 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Anyone in Saalbach at the moment. I am arriving on Saturday 19 December and am concerned about the snow conditions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
There's a thread on resort reviews trips reports dedicated to the area with useful posts and posters
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Many of the pistes in the area are open, though mostly with man-made snow and sometimes narrower than with full cover. A few are still closed. The snow is hard packed but generally good to ski and the skiing has been very enjoyable, though admittedly on pretty empty pistes which may be busier next week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
What flight Tatman?
We're out of Brum Saturday morning with Monarch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
With the forecasted temperatures for the valley being above freezing will be to warm for the cannons to run so may need to get lifts down to resort!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@hammerite, So are we! See you at the airport! I'll probably be wearing a black fedora.
@jon1960, It really depends on how much snow has been made, but I would be surprised if it isn't possible to ski all the way down the Bernkogel at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Bernkogel and 52 on Kohlmais are both open to the valley, but narrow at the bottom. Skiing above mid-station is good but limited - e.g there is snow on the piste past the Panorama Alm, but no snow at all on the parallel red run underneath the Panorama chair lift. Some snow is forecast today above 1700m, but it's misty and damp in the valley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skiing here has been fast and fun on superbly prepared pistes - most main pistes are open down to resort level and Bernkogel is very good.
Not sure how things will be today after overnight rain, but temps are freezing up top so may be some fresh up there
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| quinton wrote: |
| Bernkogel and 52 on Kohlmais are both open to the valley, but narrow at the bottom. Skiing above mid-station is good but limited - e.g there is snow on the piste past the Panorama Alm, but no snow at all on the parallel red run underneath the Panorama chair lift. Some snow is forecast today above 1700m, but it's misty and damp in the valley. |
Balls ... doesn't sound good at all 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| geoffers wrote: |
Skiing here has been fast and fun on superbly prepared pistes - most main pistes are open down to resort level and Bernkogel is very good.
Not sure how things will be today after overnight rain, but temps are freezing up top so may be some fresh up there |
Excellent sounds quite decent 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@kingwhite, The same cup can be both half full and half empty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Quite ... hope you get a chance to give some good updates during the week ... you have permission to lie to me about it being awesome
(I arrive 26th Dec)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@geoffers, Thanks - could be worse!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Quote: |
(I arrive 26th Dec)
|
No prizes for guessing what you're hoping to get for Christmas then! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
See you at the airport. I'll be the blonde bloke with a surly teenager in tow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I arrived in Saalbach yesterday (after a sleepless night spent packing and travelling) and have to confess that I didn't get my ars* in gear and head off up the Bernkogel - if I had I would have witnessed, or participated in, an enormous pillow fight to celebrate the official opening of the TirolS, the new gondola link to Fieberbrunn (https://www.facebook.com/Skicircus/videos/1193142510699979/?pnref=story. )
It gets worse: I missed a day's skiing today (and hence the opportunity to post a report on the conditions), as a result of becoming embroiled in late night shenanigans, which encompassed Bobby's Pub, the Underbar, Castellos, the Taverne and the Otzi Bar and went on until after 04.00am.
However, I spoke to numerous people who had been skiing yesterday and were able to tell me all about the current conditions. They were uniformly impressed by what has been achieved in terms of snow-making and piste maintenance, given the current snow drought. Apparently it's possible to ski around most of the circuit and the snow quality is generally very good. One guy, who has been here for the last week, said that he's been averaging 50km a day. Above mid-station it's pretty well business as usual, whilst the lower pistes down to the village are obviously much narrower than usual but nonetheless skiable. I got the impression that, despite the current situation, there has been a lot of enjoyable skiing going on, which comes as quite a relief - however this may be short-lived once the New Year crowds descend on us!
