Poster: A snowHead
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A short review of this interesting ski region:
I spent 6 days in this area fron 18th January. It's our second visit, staying on both oaccasions at a B&B in Eben im Pongau run by my mates Alexa and Steve (for which a shameless plug: http://www.landhauspaula.at ).
The area offers a skiing holiday not as we English expect, but in the fashion and style of central Europe. Most of Steve's visitors are, if not Austrian, German, Polish, Czech or Hungarian, plus a few Dutch. Each area is (relatively) small and the geography is such that each hill has two sides but more interlinking than that is impractical. Therefore, a car is essential and the notion of ski-in / ski-out is laughable, with the result that few from our part of the world seem to end up there. That said, we flew to Salzburg with Ryanair for the princely sum of £5.99 each way + tax (and £15 for my skis, see s topics passim) and car hire for a week was reasonable.
The hills we rode were:
Flachau
Wagrain
St. Johann / Alpendorf
Kleinarl
Flachauwinkel
Across these you can find a typical variety of Austrian descents; I wouldn't say there is much of a highly challenging nature on-piste, but there are good areas of terrain, particularly, we thought, in Wagrain / Aplendorf which are linked and offer some good long reds with alternative routes of variable pitch particularly suited to our group of mixed abilities. Certainly mid-week crowding was not a problem and with excellent snow conditions there was plenty of off-piste as well, much of it close to the piste itself which, while certainly not negating the need for proper kit and guiding etc., certainly makes it more accessible, i.e. no need for touring kit.
If any of you find yourselves there I would highly recommend the two blacks at the top of Wagrain, and the off-piste gulley to the left of the top lift at Flachauwinkel (the 'Powder Chair'). For those who get their kicks from grabs, rotations and grinds Flachauwinkel also has what appears to be a pretty decent park ( http://www.absolutpark.com ) - I had a wander through it once of twice but given I'm more likely to throw up than throw a 360 mute, I can't really comment on how rad or gnar it might be.
So, if you fancy somewhere cheap (beer, food etc. MUCH cheaper than France, as per usual) and you can identify someone to be Des, you can have some good snowy fun in the Salzburger Sprotwelt.
**** TRANSMISSION ENDS ****
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheers for that - after my very successful trip to schladming earlier this month I'm considering a 'roadtrip' version to see the rest of the ski amade - so the above is very handy
aj xx
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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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ajhainey, do not forget bad gastein, hofbadgastein,dorfgastein and sportgastein
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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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yup - it may have to be quite a _long_ roadtrip hehe
aj xx
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