Messing around in the Bohemian Forest and Eastern Alps

[Bohemian]

No skiable snow yet in our local area around the 3-country point of Germany, Czech Republic and Austria but in the Eastern Alps we got a nice pack last week. (Central and W Alps also but that's far away)
Saturday I took a day trip to the Planneralm, SE of the Dachstein, SW of Liezen, 3h30' drive away: nice small dump of dusty powder during the night from Friday to Saturday, skiable above the parking lot at 1600m above sea.
For me this was the first ski outing of this season + trying out new leather boots (Alico Artic) on very old fjellski (Atomic ARC 195cm) : so no mountain tops, too windy anyway! Wonderful dusty snow below the pine shrubs! After a tour around I ended up doing laps next to a blue slope exercising telemark turns. No need for skins on that last bit as there was plenty space to make a less steep uphill track.
Meanwhile during the night from saturday to sunday a warm front swept over the entire Alps with first snow down to 500m followed by plenty warm wind and rain all the way up to 2000m. Adios skiable snow!
If we may believe the GFS WX model we may get a proper snow dump around 28 NOVember: very far ahead but hopeful!
Anyway, I've never had a season start this early except twice going to glaciers in Austria: once Stubai and once Hintertux but then you're skiing above 3000m.
Winter 2021-22 around 05 December we had a solid base of easily half a metre with about 20cm champagne powder on top: that was considered exceptionally early. No cheering too soon: last year around Christmas - Newyear all snow had disappeared completely right up to 1200m, also in the Alps. Fingers crossed for a proper snow season!

[fisheater]

Always good to hear good reports!

[CIMA]

It would be great if you could share some pictures of your current location.

[Bohemian]

It would be great if you could share some pictures of your current location.

Here we go!
A few shots from the day trip Saturday @ Planneralm :

[CIMA]

It looks like good snow.
No wonder a skier dares to cross over the off-limit tape.

[Bohemian]

It looks like good snow.
No wonder a skier dares to cross over the off-limit tape.

That tape just marks a vertical bit dropping off an approach to a shed for snowcat and snow-scooter & other equipment. The track you see beyond the tape is from a snow scooter which was parked just below that tape.
They were preparing the ski slopes and lifts for the season so nothing really off limits (except for your own judgement) except the (not yet marked) slopes when they're preparing with snowcats which they only started after around 15:30~16:00.

[CIMA]

Aha, I got it.
Thanks for your explanations.
"A picture is not always worth a thousand words."

[Bohemian]

2nd December they will open the skilifts & slopes there. Another "Nordstau" now very clearly on all weather maps: both GFS and ICON-EU models pointing that way. Plenty snowfall with fairly cold temps (below -4*C at the parking) Friday, Saturday and Sunday! I might go again to the Planneralm this Saturday or Sunday, no base yet on our local hills and it will be the last weekend before the skilifts open at Planner. Other spots in Oberösterreich or Steiermark will be considered too especially if they're closer.
One thing to consider in most places in the Alps is that we don't yet get regular avalanche bulletins! At least not yet for Oberösterreich and Steiermark. Maybe later in the week they'll start issuing them.

[spopepro]

Thanks so much for sharing the reports. I have to admit--I'm extremely jealous of the fact that Czechia has a mapping program that has winter trails--and can even give you XC/AT skiing routes! (en.mapy.cz).

On my list is a hotel to hotel traverse of the Krkonoše, but it is difficult to find info in English for planning such a trip. I don't think it's a destination for many outside of the area, but I think it (and Bohemia) look great as a destination.

[Bohemian]

Mapy.cz : indeed, very useful! Even abroad and their maps and app are still improving. I also use it in Austria.
Switzerland also has very good online maps with skitouring & snowshoe routes marked and with shading of steep areas: Swissstopo.

Long Krkonoše trip: It's also on my list. A good start is studying the mapy.cz maps and plot some distances with plan B & C. Next search info on availability of accommodation, also across the Polish border. Do avoid the Prague school holidays. In the FB group "Backcountry CZ" you could ask for advice for accommodation and routes: they're a friendly bunch. Krkonoše is much higher altitude than Šumava / Bohemian Forest, on average more snow for longer time.
Beware: in Krkonoše they do enforce the rules regarding forbidden protected zones and staying on marked routes.

Our local area around the borders with Germany and Austria is lower and more suited for day trips: mostly not enough snow below 800-900m. I often drive around to one of the 2 parkings of the Hochficht skilifts on the Austrian side at 900m. Here you can actually go touring for turns if the conditions are right for the Plechy / Plockenstein or a fun former skislope NW of the Dreisessel.
If the snow is good below 800m XCd distance touring with overnight stops becomes possible: you could go e.g. from Lipno nad Vltavou (on the lake if there is enough ice they do a lot of Ice/snow-kiting!) more or less along the Austrian border to the 3-country-point with stops (a hotel and few B&B are available on this route) and then after the Dreisessel in CZ via the towns in between to the Kvilda area.
Beware of stones on steep paths on the borders: the stones are huge and make it unskiable. Often better to use forest roads/paths on either side of the border. If the border itself is not steep it's usually a good path (former iron curtain!). Also stay outside the protected zones (inside lines of green marks on mapy.cz ). On the German-Czech border further NW in the Šumava National Park there are many forbidden zones + some paths with forbidden access in winter, they are clearly marked on mapy.cz maps. In this area I haven't skied yet anywhere North of the Haidmühle / Nove Udoli border crossing, always went SE of that.