Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Leogang - Fieberbrunn 2015/16 Official Unofficial Thread

A snowHead

Thanks Tatman. Is the Spitzbub just the stools around a square bar out front and a tiny bar inside or is there another bit?

Also, where is the Oetzi bar?

Pete

A snowHead

@PeteMan, As you say, the Spitzbub consists of the outside bar with a canopy over it and a small inside bar - that's all there is. The Oetzi Bar is just before the Panther Hotel as you walk up the main street, set back from the road.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

So my first trip to Saalbach is just a few weeks away, staying at the Hotel Konig, booked everything independently.
My past destinations have all been pretty much ski in - ski out so I'm wondering if I need to get the bus to the various lifts or walk or even navigate across (if possible) by starting with the nursery lift at the back of the hotel? I'm thinking I'd prefer to walk if its not far or if navigating across would be time consuming.

My follow up question... is there a logical order of skiing the various areas if I wanted to start off easier and progress through the week? I'm keen to cover lots of distance and experience all of the different areas available.

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You shouldn't need to bus, but will need to walk for a few mins. The easiest run to get the legs going is down the Bernkogel, long and wide, with a fairly constant gentle pitch, so you can do all sorts of warm ups without worrying about others - although I'm guessing it won't be busy anyway.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@kabooooooom, The Konig is in a great location, I stayed there a few years back. The food is absolutely fantastic, and the staff are lovely.

You just need to jump on the nursery slope drag at the back, walk across the road and get straight on the Kohlmais (tin can) lift. You can ski all the way back to the back door if the snow is good.

The Schattberg Express lift is about 5 minutes walk along the main road (passing Bobby's Pub on the way, take note for later!)

@Tatman's Tours is your man for itineraries...

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Hi all - is there a bar in Saalbach showing English football? In particular the Liverpool v Stoke League Cup semi final on Wednesday 26th? Thanks

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Currently sitting outside the Simalm but no chicken man. Are we in the right place or has he deserted us?

After all it is free

Currently sitting outside the Simalalm but no chicken man. Are we in the wrong place or has he deserted us?

The chicken man I know of is a long way from the Simal Alm (i.e. at the foot of the Limberg chairlift). The one I know is on the Leogang slopes, between the top of the Steinbergbahn gondola and the Asitzbräu. Is that the one you're looking for?

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@dbarlon, there is an english pub that show matches on the big screen, think it's on the corbner of unterdorf and Glemmerstrasse, any elgnlish seasonnaire will know it and tell you about it

ahah, google reveals it's Bobby´s Pub
Unterdorf 353, 5753 Saalbach
+4365416389
bobby@bobbys-pub.at www.bobbys-pub.at

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Having a wee look at the piste map. We are staying in hinterglemm, so if we take the Zwolferkogel nordbahn, ski blue 11 and 12 down to take us to Westgipfelbahn, then by taking blue 7, then 4 it should take us all the way down 2b to voderglemm? Only skied saalbach half a day a few years ago and we started off by doing blue 2b which was fab. Would be keen to do that to start the holiday off with a not too taxing long run. Vielen dank I'm voraus

You know it makes sense.

Yes, you can cut between Zwolferkogel and the Westgipfelbahn if you keep right and follow the signs, but there's a car park and road to walk across.

And you do need to take the Limberg 4er to get to 2b, unless you walk up about 30m.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Take a right turn off piste 11 just before the Xandl Stadl restaurant and the piste brings you to the Westgipfelbahn.

You can avoid taking the Limberg 4er by cutting across off-piste from the top of piste 4 to a gap in the fence (which you will be able to see). That brings you out onto piste 2a and you can then ski down onto piste 2b without either taking the Limberg chair or walking up.

A snowHead

A snowHead

But where's the chicken man?!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@PeteMan, The chicken man's humble 'shack' (at the top of the Steinbergbahn at Leogang) was replaced last year with a grander stone-built structure, but now he seems to have won the lottery - or sold a hell of a lot of chickens, because there has now appeared an extremely stylish restaurant, which deserves to win a design award. It's a veritable work of art, and only from inside do you realise how it's been designed to make the most of the wonderful views. We haven't eaten there yet, but the time is coming very soon - if we can find a place to sit.

