Off-Piste and Freeride Map – St. Anton am Arlberg

Including St. Anton, Stuben, Rendl, St. Christoph, and Zürs

Arlberg Off-Piste Skiing

Off-piste skiing and ski touring (backcountry skiing) in the Arlberg ranges from simple lift-served runs to high-commitment alpine terrain.

Moving over a ridge can mean dropping from full mobile service into dead zones where emergency calls won’t go through and rescue logistics become far more complicated.

St. Anton

Galzig & Gampen
On storm days with heavy snowfall or whiteout conditions, lower tree runs on Galzig and Gampen provide essential visual contrast.

Bachseite to Happy Valley
Ideal for technique training and getting multiple laps in ungroomed terrain right off the piste. Happy Valley is frequently closed due to avalanche threat from the Schindlergrat side—especially during heavy snowstorms due to full-depth glide slides (Gleitschnee).

Schöngraben Trees
Excellent tree skiing that gets tracked out quickly on the first powder morning after a storm. Respect all posted signage, as designated forest protection zones are strictly off-limits. The flat exit at the bottom requires traversing beneath a massive overhead slope that periodically releases large avalanches down across the traverse line every couple of years.
Not recommended for beginners or slower skiers on the first morning after a storm—the terrain gets chaotic and tracked out extremely fast.

Schafgliger
Easily accessible and an amazing run for off-piste beginners. Highly sensitive to persistent weak layers (Altschnee) with a history of natural self-releases. Traverse high out of the slope—dropping too low funnels you directly into the Törli.

Törli
A classic mousetrap where broad slopes funnel into a narrow feature—one of the key terrain traps to avoid in St. Anton.

Valluga (North, West & Pazieltal)

The high-alpine lines off Valluga—including Valluga North, Valluga West into Pazieltal, Verborgenes Kar, and down toward Erlialpe—are serious, high-commitment runs requiring precise route-finding and a settled snowpack.

Access Rule: Taking skis onto the Valluga II cable car is legally restricted to certified UIAGM mountain guides.

Rendl

The Rendl North Face is directly visible from the village and widely known for deep powder skiing. However, the sector has two critical high-hazard features:

Gabelrinne
The prominent gully visible directly from St. Anton village. It is a high-consequence line with a history of fatal avalanche accidents.

Vorderrendel
The very steep slopes dropping into Vorderrendel regularly hold persistent weak layers.

Mobile Phone Dead Zones (Zero Cell Coverage)

Once you leave the resort boundaries or drop off the back of Valluga and Rendl, mobile coverage drops out completely. Expect zero cell service across all of the following sectors:

Kreuzjochspitze: Uphill from Rossfall
Valluga Backside: Valluga North, Valluga West into Pazieltal, Verborgenes Kar, and down to Erlialpe
Hinter Rendel: From the Riffel II drop-in point down until reaching the lower valley flats
Pettneu Exits: Malfontal and Mitterkar all the way out to Pettneu
Sattelgrat: Uphill from Moostal

Explore some off-piste runs from St. Anton.

Off-Piste Stuben:

Stuben offers straightforward, highly accessible off-piste terrain directly off the lift system. However, its north-facing orientation and exposure mean conditions depend heavily on wind direction and visibility.

Terrain Breakdown & Conditions

North Side (Albona & Knödelkopf):
Features relatively easy, highly visible, north-facing slopes directly off the lifts.

Wind Impact:
A strong west wind heavily impacts the snowpack on this side, creating wind-affected, slabby snow.

Visibility Warning: On bad visibility days, the north side of Albona and Stuben is a very bad place to be. It traps fog and produces severe flat light.

South Side (Michlböden): Located on the south side of the Albona around the Albona II area. Good line-picking opens up lovely, flat slopes that lead back down into the Verwalltal and St. Anton.

Maroikopf: Reached via a ~30-minute skin or bootpack from the top. From the top, you can either ski back down to Stuben or take the long descent through the Langen trees all the way to Langen.

Critical Local Safety: Cell Coverage Dead Zones

Certain key off-piste sectors around Stuben have zero mobile phone reception.

Ski touring routes towards Gstansjöchl
Michlböden
Southeast side of Maroikopf dropping into the Verwalltal

Explore more off-piste runs from Stuben.

Off-Piste Zürs:

Zürs offers easy accessible traverses (technically sometimes very challenging) to access a range of off-piste runs, from beginner-friendly terrain to expert-level challenges. However, these areas are frequently exposed to avalanche risks. Even though avalanche control is conducted through blasting, the snow may not release immediately, and avalanches can occur later in the day. Even skiers on seemingly safe on-piste terrain may be at risk from delayed avalanches, making it essential to avoid closed runs.

On the Wiesele run down to Lech, you pass near a road tunnel designed to protect from avalanches that can occur from the Rüffikopf side. These avalanches can potentially affect your route back to the bus station, particularly when temperatures rise quickly or the avalanche risk is at a high Level 3.

Freeride Zürs:

Zürs is home to some of the most challenging and spectacular routes in the entire Arlberg region. Well-known among the freeride elite, these include:

The “Höll” (Hell)
“Zuger Täli” (Private)
Nadelrinne

However, there is plenty of accessible off-piste terrain near the pistes for all skill levels. The areas of Zürs, Zug, and Lech are connected by the Weisse Ring (White Circle), a must-do circuit for any skier in the Arlberg area.

Explore more runs from Zürs.