 Poster: A snowHead
|
Well, allow me to enter the debate, all guns blazing, (while firmly sitting on the fence).
Just had first days skiing. Did pretty much everywhere, including Fieberbrunn (first time!) and Leogang. In 30 years of visiting, this is the least snow I've seen. Only '87/88 (I think) was as bad as this. (It had a bit more depth up top, but less lower down). So in that regard, it has to rank as a major disappointment.
If there was no artificial, I think there would barely be a piste open. However, in the late '80's there were only a handful of runs with artificial, now it is a different matter, and the majority of runs are open, and the vast majority of lifts. Many of the pistes that are open are substantially narrower than usual, and the off piste is as good as non-existent.
Due to this, I would say that the resort is only offering about 25% of what it can in good conditions, even though substantially more than that is deemed open. So yes, definitely disappointing.
BUT...
S-H is so large that even this % means a lot is available, and what is available is very enjoyable. After a late start, (daughter to ski school), I managed 14000 metres vertical, up 39 lifts. (Got to love ski-line). And the vast majority was on snow that would have been no better if the resort was in the middle of a snow-fest. It genuinely could barely have been excellenter or superer (sic).
Yes, some runs are narrower, but they are rarely narrow, and plan has clearly been for the depth of artificial to be more important than the width. The result is only at a few points did I ski on anything other than good snow, a bit mogully in places in late afternoon, but that would be the same in good snow.
So while the conditions are disappointing, and I would rather be thigh deep in powder, it is still possible to have a great time skiing.
Most people come to S-H for a reason, and that's the large ski area and the apres-ski. Both are still operating adequately. I don't think anyone has ever chosen it purely for off-piste and touring. So, for anyone else visiting in the next couple of weeks, don't worry, even if the forecast snow doesn't materialise, you should have a great time. Unless you did book for the off-piste. In that case you are screwed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@Colinthc,
Excellent report. From webcams, it appears adequate snow for a good holiday, albeit you won't be looking over wonderful vistas of pristine white as far as the eye can see.
Keep them coming throughout the week. Looks like snow forecast later today and during the week. Enjoy the après.
Your last sentence is concise and to the point. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Well, it's started - as I sit by my window (no chance of skiing for me today!) the weather is clearly deteriorating by the minute: leaden sky all morning, and now the mountains are completely shrouded in mist from about 500m upwards. -2C at the top and +3 in the valley. It seems to be snowing, again from about 500m above the village, and there's a fine drizzle below that - which will surely soon turn to snow in view of the forecast of very wintry conditions for the rest of the week. There's a distinct sense of expectation!
Update, half an hour later: it's now 2.6C outside and sleeting. The local website says that 66 lifts out of 70 are operating, so no high winds yet.
Update a couple of hours later: now -3.9C on the mountain and 0.6C in the valley and it's chucking it down with snow - a very welcome sight!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 11-01-16 16:58; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Love it when you can't see anything from the webcams due to heavy snow, as long of course as your not up the hill at the time 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
There is a lot open and mostly in good condition, we skied fieberbrunn today it was ok it needs more snow. Saalbach Hinterglemm and leogang are much better! That said though I'm sat in the goatstall now as I'm typing and its bucketing down with snow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Rhumage wrote: |
| I'm sat in the goatstall now as I'm typing and its bucketing down with snow. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| o11y wrote: |
| Rhumage wrote: |
| I'm sat in the goatstall now as I'm typing and its bucketing down with snow. |
|
Nice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| nozawaonsen wrote: |
| o11y wrote: |
| Rhumage wrote: |
| I'm sat in the goatstall now as I'm typing and its bucketing down with snow. |
|
Nice. |
Bit jealous!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Very nice indeed.
Off to Saalbach this weekend.
Things shaping nicely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@jonty, likewise, let's hope it keeps coming down and stays cold
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@espri, that blooming Feller, should have been training for the races next weekend should he? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@espri, sooper pics
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Didn't do much today, as I was in charge of my daughter at lunchtime and after ski school, so stuck to the Hinterglemm area. Couple of high lifts were closed in the morning due to wind, so the open pistes were a bit busy. I'd like to thank the French group on Zwolfer for doing nothing to improve the stereotype of Frenchmen being obnoxious in lift queues.
Anyway, after a bright start, the weather slowly closed in and by lunchtime there was heavy precipitation, snow above mid-station, rain below. As indicated above, the snow line slowly dropped, reaching the village about 3pm.
