Dammkar - advice and questions

**mitko** · 16.02.2006, 20:23

Hello,
I am new to this forum, and my German is terrible, sorry for writing in English..
I am from Bulgaria and I am currently working/studying in Bremen. I ski a lot and I decided I should try to do some skiing while I am in Germany. Since I have gone into freeskiing in the last years I thought I should
try Dammkar. I am going there next weekend and I need some advice on the skiing conditions there, I hope some of you can help me with that...
What are the chances that the slope will be closed because of avalanche danger? Will they let me ski there without an avalanche transmitter ( pieps, ortovox etc.), since I don't have one at the moment? If the dammkar lift is closed what other skiing options do I have in the area??
And last.. will anyone be skiing there next weekend ( 24-26th of February)? I am going there alone and it will
be great to ski with someone else....
If you need any information about freeskiing in Bulgaria, check out this website : www.befsa.com , that's the site of the bulgarian freeskiing association.. check out the galleries from the recent events!!
Hope someone will reply!
Cheers,
Dimitar

**subtleplague** · 16.02.2006, 20:48

basically you can ski there without one, although it is recommended not to do so

usually they do avie controlwork in the area or close it down when it is too dangerous. which doesn't mean you're 100% safe, but could risk it without one. (if you're skiing on your own a pieps is not of much use anyway, so renting a pieps and finding a riding partner should be the best thing to)
but if you're in bremen you can ski pretty much anywhere in the northern alps.. so why not choose a bigger resort. the dammkar consists mainly of ONE RUN and gets tracked rather easily.

**freak** · 16.02.2006, 20:51

yeah.
IF there is powder at dammkar, its gone after a few hours...
how are you coming down from bremen? have you got a car? that would make it eas to change the destination according to the sno/powder conditions...

freak~[

&

]

**Soulskier** · 16.02.2006, 20:54

The time when skiing Dammkar is really worth it is always the first day the slope is opened after a major dump. For all other days, the terrain is rather moguls than untouched pow. For information on opening check http://www.zfgr.de/karwendelbahn/ , if in doubt try the phone numbers given there.
Yes, they will let you ski without a transceiver, though, as everywhere else in the backcountry you shouldn't do so.
If it's closed, consider skiing Alpspitze or Laber.

**mitko** · 17.02.2006, 09:51

thanks for your replies!!
I will get to Munich by train, I don't have a car so I will have to use the local trains from there on. I know that there's a train going to Mittenwald and Garmish.. does the same train go to Laber? I am there for 2 days only so I will probably try Dammkar first and if it's closed or in really bad condition I will try one of the two other places... any other German resorst worth visiting ( no money to go to Austria..)?
Oh and I have a question about Zugspitze... how do I get to the skiing area? From the maps I see I have to take the Eibzee seilbahn.. but how do I get to its start, from Garmisch? Is there a bus to there?
And one last question

.. any ideas where I can rent a pieps?
Again, I would love to join some people skiing somewhere in the area, if anyone is interested..

**jbe** · 17.02.2006, 10:22

maybe you should take a look at our news: http://freeskiers.x-skier.com/index....141&Itemid=173
they offer special skiing packages.
they are about 40 euro to get into the snow by plane, i think.

**Romeo** · 17.02.2006, 10:26

In Garmisch you can use the Skibus for free or less, if you have a Skiticket.
The Hausberg & Alpspitzresort is much better as the glacier.
I stay at Garmisch from 24.02.- 28.02. but it is with my Skiingclub and i must give lessons to the kids.
So i have not enoug time to ski with you.

At the Dammkar valley station there is a Freeride Shop, you can rent a Pieps from there.

My english is not better than yours

**alex** · 18.02.2006, 10:07

There are always a lot of people skiing the Dammkar without proper equipment. But i wouldn't recommend that at all. The "Lawinenkommission" is trying to keep the danger as low as possible but they can't protect you from small avalanches (that might be deadly as well). They try ensure that there should be no big ones from the surrounding areas. Last year there was a small avanlanche directly behind the tunnel - when the skiroute was open!

As already mentioned the Dammkar is only worth it if you wait until it first opens after a big dump. And it might take some hours waiting as last Saturday when they opened at 12 noon.....

When the route just opens there is often no one in the rental shop - so make shure that you bring your own equipment!

**mitko** · 22.02.2006, 10:38

.. Does anyone know the latest conditions in Dammkar, is the snow skied a lot? I checked the snow forecast and it seems it won't snow this week. Is it worth going in this case?

**alex** · 22.02.2006, 11:32

Dammkar should be a mixture of "Buckelpiste" and ice - the last big snowfall is two weeks ago and was very warm. There might be some fresh snow next weekend...