 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello!
I've loved reading the threads on here in a bid to narrow down my choices but remain really unsure (translate as spectacularly confused) as to where I should be going ...
Criteria:
- Reasonable chance of snow over Christmas
- beginner/intermediate runs into village
- good ski school (or meeting point) at village level
- attractive village with a few shops/restaurants etc for non skier to mooch around (doesn't have to be much)
- preferably within 1.5 hours Salzburg
Westerndorf, Serfaus, Maria Alm are on a short list but I'd welcome other village and accommodation (hotel/pension/catered) suggestions too
Thank you!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks so much Sue - it does look lovely - can you shed any light on snow reliability or any suggestions where to stay?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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IME its really rare to have a lack of snow in Austria at Christmas. There was a late start a couple of years back but I've always had top to bottom cover.
Serfaus is excellent but you won't get there in 1.5 hours from Salzburg, more like double that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yes, @Samerberg Sue, is really "The Austia Guru" 
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@tortor, It is a part of the "Pongau Schneeloch" and does seem to attract a fair amount of snow. There is a snowHead who lives there all winter who can give you more info but I've forgotten his user name! I skied there last season for the first time in donkey's years on several occasions and found it delightfully quiet even at the weekends. Another hidden gem is Werfenweng above the town of Werfen (home to the"Where Eagles Dare" castle by the A10), but I've not yet skied there. I'm going to this coming season though as it looks interesting too.
@Hyst, not really but as I live right on the border and have done for the best part of 20 years I've skied a wide variety of resorts and also discussed many, many more with local friends. Having been given the ADAC Ski Atlas as a welcome present after I moved here I set myself the task of getting to ski every resort listed in Austria. It was an early ambitious plan that finally beat me and let me concentrate on the ones closer to my home, but I'm still always willing to find somewhere new for a day or two just to see what it is like, hence I have both the Tirol Snow Card as well as the Salzburg Superski season passes.
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I love it of course but the village isn't particularly picturesque and there are no shops to speak of. The ski school does have a meeting point at village level for absolute beginners but it is at the edge of the village.. Intermediates and improvers meet at the top of the achterjet.bubble. the home runs are tricky but you can get the achterjet down or the chair to the bottom of the world cup run allows download.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Serfaus would suit you perfectly aside from the transfer time but I think you'd struggle to get any accommodation there now for Christmas week. We've done Christmas and New
Year weeks there and I love the place but most of the visitors are German and
Dutch and they all seem to book up for the following year when they're checking out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@tortor, I might be the Snowhead that Sue has mentioned as I spend the winter in the Filzmoos area and it would certainly seem to meet all of your criteria. Christmas snow is likely but not guaranteed - last season we didn't really get any decent snow until the first few days in January. The main nursery slope is right in the village centre with another beginners area a little further away. There are three ski schools, two right in the heart of the village and the 3rd located at the other nursery slope. The shopping is a little limited but there is a wide range of hotels and eating places as well as a leisure centre and there is quite a bit to do for non-skiers. Filzmoos is around 45 minutes from Salzburg airport by car and personally I would recommend renting a car as it gives you freedom to get out and about and enjoy other ski resorts and towns/villages.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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bobbev999, yep it was you I meant! Well done for spotting this!
How is your shoulder and will you be out in Filzmoos over Christmas and New Year? I'm at my usual hotel (Rosner) in Altenmarkt from December 19th for at least 2 weeks, so if you are around and skiing it would be nice to meet up and explore Filzmoos more under your expert guidance.
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@Samerberg Sue, Hi Sue, nice to hear from you. The shoulder is doing OK thanks, still a little stiff now and again but more or less back to normal. I'll be arriving on Dec 28 so we should definitely get together. Will Claire be joining you this trip?
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You know it makes sense.
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@bobbev999, not the first one, but we are both in Altenmarkt (Rosner as always) from Jan 26th for a week. There will also be another week at some point but we have not yet sorted out the details. We tend to talk about the next trip during the current one (as one does!)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Samerberg Sue, rather than hijack this thread I'll PM you a little nearer the time and we can organise a meet.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@bobbev999, fine, but thread drift does seem par for the course on snowHeads, so I wouldn't worry too much!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, rather than start a new thread I'll post my question in this one, as it seems that it would be relevant to the OP too. (hopefully he/she doesn't mind)? If you do, just let me know pls and I'll start a new one.
Going to Kaprun in January (can't wait)! 
Does anyone know a good ski instructor there that they can recommend? Or, failing that, at least some decent ski school?
Thanks
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sorry to jump in ,
Just booked on a whim to Kuprun for 12 Dec then checked the resort website
Ski passes don't start till 20/12 ooooops need I be worried
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Esdel wrote: |
Sorry to jump in ,
Just booked on a whim to Kuprun for 12 Dec then checked the resort website
Ski passes don't start till 20/12 ooooops need I be worried |
No, you're looking at winter lift passes as opposed to autumn passes (I think they are called). There is most definitely skiing taking place on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun at the moment, pictures are appearing on my Facebook feed form friends already out there. Maiskogel is a different matter, depends on the snow as to whether there is enough snow/sufficiently low temperatures.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@tortor, If it's of any interest, we have some friends who have just bought a studio apartment in Saalbach (sleeps 5) and are currently busy doing it up. They're very keen to get some bookings and are available at Christmas. The resort meets your criteria too. PM me if you want their details.
