 Poster: A snowHead
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That was my assumption too, I would guess that Zell/Kaprun would contribute greater share of costs as they have more to gain from the link. I am intrigued to know how revenue from ski pass sales would be distributed among the various lift companies. I assume with electronic passes it is possible to track which lifts you use and distribute the income proportionately.
I hope we get some decent snow this year and you can get your peaceful turns in on 68 before us rabble from Zell descend on you!
Although I am not sure how busy the link will become though as thinking about it, from my place near Ebenbergbahn I would have to take 4 lifts (Ebenbergbahn, Cityxpress, Trassxpress and "New Lift From Viehhofen") and ski 4 pistes (Rehnstrecke, Standardabfahrt, Sonnengrat and "New Piste to Viehhofen") to get into the outer edge of S-H area. Yes it would be some nice skiing esp Standardabfahrt early in the morning (one of my favorites) and I believe the new piste to Viehhofen should be great but if I want spend a day in S-H i would probably still drive round (20 min) or get bus and spend all day in S-H. I do see the benefit of the link for marketing purposes but unless I want to see how far from home I want to get and back in a day I am not sure how much I would use this link.
Now I have been thinking about this I am starting plan a day route to see how far I could get into S-H area and still make it back to home subject to links being in place.
Roll on November I have had enough of summer and playing bad golf and would like to do some bad skiing and boarding
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mbeaney, From our place on the Saalbach side there would be several ways of accessing the Zell skiing: (1) up the Kohlmais, Magic 6er, Schoenleitenbahn (or Schoenleiten 6er chair), Polten lift, then ski down 68 to Viehhofen; (2) up the Kohlmais and Magic 6er, then ski down 61 to Jausern and get the 10 min ski bus to Viehhofen; (3) up Schattberg and ski down 2a/2b and then get the 10 min ski bus to Viehhofen; (4) take the ski bus (say 20 mins) from Saalbach down to Viehhofen. It always surprises me how far you can get with an early start, so (1) would no doubt be the preferred option, subject to snow conditions on 68.
Having arrived only a few days ago, I think we have some way to go before we get enough of the current fantastic summer weather in Saalbach. As mentioned previously we will be driving up to the Hecherhuette at Viehhofen for their Thursday evening barbecue (highly recommended!). As they are the only mountain restaurant on piste 68 and presumably regard the new link as the equivalent of winning the lottery, I would imagine that they will have plenty to tell us about the new link.
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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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One use for the reservoir at Polten is to support more snowmaking on the Schönleiten piste (alpinforum.com reported) but maybe it is intended for piste 68 to Viehhofen as well. I look forward to hearing what the Hecherhütte people have to say.
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I too look forward to hearing what Hecherhutte people say, I have never been there but I can imagine a summer evening up there with good food must be idyllic. I will pencil in a trip in for next summer. Do you have to book?
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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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@mbeaney, Yes - see http://www.hecherhuette.at/ Last summer it started at 6pm every Thursday (arrive earlier if you want a swim in their excellent pool). All you can eat for 15 euros - a sumptuous banquet, including their renowned fillet steak.  , and the August equivalent of an "apres-ski" knees-up afterwards.
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| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
| @mbeaney, Yes - see http://www.hecherhuette.at/ Last summer it started at 6pm every Thursday (arrive earlier if you want a swim in their excellent pool). All you can eat for 15 euros - a sumptuous banquet, including their renowned fillet steak. , and the August equivalent of an "apres-ski" knees-up afterwards. |
Sounds absolutely WONDERFUL! The pictures of it in the summer look absolutely beautiful, I had no idea there was a pool. I would join you there if I could!
My memories of it were a lovely hot chocolate stop after a perfect run down a deserted piste 68 in ideal snow conditions in the sunshine. The view was stunning, and is just as spectacular it seems, even when the pistes are all green.
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I do indeed! I think I took this photo from it:
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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From over the valley at the Hecherhuette (on Saalbach piste 68 ) above Viehhofen, we could recently see other similar construction works at a slightly lower height than us, fairly low down on the Schmittenhoehe. I assume this to be an intermediate lift station.
Incidentally I'm overjoyed to see that new snow cannons have appeared at the bottom of piste 61 from the Wildenkarkogel to Jausern - a superb run that has hitherto frequently been closed due to poor snow coverage. Yet another link in the Snow Circus strengthened - which makes sense, as it will presumably soon be possible to get the ski bus from Jausern to the new lift up the Schmittenhoehe.
