 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have been to the Harz several times as I am german and live in Hanover which is a 1.5 h drive to Wurmberg in Braunlage - the largest resort in the Harz. The Wurmberg is close to 1000 m high and offers 12 kilometres of downhill skiing on 6 runs. They got 2 draglifts and even a gondola which takes you from the town (600m) to the top of the mountain. The long runs back to the down are green and definiately no fun for snowboarders. But three runs i would consider blue with reddish portions depending on the conditions. Usually they got good snow conditions for around a month or so (January/ February). This year however they got massive snowfalls in early march. They even managed to set up a small (unofficial) snow park with 2 big ramps and some smaller ones.
I usually ski in the big french resorts, but the Harz is good for one or even two days of skiing. Loads of dutch people seem to go there and bring their own instructors to do their first tracks.
I just came back from a summer trip to Braunlage: The lift company wants to build snow cannons and some new pistes. They even want to link the resort to another smaller one nearby. Right now they are negotiating with the government as they want to build in a conservation area.
I have never been to Winterberg (the resort which started this thread) but a good friend of mine did. He said it was quite nice but most of the runs there are veeery short and the some of the lifts are not connected, so you have to do a short drive. A map is located at hxxp://www.skiliftkarussell.de/images/bilder/panorama_big.jpg
One piece of advice that counts for both resorts Winterberg and Braunlage: DON'T GO THERE ON WEEKENDS!!! Especially in Braunlage you will have to cue for an hour or two to get on the gondola and stand in queues most of the day. No fun 
I hope this helped.
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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.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Went to Winterberg in early '72 while I was in the army.
Just borrowed a four tonner and piled some guys in, some with skis, others with toboggans. Can't say much about the lift system as we didn't use it, just clambered up the side and did some sledging. My first view of a ski slope or a ski jump.
Very surreal as we slept on the way to the resort (fully clothed on a mattress thrown in the back of an open truck, very cold), then lots of beer, then slept on the way back.
18 years later when I started skiing I wasn't even sure if the place existed and found out that it did from someone who had actually been there.
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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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SussexSnow - Skied the Harz many times but that was 30 years ago. I remember St Andreasberg and the fantastic Gasthausen. Sonnenberg was a small ski area and I remember there was a lot of biathalon. There was a ski jump on one of the slopes that was cut off by the East German border going through.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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One way to jump the border, though.
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A month on, and it suddenly occurred to me to mention this book:
The only edition I have is the 1993, but even then this was the most comprehensive guide to ski resorts I've ever seen. It now has a CD Rom to go with it. It's published by ADAC, which is the German national auto club.
If you're interested in obscure German resorts, or ski resorts in general, it's very thorough indeed.
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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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David Goldsmith, I wonder does the new one include the indoor slopes, such as at Neuss, which isn't in America, so I think it's the biggest pile of poo in the universe, which revolves around me, and I'm used to having poo following me around, particularly in some areas which have a bit of depth.
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| ise wrote: |
| Is it so far to Massif Central? I used to live down that way |
I remember you referred to one of the resorts as being "like scottish skiing" :-).
The PisteHors article was picked up by the French ski press and since then the place has been invaded by freeriders, just to warn anyone. Sorry.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| SussexSnow wrote: |
Key clue is the distance from London. La Bresse was the big discovery last year. Decent vert, enough lifts and chair to keep boarders happy, trees and open spaces and weekendable from London. More so than Scotland (said as a Scot)
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Funnily enough I was just reading your article again yesterday afternoon.
http://www.snowgo.com/archives/2004/03/02/vosges_report.php
It is a pretty extensive resort and could certainly keep you busy for a long weekend. Especially as there are lots of little places to go to around and about.
As Ian says I've done a few of the German resorts. The south is not too bad: Sudelfeld, Lengries, Tegernsee, Reit Im Winkl. You have the cuckoo clock charm but - and I appreciate it is the German's country to do with as I wish - nothing makes up for the exceptional rudeness and general shoddy service of German restauranteurs and shopkeepers.
Over in the Black Forest I've skied Haldenkopf - 120 vertical meters. Feldberg is pretty big. They only really have snow in and around February though except for a few flurries here and there. Here is some info on Haldenkopf:
http://www.pistehors.com/articles/haldenkopfle.htm
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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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FAQ
. I think it was near to the summit of the Wurmberg at Braunlage as mentioned by Rizzo earlier. At the time I visited (1987) the ski jump structure was in disrepair. There was a DDR border guard tower from which we capitalists were presumably being observed. 
I wonder whether the ski jump is now back in use after German re-unification?
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