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Looks like the beginning of
this YouTube video is the new chicken restaurant. The remaining part, about the Hinterhagalm, is not very good quality in terms of showing the interior and the atmosphere. Never mind, at least they tried.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Full marks for subject matter - even if piste 68 became "86" - but I think he must have had one too many jagatees when he did the editing!

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Thanks folks. Have taken screenshot of your suggestions.

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Eaten twice at the 'chicken man' this week(and will do again tomorrow) whatever his name is he is still cutting the birds in half, but blimey has the venue changed, for better or worse?

sat inside first time in what is a beautiful bar/restaurant and then outside next time on the terrace looking over the piste below, both I would give 9/10, but just feel a little sad that what it was(simple, great food and value food has been lost)

The ice bar at the asitzbrau middle station has also been revamped for the better, the lovely Theresa is still there and it remains one of my favourite pit stops

After all it is free

And to add, the blue down to leogang from asitzbrau, is my favourite piste

Probably needing new gloves. Are the shops in saalbach/hinterglemm total rip off or are they ok?

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@boabski, I see that you're staying in Hinterglemm, but if you go shopping in Saalbach, try Hansi (Hansi's Best-Price), next door but one to Bobby's Pub at the bottom of the main village street. His prices are reasonable and he may give you a good discount if you tell him that I recommended you to him.

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I bought my Hestras in Saalbach (shop across the road to the left of the Schattberg lift station). They had a reduction of 10-20% on pretty much everything I think, plus decent exchange rate conversion worked in my favour.

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Thanks guys.

Those interested in the apres-apres-ski, don't miss "Emil" in the Underbar - without doubt the most talented musician we've seen in there - plays his electric guitar like Hendrix reincarnated and gets the whole bar rocking! Every night from 9.50pm, and has been signed up until early February.

You know it makes sense.

Quick question: What time is the first lift up from Feiberbrunn? Is the car parking free? Thanks

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Just a quick report following our DIY week in Saalbach.

Accommodation

Again, the Hotel Post proved to be a great place to stay. Great staff and top quality food. We particularly like the fact that its proper waiter service with flexibility over when you eat. The pool (outdoor and heated), spa, room etc were all immaculate as usual. Our private transfers €150 each way got us to the airport and back in comfort.

Apres Ski

Experienced the legendary Hinterhag Alm but admitted defeat having been jostled for about 30 mins. No doubt if we'd been better organized we'd have arrived early enough to bag a good spot. Enjoyed Bauers (outside) as ever but had to be careful where we sat due to awful fat smells from the kitchen. Inside was heaving when we poked our noses in. Also enjoyed many beers outside at the Spitzbub and Eva alm. Had a beer at the Under Bar, also good but a little smoky.

Lunches

We've come to the conclusion that the best place to lunch is the one you're closest too when you get hungry (there's not a bad hut on the mountain). Service, food quality and value amazing as usual. Indeed the food comes so quickly that on one occasion the meals were ordered and delivered in the time that it took me to have a pee. Being hardcore Brits, we ate outside every day bar one despite -10 temps. The new Luis Alm half way down the Bernkogel is particularly impressive considering the time they had to construct it. Even more impressive is the fact that the bogs AREN'T downstairs!

Snow Conditions

Much better than last year when we went in mid March, no doubt helped by the cold temps and 970 snow canon. The cold temps meant that fewer runs were mangled by late afternoon. Not too busy (certainly no queues) and not too many idiots around. Didn't see anyone hurt themselves. Enjoyed perfect blue skies for two or three days with no white outs. The new €10m Bernkogel heated 6er was fab and will make a huge difference to beginners who can now enjoy run 46 without the worry of the long drag lift.

Equipment

Marcel at Hagleitners was brilliant and fitted boots for our weird English feet and modified them to sort out any minor issues later in the week. We ended up hiring skis from him too (and enjoyed his free beer, schnapps and coffees as we were there).

All in all, another great week and hard to think of anywhere that would suit us more. Thanks as ever to Tatman and the other Saalbachers for the tips and advice.

A snowHead

@PeteMan, Glad you had a good week Smile

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@espri, Thanks very much.