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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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Latest update (Oct 2015) from ‘Hoch hinaus’ – the annual pre-season brochure from the Saalbach-Hinterglemm Lift Company:
In den kommenden fünf Jahren stehen vier Großprojekte an. Der Neubau der Schönleitenbahn, der Kohlmaisbahn und der Zwölferkogelbahn sowie die Verbindungsbahn von Viehhofen ins Schönleitengebiet sollen bis 2020 realisiert werden.
So, in the next 5 years, four major projects are planned that should be completed by 2020. A new lift replacing the old stand-up cabin-lift at the Schönleitenbahn, replacement of the ‘beer-can’ cable cars at the Kohlmaisbahn in Saalbach, and replacement of the Zwölferkogelbahn in Hinterglemm. This is presumably preparation for what is hoped will be a winning bid to host the 2023 World Championships.
The fourth project is establishing a new lift from Viehhofen to the Schönleiten ski area. If Zell am See build the lift and pistes on their side of the valley between Zell and Viehhofen, this will complete the link between Zell and the Ski Circus.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| quinton wrote: |
| replacement of the ‘beer-can’ cable cars at the Kohlmaisbahn in Saalbach |
Oooo that's good, I really hate that lift. I find it very claustrophobic.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I really hate that lift. I find it very claustrophobic
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@HoneyBunny, ....and there was me, thinking that the moans and groans were of pleasure (being squashed up with me in that lift  ). Actually, I suspect that many people will be delighted to see the upgrading of the Schonleitenbahn - hopefully no more standing up on any of the lifts.
I see from Hoch Hinaus that EUR 390 million has been spent in the last 15 years, of which 47 million has been spent for this coming season, so I expect that that the resort must be in the running for another award. (Some of you may recall that it won the 'Best European Ski Development" award in 2009 from 'Where to Ski and Snowboard).
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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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| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
| Quote: |
I really hate that lift. I find it very claustrophobic
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@HoneyBunny, ....and there was me, thinking that the moans and groans were of pleasure (being squashed up with me in that lift ). Actually, I suspect that many people will be delighted to see the upgrading of the Schonleitenbahn - hopefully no more standing up on any of the lifts.
I see from Hoch Hinaus that EUR 390 million has been spent in the last 15 years, of which 47 million has been spent for this coming season, so I expect that that the resort must be in the running for another award. (Some of you may recall that it won the 'Best European Ski Development" award in 2009 from 'Where to Ski and Snowboard). |
I have no problem being squished in with you Mr T, it's everyone else!
That lift is just a bit too small and cosy.
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I for one will be extremely glad to see the back of the stand up cabins on the Schonleitenbahn. We call it the lift of pain.
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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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Every time I'm squashed into the corner of a cabin on the Schonleiten, I remember what it as like when you used to ski down to Jausern from the Schattberg, go under the road, pole up the slope and discover a 40 min queue for the old 2-man. No doubt just glimpsing the ski-bus disappearing up the valley. I still remember one February half term when hundreds of French school children, all with the innate ability to queue that all French skiers possess, ensured that the time spent waiting was extra special...
No, I agree, a seat will be better, but what's there ain't that bad...
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@Colinthc, Your post is a reminder of how spoilt we're getting these days with all these comfy, seated gondolas with wi-fi, and multi-heated-seated chair lifts with bubbles. In retrospect it's amazing what we were prepared to accept as normality all those years ago. Just waiting for someone from up north to chime in with, "You were lucky to 'ave a 2-man chair....."
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Actually, as a northerner, a Scot to be precise, who had started out at Cairngorm and Glenshee, the Glemmtal in the mid-80's seemed like wonderland. So, yeah, "2-man chairlifts, and you can keep your skis on!... How amazing is that!".
I do love the lift system in the area today, but there is a part of me that misses the silence of the old chairlifts, save for the chug-a-chug-a-chug as you crossed a pylon, and I genuinely grew to love, well, like, T-bars. Don't miss the queues though...
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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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Seriously, any form of transportation over snow where you could have battles with your brother to try to push each other off at the steepest, most awkward point, furthest from the piste, had to have its merits. And if you learned how to survive these battles, you became an expert at riding T-bars in all situations and with all people, and they became kind of fun. I will be heading to the Seekar in January anyway...
