A bit unreal Saalbach is going to host a World Cup race
“The Alpine Ski World Cup in Saalbach! From March 5th to 7th 2021, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Men's Downhills & Super-G will take place on the legendary World Cup course on the Zwölferkogel, which will also host the races of the Alpine World Ski Championships 2025. Two downhill races are scheduled for March 5th and 6th, followed by the Super-G on March 7th”
I was fortunate enough to watch the World Cup Downhill in Saalbach last year, after it was switched from China.
As well as the skiing I am missing the Chicken man!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@radar, indeed, although it has to be said that combining a late lunch with après-ski 2021-style seems to involve quite good food, good, cold beer, better music, and much, much less expense.
(White Pearl Mountain Days Virtual Sunset Session)
After all it is free
After all it is free
Bloody strange weather this ski season. During much of February and early March it was an early spring. We were sunbathing in tee-shirts and shorts, and our lawn was green - as were the south-facing non-pisted slopes. Now it’s like deepest winter again. It hasn’t stopped snowing for three days, and we feel “snowed in”. Late March may well turn out to have the best skiing conditions!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Well, it’s still snowing! 150cm on upper slopes; 70cm on lower slopes. Temp last night -11.
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for snow. Hardly any fresh snow and spring weather throughout the mid-season, and now a week of cold weather, pretty continuous snowfall, and a powder paradise in late season.
So much for all those requests for advice on when is best to go, and the standard responses to such requests.
Today is the last day for Schattberg and Zwölferkogel sectors. Next weekend only Schönleiten and Leogang will be accessible.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
tatmanstours wrote:
Well, it’s still snowing! 150cm on upper slopes; 70cm on lower slopes. Temp last night -11.
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for snow. Hardly any fresh snow and spring weather throughout the mid-season, and now a week of cold weather, pretty continuous snowfall, and a powder paradise in late season.
So much for all those requests for advice on when is best to go, and the standard responses to such requests.
Today is the last day for Schattberg and Zwölferkogel sectors. Next weekend only Schönleiten and Leogang will be accessible.
Seems as if you are almost saying if any season had to be missed maybe this one as choosing the right week could have been in the lap of the gods.Now the season is coming to an end we just have to hope we can all get back on the slope next year cos weve sure missed our return to saalbach . I know some folk are booking up for next year already but its a long way off and without a solid cancellation policy as we self drive and the politicking and roll out going on re vaccines think we might just hang on till later though am tempted to just book accommodation but as yet not all places are taking bookings and not sure there will be a huge demand until the summer hol period has been and gone plus as we will effectively be a couple of years older who knows
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
SKI REPORT for the last day of the Saalbach 2020/21 ski season (Easter Monday 05/04/21):
I’m ashamed to say that we didn’t get out until 1.30pm, due to my faffing and companion’s heavy night. However it was definitely worthwhile and we enjoyed every minute. Despite the temperature warming up from freezing to 12c in the afternoon, the pistes held up well, mainly I suppose because hardly anyone was on them (despite it being a public holiday).
We went up Schattberg, then down the 7km blue 2/2a to Jausern, then up the Schönleitenbahn.
Best piste of the day was 165 on Kohlmais - sublime, so we did it twice, catching the gondola at mid-station two minutes before it closed.
The final 6km run down the Kohlmais back to Saalbach was a bitter-sweet experience, as always when it’s the last run of the last day. However our skis were running well on enjoyable corn snow most of the way down, and most importantly we encountered none of the sticky stuff that all skiers hate.
The very last bit of our run down was of course over the Saalbach nursery slopes, which again I’m glad to say were still in surprisingly good condition, given the very mild temperature. It’s always nice to finish on a high.
It’s amazing how often winter returns immediately after the resort closes for skiing, and this year is no exception. Currently (00.30am) it’s -3c outside and snowing, dropping to -6c by 6.00am. Tomorrow’s daytime temperatures are forecast to be -2 to -4c, and we’re expecting a significant amount of new snow over the next two or three days, which will of course be absolutely no use to us. Happily the Kitzsteinhorn glacier at Kaprun is only 25 minutes drive away and is available to us until our season passes expire in May.
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.
@tatmanstours, Thanks for the updates, now when are you opening the 21/22 thread? We desperately need something to look forward to, just 277 sleeps for me
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@gandie, I see no reason not to continue this thread until after the summer tourist season, and then open a new one on 1st September, like last year.
It’s snowing pretty heavily today, by the way, so I’m glad that I didn’t get carried away and change winter tyres for summer ones. Winter hasn’t finished with us yet!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
tatmanstours wrote:
It’s snowing pretty heavily today, by the way, so I’m glad that I didn’t get carried away and change winter tyres for summer ones. Winter hasn’t finished with us yet!
No, it bloody hasn’t
BTW, Winter tyres...14th April is the general change over date AFAIK.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Cacciatore, yes, I looked it up - for once in my life I’m getting ahead of myself!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Just noticed that the Holiday Shuttle has gone up from €84 to 105 return, there are now six shuttles and the journey times are up by 5 minutes, not that they were ever that accurate
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@radar, 25% inflation
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?
