift pass applies to Silvretta Nova, Golm, Hochjoch and Gargellen + a small lift that you do not use.
Have previously made seasons in Fugen (Zillertal) and St.Anton.

queues:
Non-existent. Is there a little 15 min at the valley station in Silvretta nova or at the cabin in Hochjoch.

Price level:
Will be 10-15% more expensive than other Austria due to proximity to Switzerland, but nothing is disturbing. Silvretta nova is a little more expensive than most Golm and Hochjoch.

Park:
Is not jibber so I can judge it I did not see what I tested.
There is a large park in Silvretta nova that seems ok. Very kids that seem to be fine.
Bad / nonexistent parks in the other parts.

Slopes:
Gargellen: Few and bad
Silvretta nova: A lot of good slopes.
Golm: Cozy hill down, or else there is not much here.
Hochjoch: One or two good, the rest is not much to hang in the Christmas tree.

Off-piste:
Gargellen: There are large areas and very good skiing. There are also soft randonne tours going on here.
There are untouched lines a few days after a snowfall. Worth thinking about is that they close Tähli (offpist valley) after snowfall and do not let go until it's stable (Think they're iaf).

Silvretta nova: Best forest skiing in the valley that you can go without playing with the police. There is also some good longer off-piste. Bla can go down the Gargellen road in the valley's best yard.
There are also great areas that are quickly picked up. Best area if you want something that suits everyone.

Golm:
Here, it's a good idea to play a game with the police (ride in a valley not allowed to go in) with a fine as a penalty. Otherwise you can go a little and get untouched snow one week after snowfall. The place you go to when there is no untouched loose snow in the north, somewhere else.

Hochjoch:
There is some good ride. Unfortunately, slow lanes and policemen in the forest destroy much of the pleasure. Some locals favorite according to themselves. Then you will see them more often in Gargellen or Silvretta nova. The hunch about this resort was one of the reasoning that you went here, but the area did not impress. Still posing the question. What have we missed?

Nightlife:
St-Gallenkirsh which is the tourist resort in the valley has ok nightlife some days. There is also a après ski place and a few bars in Schruns. But it is easily the sleepiest place I've been seasoned / been on.

accommodation:
Stayed in St. Anton im Montafon. Incredibly sleepy.
The biggest reason for the party is that the montafon valley can never be a seasonal place to expect.
There is a lot of accommodation, but those renting out are not used to renting more than a week and they are totally strange to give rabbit if they live longer. This means that there is not much affordable accommodation in the valley.

Conclusion:
For those who want a lot of snow for themselves and who do not mind sitting at home and staring at the wall in the evenings. The quality of the offpiste is ok and the biggest advantage is that there is little competition for the snow.
In 2009 there were a maximum of 20 seasoners in the valley. 4 Swedes, 4 Spaniards, one German couple and 5-6 Norwegians (who disappeared in February).
May see when and if I come back.
Is definitely not impossible, but never more season here it's safe for sure.