(Nice to meet you at Salzburg @hammerite, Hope you enjoy Wagrain)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I went over to Saalbach Hinterglemm yesterday, to enjoy the Big White Bang, the official opening of the new TirolS gondola linking Fieberbrunn with Hinterglemm and Saalbach. But before reporting that, here is the snow report with a photo of the Bernkogel piste in the later afternoon. By that time the warm weather and probably the greater number of skiers on the slopes had made it mogully, harder work to ski down. In the morning it had been a pleasant autobahn...
But back to the celebrations. I wasn't only celebrating the new lift but had a personal anniversary to commemorate: almost exactly 50 years ago to the day, at Christmas 1965, I had arrived for my first ski visit to Fieberbrunn (on a trip with the Edinburgh Scout Ski Section). And a year later our next ski trip took us to Hinterglemm, so I feel I can claim now that the new lift was built just to commemorate those events  To honour the celebration and add my touch of colour, I put on my Tracht (national dress)...
The Big White Bang started with speeches, from the lift company bosses, the head politicians from Tyrol and Salzburgerland and the lift was blessed by the Archbishop of Salzburg (who scattered Holy Water to help the snow production - we need it). But then the Bang came and great fun was had by all and sundry, the world's highest pillow fight (so is the claim, with possibly less justification than the calculation of piste kilometres)...
There were even girls showing more skin than me - lucky the weather was so warm...
But all good things must come to an end and I had to ski back to Fieberbrunn. Here is the parting of the ways, where the Vierstadlalm piste leads off to the left from the piste going down to the Wetterkreuz lift...
Not surprisingly, the Vierstadlalm piste down beside the TirolS lift had even more moguls than the Bernkogel...
...so that I was glad to get down it with Scotland's (and my) honour still intact It had been an interesting and enjoyable day - here's hoping for more snow soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
quality set of photos 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ace - thanks for posting ... still hoping for the white stuff to fall before boxing day but i'm sure we can have a laugh if it does not arrive!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
any update - hows it holding up for next week???
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I skied from Leogang to Saalbach and back today and a good day's skiing it was, strenuous. Great weather (unless you are looking for new snow), blue skies and sun - in the afternoon 16.8°C was displayed at the Polten lift. My first aim was to ski the new piste by the Steinbergbahn in Leogang but there was another novelty to be seen first: the Chicken Man now has more luxurious quarters...
I must admit to never having eaten there, for I'm usually in the other half of the Ski Circus at mealtimes. Today I enjoyed my favourite Glemmer Brot at the Rachkuchl (at the Schönleiten gondola middle station).
The Steinberg piste was opened at the weekend, though only down to the middle station of the gondola presently. It is indeed a fine blue run...
Most of it is easy skiing, though there are steeper stretches near the beginning (there is an easier alternative track here) and at the end. Here's a photo of the final section down to the middle station...
After enjoying that run a couple of times, I skied over to the Glemmtal. There around noon I skied the beautiful Schönleiten piste and had it all to myself, apart from two or three tourers going in the opposite direction (I missed them ). I skied along to the Kohlmais and back. There are a few people around but no great crowds yet. The snow varies from hard packed to soft but mostly good to ski. Moguls appearing in some places. Here's the 66er piste (later in the afternoon)...
Skiing is restricted to those pistes with artificial snow but there are plenty of them. The most challenging skiing of the day was back on the north facing Leogang slopes on the way home. There the pistes were hard and a bit scraped, tending to icy. Some valley runs to Leogang were open, the blue piste 90 (which I didn't check out) and black piste 89a. I found the run down beside the Almbahn chairlift the most testing section. With warning notices "Narrow piste" at the top, it was hard and slippy. This is it in the photo below, showing the bottom where piste 90 branches off to the left and 89a to the right...
So despite the lack of real snow cover, I had a good day on the slopes. With cold nights, I expect the pistes will still offer good skiing next week, though given more skiers they may be severely tested. Enjoy your holiday, kingwhite.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Thu 24-12-15 1:20; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@kingwhite, It's bit of a mixed picture, but generally people seem reasonably happy and relieved that the piste conditions are better than might have been expected. For beginners, the nursery slopes are in reasonable condition, helped no doubt by the fact that they are shaded from the sun for most of the day, the weak December sun being low in the sky and behind the Schattberg (Shadow Mountain).
