 Poster: A snowHead
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I've read just about everything on this site to do with these two resorts and apart from now realising that we probably wont get hotel rooms in either resort, I still don't know which is best for us (well me really). We have delayed booking as hubby having knee op in 2 weeks.
Having gone to the same snow sure, nervous-friendly resort in Italy for last 3 years, I am terrified of making a mistake, but I miss the trees, and want to sip Glüwein again! Can anyone sum up the pros and cons of these 2 resorts. I really need gentle, wide runs with no surprises, and no drags if poss. Don't mind using ski buses. Husband doesn't care what it's like, as long as the knee op works, and two 'mature' sons (joining us oldies for 2nd time) just want snow, wine, music and women (not in that order perhaps!) Suggestions welcome.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Would that snow-sure nervous friendly resort without trees in Italy be Cervinia by any chance?
I cannot comment on Saalbach, but I have been to Schladming.
It has 4 mountains which are linked - in one place by a scenic old chairlift that goes over a valley and through a tunnel. This can give you the feeling of travelling around. Almost all tree lined skiing. Both Schladming itself and Haus (a sattelite) are attractive. The mountains can be accessed at each of the 4 points starting with haus at one end and Rohrmoos at the other end. Busses also run from Haus at one end to Rohrmoos at the other.
In general most of the slopes are very similar - they are almost all marked blue or red (with I think 2 blacks?). However, there is not much difference between the pitch or width of the Reds and Blues. By this I mean the blues can have quite steep sections and the Reds quite gentle sections - the colour grading very definitely tends towards the dominant pitch of the slope. You WILL will find the Reds harder than Cervinia's cruisers. About 165km of Piste in all.
The World Cup Slalom Black down to Schladming is steep and is often made worse by the amount of artificial snow used that makes it just plain icy. The Black (ladies WC downhill course) at Haus is also quite fun with only really one steep section. The Reds on Rohrmoos down through the trees are loverly and had the best snow when we went i.e. more natural!
As for snowsure, it is low, but has almost 100% artificial snow cover which is both a blessing and a curse, becdasue most of the slopes are steep enough to get very icy with the artificial snow. There are some fun Apres places (not a clubber myself so cannot comment on those), but the open hut at the Planai Gondal station in Schladming is fun as is Onkle WIllie se Hutt (cannot remember where) on the mountain. Mostly fast chairs and Gondolas - since I have been I think the only significant drag has been upgraded to a chair.
I would recommend it unless you are looking for extreme challenges or great variety - you could get a deja vu feeling after a while there due to the similarness of most runs. If you have been to Cervinia, however, then this would be perfect I guess.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 16-08-05 12:20; edited 1 time in total
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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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Thanks, that's really useful, and yes Cervinia is where we have been going. Although it has a great snow record and wide open runs that are confidence buidling, the antiquated chair lifts that dominate the resort are scary and dangerous; they were the topic or conversation at dinner, comparing injuries! It seems the resort relies so much in its good snow record, that the powers that be feel they have no need of improvement either on the snow or off it! Our first ever holiday was in Zell am See, and we long for those chocolate box scenes and the Austrian apre ski. Won't be doing any blacks in my lifetime, so all those reds and blues should do us. Thanks again.
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I haven't been to Schladming, only Saalbach. We have a similar group to yourselves consisting of 2 nervous skiers, 1 party animal, 2 that will have a go at anything and the rest are inbetween. We are off to Saalbach next year for a second time (something we don't usually do). There are plenty of trees! Lots of wide blues and reds and the slopes aren't too crowded - lift queues are ok in peak season. There are a few challenging reds and blacks, but the good thing is that most of the runs are quite long. The blues are well graded so you don't need to worry about nasty suprises. There are also 3 lifts from the town centre which does avoid an overcrowded, mogul run home as there are more to choose from.
You will enjoy the hotels as they are virtually all of a high standard with good facilities. The only downside is that it's a bit more expensive but it's a very convenient resort and you don't have to endure ski buses, there are very few drag lifts, great hotels and some good bars/nightlife. You also have Zell am Zee down the road which has a large ice arena and often has international ice hockey matches.