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Heading to either Saalbach/Hinterglemm or Zell am See from 19-29 March , I would like to get some advice on snow conditions at that time of year. We are from the southern hemisphere and only get to ski every few years so we spend every moment of our time on the slopes from the minute the lifts open till closing. What can we expect regarding conditions,is it mushy at that time of year or are there still plenty of runs in good condition? We would like to avoid having to only ski half a day because conditions deteriorate.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pieces, Welcome to Snowheads. The first thing to point out is that Saalbach is about 300m higher than Zell and has a much bigger ski area, so something to bear in mind when making your choice. The conditions will depend entirely on the weather, and whether the wind is coming from the north or the south. At any time of the season it's impossible to forecast the conditions a couple of months ahead. In the second half of March, it may be cold with fresh snow, or it could be spring skiing with plenty of sunshine and firm pistes in the mornings, turning mushy in the afternoons - both extremes have been known. If it turns out to be spring-like, you may want to give more thought to the orientation of pistes when planning your day, but you should find plenty to keep you entertained.

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@tatman thanks for the welcome and advice. South facing slopes in the morning and north facing slopes with shadows in the afternoon depending upon wind it is then Very Happy

. Unfortunately we have to book well in advance due costly flights, poor rates of exchange etc so we cannot snow watch and wait until the last minute to book. However "but you should find plenty you keep you entertained" is the bit I like. I was kind of looking for the most likely conditions at that time. The only reason Zell is on the radar is because of the glacier at Kitzsteinhorn.

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I like both resorts. Saalbach a lot bigger, Zell very pretty!

Both do "suffer" from having a preponderance of south facing slopes.

Top of both mountains near enough the same, saalbach resort higher. The glacier is a trek; I don't like ski buses. Flights to both will be the same as no doubt you know the resorts are being linked this summer. Book to Salzburg and be more flexible on hotels...

On balance I'd go for Saalbach because there is a lot more of it. There are so many more pistes that there will be some that should be good. Over towards Leogang for example, or on the mountains on the south side of the valley. Queues in both resorts prob non existent in March if enough of the resort is skiable.

After all it is free

@pieces, and @buchanan101, Before I became too old to work, we used to be restricted to 4 weeks a season in Saalbach - 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year and 2 weeks in the second half of March, and we always looked forward to and enjoyed our late season holiday. In late March we were sometimes lucky with snow conditions (cold snaps and heavy snowfalls are certainly not unknown), but it's fair to say south-facing pistes do get mushy in the afternoons when the sun is shining and the weather is warm (these two don't always go together - for example, last season the air temps remained unusually cold, even when it was sunny, and the pistes held up well into late March - better than February half term week, which was unusually warm and sunny).
To be honest, we're not as good as we should be at getting out early, so often it has been a case of just taking the snow as we found it and carrying on regardless with whatever itinerary we decided on. As you say, @buchanan101, in warm weather the snow over at Leogang (where the slopes are generally north-facing) and on Schattberg (e.g. the Westgipfel red run and black piste number 1) and the Zwoelferkogel (e.g. pistes 11/11a, 12/12a and 14) tends to be the best.
So, for example, in Spring conditions, if you head off to Leogang during the morning, you may not encounter really mushy pistes until you cross back onto the south-facing Saalbach slopes in the late afternoon. On such days we have been known to spend a couple of hours at the Bergeralm, before skiing down when it's cooled down a bit and the snow starts to freeze, or after the piste bashers have been up.
Also, when it gets warm, the standard advice is to ski the south-facing side of the valley during the morning and cross over to the other side after lunch (which lends itself to doing the anti-clockwise circuit of the valley - possibly leaving out piste 2b).

@tatman @buchanan101 invaluable advice thank you very much, need to make sure that this page is bookmarked for easy access when we are there. I don't like messing around on longish bus trips to and from slopes either. Pleased to hear that there are still many good options late in the season. Our other main option was Livigno which has the benefit of being high and we have skied there before in late March with excellent conditions. They are however having pretty lean snowfalls this season (although much may change between now and late March) and we wanted to have a new experience. 2 good mates have said Saalbach in winter is their favourite place in the world so we really wanted give it a go

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@pieces, I hope that you get good weather/conditions (especially also as my brother is bringing his family to Saalbach that week for the very first time). If you select your accommodation wisely, you will not have to use buses at all (except possibly when it makes sense to hop on a ski bus as a means of getting quickly from one part of the resort to another without having to ski all the way.) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available in Saalbach, and at that time of the season may not be too difficult to find.

Help!!

Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Leogang - Fieberbrunn 2015/16 Official Unofficial Thread

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