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Off-piste courses in Austria

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I get to go skiing for one or two weeks at the end of Feb/start of March, and wonder if anyone has any experiences of courses in Austria?
I'd welcome any advice, either about types of courses or destinations, or the best way to transition to off-piste.
Also, a specific question: quite a few places seem to offer off-piste guiding (very expensive on your own) rather than courses, but is it generally worth emailing them and asking if it's possible to join a group, or if they do courses?

Realise I'm just turning up here and asking if anyone has any views, but if any background is helpful:

- I'll be on my own, so would favour a course with some camaraderie, and because hiring a guide on my own would be very expensive.
- My German is very poor (though all instructors I've had in Austria speak good English).
- I ski blacks happily, have done some off piste including the Vallee Blanche, and a week's Warren Smith course, and instructors have said I should do more off-piste. I'm keen to learn, and when I did intermediate lessons in Hoffgastein two years ago, it wasn't challenging enough.
- I'm 40, and confess I'd prefer my own room if possible. Keep reasonably fit (1-hour gym sessions 3x a week and will be getting fit from now until the trip).
- I used to mountaineer (and still do if I can find the time) and ski touring as well as lift-served off piste appeals. I'm a bit bored of pisted runs.
- I like Austria: the food, the atmosphere, the wines (often unavailable here in UK), the food (the huts are super) and a nice sauna at the end of the day. And after working long hours in London, I want a holiday as well as adventure!

I was thinking about the Gastein Valley or Kaprun (the latter having a glacier so definitely reliable for snow), but perhaps should consider Stubaital.
Looked at St Anton, but the accommodation there is seriously expensive - whereas in Kaprun I know a nice traditional hotel which is about half the price.

Would welcome any reccos or thoughts. Offpiste.at looked interesting.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
http://www.kitzsteinhorn.at/en/freeride-xxl/freeride-camps

The Zell kaprun site has quite a bit of info re courses running off the Kitzsteinhorn glacier
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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?
I recommend this bunch, this would be perfect for you. http://www.snoworks.co.uk/iSKI-Backcountry.html

They have put an extra course on in March this year in St Anton, if you prefer earlier then they are in St Anton in January for two weeks. They use Mark Warner accommodation so is at the cheaper end of the scale. They do room share for singles and is a great way to ski with people of the same ability.

I go on at least 1 Snoworks course a year, this year i'm doing 2 which includes the March Backcountry in St Anton.

Just do a search for Snoworks on here to see what others think. You won't be disappointed.
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Not heard of this before but it sounds great. I might look in to the march course in St. Anton as well.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Not heard of this before but it sounds great. I might look in to the march course in St. Anton as well.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Look at mountain tracks. They do all levels of off piste and touring. I did my first hut to hut tour with them in the Dolomites excellent.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Just wanted to thank people for the helpful replies - much appreciated. I'll let you know what I end up doing and report back!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Some info:

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=86451
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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.
I've just booked on to the St. Anton trip in March. Should be good fun. Now just have to hope for plenty of snow to fall between now and then.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
See you there, you'll have a blast.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Though mk28 is organised, I thought I could add another link on this topic which might be useful for others. http://www.freeride-experience.at , run by Volker Hölzl, also runs off-piste courses in various places. I was on one about five years ago and found it excellent. Note, though, that the main language is German.
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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.
Was keen on the St Anton one above but accommodation seems a problem. Only a shared noisy room above the bar is available, and when I look for alternatives in St Anton, it's so, so expensive on booking.com ... Sad
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I have just got back from St Anton where I stayed at the Hotel Angelika in a single room for 110 euros a night...the place is absolutely perfectly, positioned at the bottom of the Galzig and actually attached to the Alber check in so literally 40 paces (I counted) from the hotel door to get set up in the morning and a few more onto the lift...most of the single rooms are on the top floor so no noise from the apres ski either.
Talking of which, I was packing the car on Friday evening just as two guys came skiing down from the Mooserwirt and clearly hadn't realised the piste had finished...I have never actually seen anyone skiing down a tarmac road before...the noise was quite horrific, I think their skis would probably need a full service when they woke up the next morning!!
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