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| Quote: |
I will be heading to the Seekar
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That's a point! In the Lift Company's Hoch Hinaus magazine, DI Walter Steiner, the operations director, comments: "Worauf wir besonders stolz sind: Mit der Errichtung der Bernkogel-6er-Sesselbahn wurde der letzte Schlepplift im Skicircus - ausgenommen Einzellifte fur Anfanger - durch eine hochwertige Bahn ersatz.", which, roughly translated, means that they are particularly proud that the installation of the Bernkogel 6-seater chairlift means that the last drag lift in the Ski Circus - except isolated lifts for beginners - has been replaced by a high-quality lift. Has he forgotten about the Seekar Lift? Since there is only a red run from the top, it's hardly a lift for beginners.
More generally, I well recall my first experience of drag lifts on my first ski holiday in Cervinia in 1981 - there were a couple of long ones from the bottom - pomas I think, rather then T-bars - and I remember being most impressed that people were reading books as they went up. (Fighting on T-bars is all very well, unless you happen to be following the combatants up a steep bit, in which case carnage invariably results!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If the T-bar puts a lot of people off Seekar, I for one will be delighted to continue to experience its magnificence in relative quiet 
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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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@mbeaney Interesting, thanks for sharing - I'd been looking at the interactive panorama (linked from the same page) to see if there had been any changes - but that doesn't seem to have been updated. Other areas on the site still use the 'old' numbers too (e.g. the nightslope being 17 on the nightslope page, but 6 on the 'new' map). Methinks their webmaster has some works to do..
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You know it makes sense.
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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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@frankEvb, Apart from the better marking of the ski route (X4) I don't see many changes to be honest - it just looks a wee bit tidier and consequently clearer than it used to! I think they have added the ski routes perhaps, but they were always there. No new lifts yet although the Arietbahn is struggling at times and is surely inline for an update in order to avoid all the negative publicity it drew when it broke down over the New Year (a couple of seasons back) and Fasching (last season I believe)!
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Poster: A snowHead
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It is much clearer and looks a lot better. Seems they have shifted focus from Kaprun over towards the renewed (X4) route towards Viehhofen. The changes are on the Sonnenalm - lots of re-numbering of the pistes especially area near the Kettingbhan lift. Also the main run off the Sonnenalm is now a red (20) instead of a black (old 15)... Hope this means they've widened it and improved snow making there. Call me green and kill me now but I never did like the bald bits!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Samerberg Sue, @frankEvb, The new aspect is definitely much better but they have been doing a fair bit of recolouring, I predict some unhappy punters who don't know the resort next winter. As well as the Südabfahrt going red the Schütt and part of the Nord is also now showing as red and even blue which will catch a lot of the braver blue run skiers out badly, especially the former two if its a poor snow season.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@frankEvb,Likewise, skied there for at least a week, sometimes 3 weeks every season since 2005/06. Yes, I think 'brochure' appeal is what it's been done for. Anyone who's been there knows its ok for beginners and early or less confident intermediates but that theres plenty better resorts for that group. The piste map (when it told the truth) showed that there is genuinely no resort runs for that group and suddenly now it shows three?
The Süd as you say needs more snowmaking but no amount of man made snow is going to change the fact that its directly south facing and half below the reliable snowline. The Nord does ok for snow until the very bottom as it faces almost north but those schüsses are narrow and icy as are the 'blue' cut-arounds. The Schütt is a horror at the bottom, steep, very red and either icy or slushy and usually carnage!
Not going to Zell this season, had a week in Obergürgl in January and loved it so going back there. A very mild week in Zell in March has put me off although will still go back in summer.
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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.
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@Saalbachsnowhead, The Bergfex map that you link to differs from the lift company one on the Saalbach.com website and the 2015-16 paper map. http://www.saalbach.com/en/winter/lift-company/skigebiet/piste-map.html
Red 81 from Polten towards Leogang is still all red on the official map, as is all of red 83 from Asitz back towards Saalbach.
The blue link from 68 back to Polten has always existed. It is the route out if you inadvertently start to go down 68 and find it closed, i.e if you've overlooked the '68 closed' sign on the bottom of the signboard at the top of Polten. Interestingly it is not shown on the official map.
The left-hand floodlit piste off the top of the Unterschwartzach U-bahn lift is still red on the official map.
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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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@Saalbachsnowhead, I'm assuming that the Lift Company map is the official one, not the Bergfex version.
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ah, ok, shame, I think I prefer that version, I don't like the yellow snow making glow of the runs.
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FAQ
. Will be my first time skiing since a nasty shoulder injury. One of the ways I have managed to convince myself that this is, in fact, completely fine and not at all too soon... Is that "well at least I know the mountain really well..." !? 