All I can say of Schladming is that we almost went there next year but were slightly put off by the fact that the hotel we wanted (with facilities, pool etc) was a bus ride away from the lift and there only seemed to be one of two with good facilities (in Saalbach you can walk to 3 lifts from the centre and there are lots of 4 star hotels) and the nightlife is quieter in Schladming. The skiing looked good though.
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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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sharon1953, Well if you decide not to go to Austria try Wengen instead, plenty of tree lined runs, predominately red or blue runs with a handful of blacks for the boys, not too many drag lifts and most of those can be avoided by going a different route, Glüwein or similar concoctions available at a large number of locations arround the area, great scenery and not too expensive for most of the season
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I think that I only went on one or two drag lifts when I was in Saalbach. The majority were modern chairs, but we did tend to focus on the longer runs.
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Definitely Saalbach. The home run into Schladming is not for the timid.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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David Goldsmith, there's a gentle winding blue that bypasses the black, but you have to get on it high up near the mid station otherwise you're stuck with that World Cup (a real sphincter tightener) drop ino the town centre. If you don't like the bus, the taxis are very reasonable.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Definitely Saalbach. The home run into Schladming is not for the timid. |
Yes but it (No 3 on this map http://www.bergfex.com/schladming-planai/panorama/ ) can be avoided by taking a red run.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Tue 16-08-05 11:45; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Out of the two you've asked about, I'd say Saalbach.
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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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I can't comment on Schladming, but Saalbach is wonderful. I'd go there every ski holiday if I had my way. I second everything said by Hayley T, and you don't get ripped off with extortionate prices in the bars and restaurants. Good food on the mountain was very reasonable compared with other resorts, and only 1 and a half hours transfer!
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You know it makes sense.
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DB, that link didn't work for me but it would be interesting to know more about that run. Interestingly you and Masque both refer to alternative runs. I was in Schladming for about a week and don't recall skiing an alternative, but I saw many people getting scared on the direct run into the resort.
It's not a narrow piste, but it's unusually steep for a home run. I seem to recall that the World Cup downhills on that piste end up in the car park, because there's also a restricted run-out.
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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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it shows that you can get onto it lower down, but I never saw that or where it came into the red.
edit: ta Fox, all those wide runs down through the trees are absolutely glorious and very well kept, some mornings it was like riding on a magic carpet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I've been to both, although Schladming a long time ago when they had a 1-man chair and the mountains weren't fully linked, and there's not that much to split them - both similar sized areas in similar part of Austria, similar snow record. If you really want to avoid drags then Austria is not the place so I would advise you to examine the lift maps very closely for traps where you HAVE to use a drag.
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Masque - this lady clearly likes the Austrian mountains as much as you do.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 16-08-05 11:51; edited 1 time in total
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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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David Goldsmith, The alternative definitely exists, but the only time I took it it was in shocking condition at the end of the day. It is narrower and more windy in places with a very nasty camber and I think maybe a little difficult to Piste nicely as there seemed to be bit gouges out of it in places with earth and roots showing where it was windy and narrow - and nasty ice chucks knocked out of the sides 
It is very easy to miss it coming down Planai from the top as the blue 'path' (read some polling) to link to it takes off just before you hit the area where the road normally winds round the mountain and the black proper starts.
Due to poor condition , I would think that a 'crafty skier' would choose the black and stick near the sides where there was always some snow instead of ice skating down the middle. The black is steep and icy but wide and consistently so - the alternative had lots of slow skiers and nasty surprises in store. Methinks the alternative is a bit of an afterthought to ensure that skiers aren't put off by only a black on the map.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 16-08-05 12:20; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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David Goldsmith, The Ice Queen in Summer garb . . .
Plake, There aren't that many tows that I found and they're all in good repair . . . no pelvis dislocating as they take up the slack. Some of the older chairs are a bit of a snuggle.