About 8-10 cm accumulated in a short time on the sodden ground, and given that it is still, just, above freezing, the streets are a mass of slush. Given that it had been snowing far longer higher up, I think 20cm is likely. We shall see tomorrow.
It's not been a season making snowfall by any means, but watching the snow line slowly drop and the green disappear has been enjoyable viewing for any snow addict. Given how thin the natural stuff has been, I don't think it'll be enough to allow the non-artificial runs to start opening, and the off-piste will still be far too thin. Still, what is open will have had a massive boost, and it's at least likely to prove a decent base for any more snow if the forecast is right and the cold continues.
If nothing else, I'll be skiing surrounded by snow-laden trees tomorrow, and that's always a heart-lifter isn't it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@Colinthc, There'll be a fair few people waiting for the first lift tomorrow - hope those Frenchmen aren't among them! (Although I should add that our French neighbours, who own the apartment next to ours are the nicest people in the building). I've just walked up to the Kohlmaisstub'n restaurant, and the sensation of several cms of snow crunching under my feet was also a heart-lifter!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Saalbach Hinterglemm posted this on Facebook this morning: "Perfect way to start the day on the slopes: 25 cm of fresh snow and excellent conditions. Have fun out there...".
After taking a breather overnight, it's snowing again now, and it seems from the forecast that this will be the weather pattern until at least Sunday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
And I would say the resort got it spot on on Facebook. I think 25cm was about right up top, though, as I said, only 10 at most low down.
Today started brightly, and I headed to Leogang via the Westgipfel (and a quick blast down the Schattberg) and the Schonleiten. One thing was quickly clear. All this snow had made things temporarily worse on piste as the soft snow was piling into moguls as early as 10am. It was heavy going on the thighs, and I am sure the average piste bashing tourist would have much preferred something a little firmer and flatter, as has been the case till now.
Visually, though, it is just so nice to see a ski resort looking like a ski resort, with no green to be seen.
Anyway, hit Leogang, weather closed in, did new Steinberg (?) piste to mid station. (Probably very pretty in clearer conditions). Then down to Asitz bottom, back up, and noticed wind, and snow, increasing dramatically, so headed into Glemmtal swiftly, just in case. Went to Schonleiten base, (what a difference snow cannons have made here), then back to a very windy summit and into Saalbach. To find no way home. All routes to Hinterglemm were closed, so, after a few runs on the lower Schattberg, it was a ski bus home, where I messed about a bit on the lower Westgipfel.
The snow situation has obviously dramatically improved. Even today's fall was a little more than forecast. I reckon another 10cm fell. More is still needed, the off piste base is still very thin, and the slopes without artificial will still need more, (maybe a few higher up will be good to go), but as I watched the pisteurs start to move the edge markers wider on the Westgipfel, it was clear that, bit by bit, things were getting nearer to where they should be. Anyone out soon can officially stop fretting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@Colinthc, I'm surprised they closed the link to Hinterglemm via the Bernkogel and Reiterkogel. I know that there were times today when it closed in and snowed hard, but I didn't realise that the wind was that strong - although, having said that, I noticed a message on the resort website, saying that the Fieberbrunn link had been closed and a ski bus laid on. I spent the day looking out of the window - feeling a bit man-fluey.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@Colinthc, thanks for the update, things are looking up for this weekend when we fly out!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@Colinthc I spent the day skiing pretty much every closed piste in the valley. Awesome day. Not at all true to say that the slopes without artificial still need more. Piste 13 goes right down to Hinterglemm and has no snowmaking in the wooded section. There was at least 40cm the whole way down. Fantastic fun. I really hope that they don't ruin it with a piste basher! I took some photos - will try to figure out how to post them.
@Tatman it was really very windy indeed up top. Not at all surprised that they had to close the top lifts. Fieberbrunn links closed much earlier in the day though, well before the storm (we tried to ski over there at about 10am and weren't able to).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
| I noticed a message on the resort website, saying that the Fieberbrunn link had been closed and a ski bus laid on. |
That's interesting. I had wondered whether there would be anything offered if the lifts closed down during the day.
Hope you make a speedy recovery!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
08:40, first tracks down (closed) red 53
Looking back up the hill
11am, plenty of opportunities down (closed) red 33
1pm, sheltering from the storm at the Zwolferkogelbahn midstation. It was much, much worse visibility than this higher up, literally impossible to see the next piste marker pole at times. Impossible to take a photo then due to wind.