That's a lot! Better that there are more options though. FYI:
Leaving Salzburg at 08:15, 10:30, 13:00, 15:30, 18:00 & 21:00.
Back at 05:30, 08:00, 10:30, 13:00, 15:30 & 18:00.
These are based on 08/01/2022 times.
I wonder if taxi's will go up as a result, or if competition will keep them similar? I got a quote of 230 Euros return for 6 of us in Jan next year which puts the holiday shuttle prices in perspective.
The times do vary wildly. Last trip, I was relying on the 08:00 to leave reasonably promptly to make my 10:50 flight out of Salzburg. I didn't get picked up from TT towers until 08:30 and the bus left at 09:15.... and then had to wait for some late arrivals in a layby near the Shonleitenbahn. I got off the coach and onto the plane in the space of 20 mins! Luckily I just had hand luggage but my considerable hangover did not appreciate the jeapardy.
My son is considering spending the winter skiing (21/22 now) and Saalbach would seem like a decent place to do it.....big ski area we all enjoyed, other resorts nearby, proper town, fairly busy, etc. Looking for the french resorts or Verbier there seems plenty of info about seasonal rentals out there, but it seems more difficult to find for Austria and Italy. So I sent an enquiry (property for 1-2 for the season) to the ever helpful Saalbach Tourist Office which they then forwarded out to their database of owners. I am starting to get some replies through and don't plan to keep adding them to this thread but if anyone is reading through it because they are interested in a Saalbach or Hinterglemm winter season rental feel free to pm me and I will pass on any results in the hope the owners won't mind me signposting you to them. To give you an idea about 4k euros for a room seems about the starting point. The downside is that it is not for myself and the first reply i got I would have gone for!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@toyah807, €4K per month is a little steep - AirBnB lists 4 properties available from 08/01/22 to 26/3/22 for under £3K per month (=€3.5K) of which the cheapest is £2496 per month, and they're all in reasonable locations. Bear in mind that EU rules limit a stay to 90 days in each 180 unless you are lucky enough to have an EU passport, and those dates give 77 nights which leaves some allowance for a summer holiday return.
For 18/12/21 to 26/3/22 that same apartment is the only one available, now at £2576 per month because it covers their peak rental time.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@ousekjarr, thanks for the monthly suggestions, the figure I put forward was for the whole season rather than per month.
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.
@toyah807, ah, that explains it - and I see now that it was for a room, not for a studio apartment. That has its downsides as well as the upside of having instant companions, but I guess that's part of their expectations. A couple in a studio works well, one person not so much.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Hi,
We skied Saalbach new year's 19/20 and loved every minute of it. Hoping to go again December 2021 if covid allows. Can anyone advise whether guesthouses are booking Saturday to Saturday or whether you could get different dates as Christmas falls on a Saturday this year?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@hrooney18, welcome back
The primary day for Christmas in Austria is Christmas Eve, with Christmas Day being a normal day in most respects. That said, I would expect a lot of providers to offer Sunday to Sunday, Sunday to Saturday or Saturday to Sunday (8 days) this year - the first full week of January would then be a short week to reset back to Saturday changeovers.
I’d also expect to be paying more for a Sunday changeover, due to cleaning. Owners who can get 8 days at their normal premium rate are likely to take it, and there may also be the possibility of longer stays, e.g. Thursday 23/12 to Sunday 02/01 with a similarly inflated price
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.
Thanks for that reply and information. Hopefully we can find some suitable accomodation for our dates. I would like to spend Xmas at home before heading off skiing on the Sunday or Monday the 27th. We stayed at huas burger last year. Unbelievable location.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@hrooney18, welcome to the Saalbach fan club
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thinking about Saalbach next year. Just the wife and I. She will be walking and Spa’ing. Ideas on hotels which have decent Spa facilities which are okay for swimsuits eg ‘family:. She is a bit Scot Presbyterian with this and think the Nudey bathing is perverted. Also open during the day, rather than post ski times, as she will be necking booze apres ski with the best of us!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@hawkesbaynz, our next door neighbour, the Hotel Kohlmais seems to be well thought of for its food and location. Run by a friendly family, the Gappmaiers. Currently having a major refurbishment, which must be costing them a small fortune. It has a Wellness suite, and apparently the swimming pool is being extended, to allow you to swim outside and admire the view.
I’ve never heard of any hotels in Saalbach that allow naked swimming. The general rule in Austria is that clothing is verboten in a sauna, although a towel can be used to cover one’s embarrassment. The only guests who seem to have a problem with it are the Brits, many of whom are clueless about sauna etiquette, as well as paranoid about exposing or glimpsing any naked flesh. Yet another reason (to add to Brexit and Eurovision) why the continentals think we’re a bit odd.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Having missed the winter in S/H in 2021, the first in a good few years, I am looking longingly at the updates for the opening of the Summer season.