The new Bernkogel 6er chair has, as I anticipated, turned the upper section of the Bernkogel into an excellent learning piste for beginners and improvers, and the snow has been pretty good up there too - I was there today and yesterday. The lower section of the Bernkogel is apparently a very enjoyable, fairly wide motorway piste during the morning, but I've come down it last thing in the afternoon today and yesterday, and I can't say it was pleasant - very chopped up and mogully.
People who have been getting out reasonably early have been complimentary about the piste conditions, although clearly it can be icy first thing and also later in the day when in the shade. For example the new, north-facing piste from the Reiterkogel in the direction of Fieberbrunn is graded red but is currently more like a black - hard and icy.
Yesterday I skied over to Reiterkogel Mitte and back during the afternoon. The skiing was enjoyable on the none-south-facing runs, but cruddy on those facing the sun - as you might expect.
Our current guests - first time in Saalbach - have been enjoying the skiing and are already talking about coming back next year. Today they went to Leogang and had lunch at the Asitzbraeu, and they were very happy with their day's skiing. I met some friends today who had skied over to Hinterglemm in the morning and they were enthusing about the run down to the bottom of the Sunliner - early in the day it was nice.
Tomorrow we're going to suss out Leogang, but so far, in summary:
- 59 out of 70 lifts have been in operation, so it's far from being a hopeless picture
- some pistes, particularly the lower ones that are not main pistes, are closed, but those descending to the valley from the Kohlmais (piste 52), Schoenleiten (new snow cannons all the way down piste 61), Bernkogel, Schattberg and Zwolferkogel are all open. Don't know about the lower pistes at Hochalm as I haven't been over there yet, but someone I met today had skied over to the Sonnhof and found it okay.
- sunny pistes deteriorate during the afternoon but are nice in the late morning
- higher pistes are mixed, according to direction of orientation - those in the shade tend to be hard with a light covering of powder, whereas those in the sun get heavy and cruddy
- the lower pistes are like ribbons of man-made snow with all off-piste areas completely devoid of snow - narrower than usual but wide
enough and with enough coverage.
- the extent of the skiing has been adequate for Christmas week, but I'm more than a little concerned about next week - the busiest of the season. The night temperatures are below freezing but I haven't seen the snow cannons operating since we arrived on Saturday. The only hope might be that NY week might be quieter than usual, in view of the conditions right across the Alps.
I'll report further after tomorrow's excursion (I've got a second year, blue run skier hanging on to my coat tails, so not sure how I'll get!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
The Hochalm area was fine last Saturday, down to the valley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@espri, I thought I should be, as it's pretty shady down there at this time of the season. The piste conditions seem to be better on some of the lower pistes that remain in the shade, than on the higher ones. I note also that it's currently colder in the village than up on the mountain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
thanks guys!
surprised they're not running cannons on a night!
it is what it is now i suppose!
staying in hinterglemm - which area should we hit day 1? (sunday) and which apres bar will put smiles on our faces???? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Quote: |
which area should we hit day 1? (sunday) and which apres bar will put smiles on our faces????
|
I would suggest four options:
1. Ski the Zwoelferkogel and apres at the Hexenhaeusl
2. Ski Schattberg West and apres at the Schwarzacher
3. Ski the Reiterkogel/Hochalm and apres at the Goassstall
4. Ski the Kohlmais at Saalbach and apres at Bergeralm and then the Hinterhag Alm (assuming it's open by then) - taxi back to Hinterglemm
Much depends on your group's ability, how much time you will have on Day 1, and how far you want to travel. Also, I suppose, exactly where you're staying. Number 1 may be the best option for Day 1. I will be better able to advise when I've sussed out the skiing to the south side of Hinterglemm. Off to Leogang (hopefully) today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
thanks very much
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@kingwhite,
| Quote: |
| surprised they're not running cannons on a night! |
I guess it's been too warm : we were out last week and they were making snow Sunday thru Tuesday at valley level (temperature inversion, down to -5 at valley level but around/above freezing up top) then it warmed up and we had rain/sleet on Wed, and since then has probably been too warm.