2pm, fresh tracks down (closed) red 13a. You can see the only area of poor cover on the whole run in the top left of the image (and, sadly, my thumb at the bottom).
Looking down 13a towards Hinterglemm
Where are my skis?
3pm, to the left of piste 6a, looking down to Hinterglemm
Can't wait for tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@tccambs, Clearly you timed your visit well, as it's turned out. Your pictures are worth a thousand words!
@espri, Yes, they laid on buses at 4pm from Schoenleiten to Fieberbrunn, and from Fieberbrunn to Saalbach. Presumably this will be a regular necessity when the link has to be closed.
Thank you, incidentally for your wishes for a speedy recovery - clearly, if it's man-flu, the seriousness of my condition shouldn't be under-estimated, and I think I made a wise decision to stay in today and this evening. If my condition should worsen, we do at least have a party of doctors staying with us!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@tccambs, I've no doubt that many closed runs were skiable, my point is that they don't have enough snow to open them. While they are officially closed, only a few skiers will go down. Once officially open, they will need to be prepared and lots of skiers will use them, and I don't think that the snow is deep enough for that level of traffic yet. But it is getting there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
@Colinthc I hope you're right - it would be such a shame to ruin their beauty with a PistenBully!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I reiterate what has already been said about the conditions, the skiing is excellent now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
I see that snow-forecast.com is predicting 35cm at mid-mountain level in the next 4 days, with 20cm of it arriving on Saturday - hope it doesn't affect travel! The next couple of weeks promise to be mega with all or most runs open (it seems reasonable to expect), yet it also seems likely that the resort will be relatively quiet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@tccambs,
Great photos thank you.
As previous poster says, great to see the place looking like a ski resort. I'm sure those visiting in previous weeks managed reasonable amount of skiing on man made stuff but having green and brown across the resort, just not the same as looking over snow covered peaks and valleys all around you, down to village level.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Great photos, tccambs, thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Skiing has been mega today, just pulled up to the burgeralm so no doubt some night skiing will be happening later!!!
May try zell am see tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I found today less enjoyable because of the pretty relentless blizzard conditions and 50km winds. Eventually managed to find some shelter on piste 68 though. @Tatman told us that it was open now. It certainly isn't, and if there hadn't been tracks down it already I would have got totally lost (it isn't even marked, except with closed signs), but oh my goodness what a wonderful run - many kilometers of deep, unbroken powder with a constant gentle blue-run pitch. I took some photos if anyone's interested...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@tccambs, Sorry I misinformed you - Jarmila, the owner of the excellent Hecherhuette restaurant, which you may have seen or stopped at about two thirds of the way down, posted photos on Facebook yesterday, showing "the first skiers of the season to arrive at the Hecherhuette". I wrongly assumed that this meant that the run was open - silly me when there are people like you revelling in doing all the closed runs! Glad you (presumably) got a ski bus at the bottom, despite it being closed - although it was probably the best place to be today, hope you get to do it in better weather, it's something special.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Great skiing in Fiberbrunn today. The place was empty, the snow great, at least until the f12 run on the way back anyway.
Espri, a beautiful ski area, you are so lucky.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Bob wrote: |
Great skiing in Fiberbrunn today. The place was empty, the snow great, at least until the f12 run on the way back anyway.
Espri, a beautiful ski area, you are so lucky. |
Thanks, though I still see the area not at its best presently. Wait till we really have snow! I too was skiing the area today and it was a super day - different from yesterday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I also visited Fieberbrunn today. I wanted to see it with better snow, having been there on Sunday, when many of the runs were poor. I got the impression that S-H managed their artificial snow making better.
Today, however, was a vast improvement, also helped by the lack of fog low down. It certainly is a beautiful area, much wilder than most of S-H. I avoided f12 by going off-piste from Hochhorndl to the bottom (mid?) station of the TirolS. The depth wasn't really there to do that, (the off-piste is still sub-optimal at best), but I knew that before I started and it was a great recce for future reference. In good snow that area could be awesome. The TirolS has certainly added options, and is not just a link.
Once I get home, when I have time, I plan to write a few thoughts about the linking of the resorts, but I enjoyed the visit today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zell am see was awesome today really good skiing, Irish pub serves an excellent pint of Guinness too. Saalbach tomorrow for our last day, it's bucketing down with snow again!!! IMO Saalbachs season has now been rescued.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snowing hard now at Resort level.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