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That's the beauty of magic carpets - you can take any piste at any speed.
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| Masque wrote: |
| edit: ta Fox, all those wide runs down through the trees are absolutely glorious and very well kept, some mornings it was like riding on a magic carpet. |
... Especially those 3 or 4 reds on Rohrmoos with variations from top to bottom ...
Last edited by After all it is free on Tue 16-08-05 12:20; edited 1 time in total
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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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| agavin wrote: |
It is very easy to miss it coming down Planai from the top as the blue 'path' (read some polling) to link to it takes off just before you hit the area where the road normally winds round the mountain and the black proper starts.
Due to poor condition , I would think that a 'crafty skier' would choose the black and stick near the sides where there was always some snow instead of ice skating down the middle. The black is steep and icy but wide and consistently so - the alternative had lots of slow skiers and nasty surprises in store. Methinks the alternative is a bit of an afterthought to ensure that skiers aren't put off by only a black on the map. |
That perhaps explains why there were so many beginners on the black run every time I skied it. Wanted to ski that black run at night (when it was floodlit but with much less traffic). For some reason we ended up skiing down the alternative red in the dark instead.
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sharon1953, have you considered Kitzbuhel? It's pretty gemutlich, decent size ski area (not enormous, but now linked with somewhere else the name of which escapes me which gives access to Ski Welt, should you need it), gluhwein by the bucketful. If it has a fault it is a relative lack of seriously hard runs, but they can be found. It's low, but needs little snow cover to be perfectly skiable, and it seems to get it's fair share of snow. Like everywhere in Austria, it has T bars, but very few now. The town has good restaurants, as does the mountain, and it's easily accessible from Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but it might suit you.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sharon,
Since you know what the snow is like, why not try the other side of the border from Cervinia, ie Zermatt?
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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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Kenzie, Zermatt is hardly a resort for someone timid.
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Peter,
Depends which slopes you are skiing.
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You know it makes sense.
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Point taken, but my understanding was that the majority of the ski-ing was Advanced and beyond. That said, my opinion is based upon reputation rather than first hand experience.
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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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sharon1953,
this piste map of Saalbach shows how few drag lifts there are. Click on the tabs at the bottom and run your mouse over the lifts, pistes etc for info. I've not been to Schladming but like hayleyt am going back to Hinterglemm Saalbach for a second year because we loved it so much. It would suit all your standards of skiing.
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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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Kenz, from your experience, how does Zermatt compare with Saalbach?
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brian
brian
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Foxy,
Sorry, never skiied Saalbach. 
That said, Zermatt does have a good variety of skiing, if poorly linked (except by free bus), but they are putting new lifts to link its three areas. Italy is linked over the glacier, but this can be shut by the weather.
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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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brian, perhaps he has been to Schladming or Saalbach, so his suggestion may be valid.
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Well, speaking as someone who HAS been to Wengen and Saalbach, I think your family would enjoy Saalbach more.
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Wear The Fox Hat, well I did say if they decided not to go to Austria, after all it is nice to know of other similar areas
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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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D G Orf, perhaps that's something you should look into yourself! 
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RachelQ, thanks for that map, very useful and thanks so much to you all for this feedback and various links. Should keep me busy till Feb 06!
Zermatt was skied by many that we met in Cervinia, ‘certainly not for the faint hearted, and those watching the pennies’, was the general consensus. Our friends that we normally ski with are going again to Cervinia, purely to ski Zermatt for the 'challenge', but not the overnight costs!! Hope the link stays open for them.
I did look at Wengen, but was put off by comments about the train transport up the mountain, that it's slow and overcrowded, and consumes much of the skiing time (The good skiing guide, not my comments) but yes, the runs look good. Not sure the night life would do for the boys though. Thanks again you lot, you are diamonds.
Well I guess it’s looking like Saalbach, all we need to do now is try and find somewhere to stay that isn’t booked up. Can’t do that till hubby’s knee op is done in 3 weeks time, in case they say the knee is ok but the leg needs to go!!!!
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