| Quote: |
| staying in hinterglemm - which area should we hit day 1 |
we were in Hinterglemm too, so jump on the bus up to the Hochalmbahn for the best skiing (and lunch in the Rosswaldhütte ) - you can connect over to the Zwolferkogel from there too, and ski back to Hinterglemm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
vvv
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 25-12-15 0:59; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
The problem with recommending anywhere is that conditions can vary from day to day and during the course of a day. I met a member of my extended family today, who told me that he'd skied for 58km yesterday, and the worst conditions he encountered were by the Walleggalm above Hochalm. I didn't ask him what time of day that was.
Today I was planning to ski over to Leogang, but we had an inexperienced skier with us, who was doing okay yesterday, but seemed to have forgotten how to ski this morning, so we got no further than the Kohlmais, and then the Bernkogel after lunch. Highlights of the day were bacon and eggs, a cold beer and a sunbathe on the terrace of the Bergeralm; also discovering very nice piste conditions on the upper section of the Bernkogel, even in the late afternoon. Our inexperienced skier also had a nice surprise, upon taking his Dalbello boots off after we'd finished skiing - they had a switch on the back, which was set in 'walk' mode, so he was able to blame all his earlier ineptitude on his boots. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Update: Our Christmas week guests have just left, saying they've had a "great week" (their first visit so they're not comparing it to what's normal).
61 lifts out of 70 are in operation. The main links are all open, so it's possible to ski around the circuit and plan itineraries between Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn. Also the main pistes down to the village are open. That's not to say that all of the pistes are in great condition all of the time, but there is enjoyable skiing to be found, especially in the morning. One of the surprises that we get that makes it different from late season skiing, is that, since the sun is low in the sky, when you get down to the lower slopes that have been in the shade, the snow is invariably better than higher up. So, when skiing the south-facing slopes during the afternoon, you go from good snow at the top, through the crud, and then back to good snow at the bottom. A good example was the run down to the bottom at Hochalm yesterday - the final steepish piste down to the road is not usually a beginner's dream, but yesterday our novice skier reckoned it was the nicest piste he'd done all day - hard-packed with a coating of light powder.
Apart from that, it's typical spring skiing conditions - below freezing last night, so the snow cannons were running. The general feeling has been one of relief that it's been so much better than last year; however the coming week could be a different story!
When the weather finally breaks, it could all change in the course of a few days (like this time last year).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
going up shortly!!!
looks like there's fun to be had!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Having a cracking time! plently open - some spots aren't great but atmosphere is ace!!! take a bow pisteys
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Skied over to Leogang today (with our novice skier) and had a cracking day. Some of the bottlenecks are distinctly mogully, but hey, it's good practice. We did the Asitz run and the new piste down to the Steinbergbahn mid-station and 90% of it was excellent. Chicken 'n' chips at the Asitzbraeu didn't disappoint, especially as we were being serenaded by a group of oompah musicians. We made it to the Bergeralm for happy hour and managed to ratchet up a bill of EUR 130 between seven of us, before skiing in the dark to the bottom without having to call for a helicopter. We abandoned our plan to join the Hinterhag apres-ski party - wisely I think. For the first day of New Year week, the pistes weren't as crowded as I expected. Off to Wallners for a pizza shortly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
lovely morning over to kohlmais area! snow was fine and lovely sunny lunch at panorama (??) restaurant!
wife and kids bailed early so went to schattberg area!!! wow ... bloody ice skating .... surprised im alive .... never felt so bad at skiing!!
kaprun for the glacier tomoz!!!
now to apres!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