I have never visited the mountains in the Summer and the wide open wilderness is really appealing.
So i would appreciate if this thread is maintained. Need to change the Forum name though? Summer meadow heads?
I was one of the few who did get a Summer holiday in 2020 but very much your standard fare.
Just need to convince the family that lying by a pool is not the only means of R&R.
Best wishes for your birthday @tatmanstours, hope all is well.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@hawkesbaynz, The Kohlmais has an excellent location too being opposite one of the lift station and convenient for the apre scene but far enough away so as not to be bothered by it, the is also the Eva Village which we have stayed at and enjoyed and then the Saalbacher Hof which has excellent facilities.
There are quite a few more hotels with spa and pool , near our apartment there is Die Sonne which is all inclusive, they have spent quite a bit in recent years upgrading their spa facilities, it’s about 15 minutes walk from town, they do have shuttle buses to Saalbach and 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?
@ianbradders, from 21 May there will be three lifts running with another three due to be added from 18 June.
The Saalbach tourist office has a walking map you can also use their site to check out walking / cycling routes by ability and length of time, it’s surprising how much longer it takes to walk than ski! You can also download the walking routes (gpx file) into a walking app, we use Komoot good for planning something different for both walking and cycling.
Mountain biking, if you have never done it then Bike n Soul do intro courses , there are lots of places to rent from, you can cycle the length of the valley without going on the road , it stretches all the way to Maishofen we cycled over to Maria Alm and Zell through the country lanes without much traffic. There’s also something amazing mountain bike runs, I’ve only looked at them from afar preferring the easier trails.
There is also the end of the valley the Golden Gate and treetop trail.
There is Käpt’n Hook if your accommodation doesn’t have an outdoor pool or you can go to Zell there are two outdoor public pools and the lake where you can sail , water ski or paddle board.
Mountain restaurants are also open, but make sure you check if they are open as in the summer they have days off, the tourist office site has the info
Just need to convince the family that lying by a pool is not the only means of R&R.
If it helps, Mrs TT and I have spent far more time lying by pools (e.g. at the Hecherhütte, the Sonnhof, and the Panoramaalm), as well as lying by and swimming in mountain lakes and of course the Zeller lake, than we have walking or cycling.
Just one example of how an enjoyable time can be had by all is the Sonnhof, which provides an archery course (which can take many hours if you complete all of it - the most I’ve managed is half of it, a three hour trek through the forest with rubber animal targets at intervals), and a beautiful natural swimming pool with sun loungers for the less energetic. The fantastic views, and the peace and quiet beat most beaches. Great food and refreshments available of course on the sun terrace outside the restaurant.
Then there is the Hecherhuette, which again has a beautiful, mountainside swimming pool with loungers (and it’s not unusual for us to have it to ourselves), as well as possibly the best food and friendliest welcome in the valley. On some evenings (once or twice a week) it also has a very reasonably-priced, “all you can eat” barbecue, which includes as much fillet steak as you can handle. So you can spend a very pleasant afternoon lounging by the pool, before joining the barbecue, with après-ski singing and dancing on the terrace afterwards. Probably our favourite place!
As for the Zeller lake, Zell prides itself on the fact that it’s of drinking water quality. There is all manner of boating, from pedalos, paddle boards and rowing boats to lake cruises. There are beaches, swimming areas and excellent lakeside cafés and restaurants.
Then there is e-biking (e-bikes can be hired easily and cheaply) along the river or through the network of off-road cycling trails covering the whole area between Zell and Leogang - and the scenery is of course breathtaking! Also summer tobogganing, crazy (and real) golf, the Krimml waterfalls, the Grossglockner (top of the list of “must-do’s), wildlife parks, summer fêtes, musical evenings, castles, caves...the list goes on.
All that I’ve mentioned is easily accessible by car in the area around Saalbach and Zell am See.
Accommodation is cheap in summer (contact me if you need any help with that).
The summer holiday season hereabouts is quite vibrant, although somewhat quieter and more relaxed than winter. Obviously much will depend on the extent to which restrictions are lowered, but those who rely on the tourism industry (i.e. a high proportion of people in this area) are very keen for as normal a summer (and following winter) season as possible.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Happy Birthday tatmanstours, all the very best, Cacciatore & Schuss in Boots
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Cacciatore, Schuss in Boots and @radar, danke schön! Apparently I share my birthday with Eric Cantona. Unlike him I’m about to phone the Hecherhütte to book a table.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 24-05-21 13:14; edited 1 time in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
@tatmanstours, A very nice place to celebrate!
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.
@radar, not sure that “celebrate” is the right choice of words (at my age).
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
tatmanstours wrote:
@Cacciatore, Schuss in Boots and @radar, danke schön! Apparently I share my birthday with Eric Cantona. Unlike him I’m about to phone the Hecherhütte to book a table.
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Poster: A snowHead
