Poster: A snowHead
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I've been going on a short trip mid December for years now and we usually fly to Geneva and ski the three valleys and have never failed to find snow and had some great years too.
We do four days going out around December 14/15th depending on flights as we are fllying from Dublin we are very limited with flights. Essentially the only airports we can get to daily with suitable flight times are Geneva, Milan, Zurich and Memingham.
I'm thinking of Austria this year and can get flights to Munich arriving early and leaving late which is great for a short break.
I know no one has a crystal ball but are there any resorts within a couple of hours from Munich that will be snowsure mid December?
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Obergurgl, Sölden, Ischgl + the glaciers (Stubai, Hintertux, Pitztal, Kaunertal) are the most obvious options, but at that time of year I'd just book flights and wait to see how the snow shapes up and pick your resort a few days before travel.
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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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@maddness, I agree with @clarky999,
Book the Munich flights and then go wherever the snow is. I'd add Kitzsteinhorn/Kaprun to the list of glaciers, as you can stay in Zell am See and drive/bus up each day, the advantage being that Zell is a real working town, with shops, restaurants and hotels that will be open, whereas Kaprun village will hardly be open and resemble a ghost town.
If there is plenty of real snow, then the world is your lobster - or at least Salzburgerland is. From mid-December I'm in Saalbach, which is about 3 hours from Munich. If there is snow there then there will also be snow in Zell am See, Kitzbuhel, Leogang/Fieberbrunn and loads of other places. Accommodation will not be a problem.
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Thanks for the advice. I can also get good flights to Zurich, would this be easier for the above resorts mentioned
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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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@maddness, Zurich is good for St Anton and western Austria, but Munich is better for eastern Austria and probably gives you more choise. Zell am See, Kitzbuhel, Leogang and several others are also easily accessible by train from Munich. Saalbach involves a train to Zell am See and a short bus/taxi up the valley from there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Obergurgl would be my choice - usually guarantees snow from mid November.
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Although I've never been at that time of year, Ischgl looks like it gets decent cover early on. But as others have said probably best to nearer time to book resort.
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Recent years have just been too much of a lottery in December, although it has to be said the resorts have all manged to put down a usable covering of artificial snow. I would also recommend not booking until the last minute. You will not have any problems finding free accommodation in December.
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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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@Steilhang, yes, SkiWelt was awash with white ribbons in a sea of green
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That's the issue with the last three years in December.....severe lack of snow.
The thing is we can get good value flights now and book accommodation last minute which is no problem but I'd be a bit cautious about booking a Munich flight and having no options mid December. This is why Geneva flights usually win out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@maddness, I'm in Saalbach every year from mid-December. Some seasons there has been good natural snow as early as the end of November. The last 3 winters, the snow has not arrived much before 20th December. As a consequence, to keep this multi-million euro industry afloat resorts like Saalbach have invested huge sums in snow making and piste management. Over €200m in Saalbach alone. Last December all of the major pistes were open and it was possible to ski the entire Ski Circus (Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn) on a good snowbase and in glorious sunshine. With over 150km of pistes open, that was still more than many other resorts can offer when they are fully operating.
Plan B would be to go to Zell am See for Kitzsteinhorn, or Mayrhofen for Hintertux, or the other high or glacial resorts.
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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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maddness wrote: |
That's the issue with the last three years in December.....severe lack of snow.
The thing is we can get good value flights now and book accommodation last minute which is no problem but I'd be a bit cautious about booking a Munich flight and having no options mid December. This is why Geneva flights usually win out. |
There are actually MORE snow sure (glacier) resorts in Austria. Typically in October and November Austria has more open resorts than the rest of the world combined, and Obergurgl and Schladming are usually the first non-glacier resorts to open in the Alps.
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@dobby, yep. Personally I find that quite distressing and would rather not go skiing than be stuck on a narrow band of ice with a bunch of out of control Dutch guys. Each to his own I suppose.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Steilhang, I wasn't there - merely watching on webcams before my trip in late Jan.
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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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I've been to three different areas in Austria over the past three Christmases. 3 seasons ago, Skiwelt, 2 Wagrain/Flachau, 1 Ski Circus.
The Skiwelt was decidedly dodgy, they'd gone for a damage limitation exercise and only opened up a tiny area of man made while they tried to increase the snow coverage elsewhere for the busier New Year week. Typically we woke up on Boxing Day to 30cm of fresh snow but they decided not to open up the rest of the area for our last 2 days.
Wagrain and SkiCircus were both fantastic though. The snow was mainly man made (at least at the beginning of the week in Saalbach) and very firm. It hardly cut up though so the skiing was amazingly fast throughout the day every day. There was no melt at all in Wagrain on Christmas Day when the thermometer next to a map at the top of the Grafenberg flashed up 17C.
Before the last 3 "dodgy" Christmases we've been away most others in the past 10 years and had great natural snow conditions.
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