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@snowglider, Hi, I replied in your other post. I have sent you a private message.
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@holidayloverxx,
Hi and sorry for the late thank you for your suggestion
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@bobbev999,
Thanks very much for replying ... Filzmoos does sound perfect but the lack of snow is a concern. I'm sure most people have this stress when booking for Christmas unless picking a high resort. I'm tempted to book the flights to Salzburg and leave the choice of resort/accommodation until the last minute but having not travelled at Christmas before I'm unsure how sensible that is?
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@Hyst,
Thanks too for your suggestion - off to look up Wagrain ...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If really worried about snow, and I don't think you need to be, then Obertauern ticks most of your boxes apart from maybe that nice traditional villagey non-skier stuff. Or as others have said, go for places like Kaprun but if there is a general lack of snow then the glacier will be mobbed anyway.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@tortor, Wagrain is a great shout. We stayed there for a week in the summer.
I see you want catered, which I can't help too much with. But I can recommend an apartmenthaus that is handy for both lifts and comes with a free pass to Wasserwelt swimming pool for all guests.
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Actually, no idea what it was like as a hotel, but the food was decent when we stopped for a meal... They offer some interesting winter packages too.
http://www.wagrainerhof.com/en/
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You know it makes sense.
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@hammerite, Hi and thanks too for the suggestion ... just looking at the Wagrain piste map and not seeing many blues - is it okay for a beginner and could you ski back to the resort on a gentle run do you know?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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@tortor, I'd like to say yes fine for a beginner, but I'm not 100% sure. We skied the Flying Mozart side a few times and I think that would be fine. We only spent a day skiing the Grafenberg side once and it was a cloudy/foggy day and very difficult to see, so we tip toed around all day trying not to lose each other!
Sue will be able to advise best.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| tortor wrote: |
| @hammerite, Hi and thanks too for the suggestion ... just looking at the Wagrain piste map and not seeing many blues - is it okay for a beginner and could you ski back to the resort on a gentle run do you know? |
The red run down to the Graffenberg is fairly wide but a little steep in places so it should be OK if the beginner in question can make some basic turns. I am always reluctant to make sweeping statements with regard to questions like this as some beginners are a lot more confident than others and as we know so much of skiing takes place between the ears. With regard to snow cover then if it is not great in Filzmoos at Christmas time then it will be similar in Wagrain and indeed in much of the Ski Amade area, at least in my experience.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@bobbev999, Hello and that's really helpful re snow-cover and the piste back - wide at least allows for lots of dodgy snowplough turns and space to wipe out! Does Wagrain have the same charm as Filzmoos do you think?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Obergurgl but approx. 3.5 hours from Salzburg
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you want to ski into the village at Xmas, it will never be 100% gtd snow in Austria. In all likelihood you will be fine though.
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thanks so much - you're incredibly kind to take the time to reply in such detail. I think Wagrain, on balance, might be a better bet as it seems to offer more than Filzmoos (pool, ice skating etc). Can you personally recommend any family run hotels?
| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
@tortor, I've spent the past 20+ years skiing at Christmas and New Year in and around the Ski amadé area and have not once had a problem with lack of snow - even last Christmas which was one of the worst all of us can remember we were skiing all day every day. The valley runs were not open below the middle stations for the first half of the week, but when the snow came just on Christmas, the bases were ready and they just pisted it down and opened then runs the next day.
Wagrain on the Flying Mozart side has very wide and open pistes although graded red they can be used by nervous blue run heroes because of their width. The final steep section down to the bottom can be by-passed using a ski path (I've not used it for several years but have seen ski school groups coming out that way on many occasions). On the Graffenberg side, the two valley runs are both doable for early intermediates, but the right-hand one (looking at the map) is the better of the two. This is because it is very wide at its steepest part allowing you to use the variation in the slope to pick the softest route. Above the middle station there is Blue 38 which has to be the perfect Blue run hero slope. Locally it is known as the "Autobahn" and is great for boosting everyone's confidence. You can avoid the final steep pitch to the Graffenberg Express by hangering right by the Sonnalm and picking up the track that is used for moving the cows around in summer. Brings you out right by the Graffenberg Express chairlift or if you want you can cross to the Greisskareck using the G-Link across the valley.
There are lots of excellent hotels in Wagrain, but as it does not feature in many brochures (UK-based ones any way) you are most likely going to have to deal direct. In terms of having a real Alpine Christmas feel, it could not get much better - the composer of Silent Night was born in the village and is buried there, so they do tend to go on about it a wee bit!
Another place to consider if the area appeals is St Johann im Pongau and its 4/5*-star hotel enclave of Alpendorf. We skied down to alpendorf from Wagrain in Christmas week last year without any problems. OK it was mostly artificial snow, but it worked and we did not have any scratches on our bases as a result!  |
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@tortor, take a look at what's on offer then ask me what I know of them. As far as I know all the hotels in Wagrain are "family-run" as you put it, there are no chain ones if that is what you are trying to avoid.
Off the top of my head I can think of five that I know from friends and acquaintences using them, that are good - the Schattauer, the Wagrainerhof, Graffenberg Resort, Steinerwirt and Hubertus. These are all in the main part of the village as well. The Graffenberg Resort is literally just across the road from the Graffenberg lifts, while the others are all along the road approaching the Graffenberg lifts.
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