 Poster: A snowHead
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| a TOTALLy different experience that involved me and my mate throwing all the teddies out of the pram. |
I would have paid good money to see that!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rob@rar, We had 4 young kids 4-8 and both of the Mrs'. We were right at the front next to the bus doors when the push started. We had had enough and both bellowed with rage as we had been there 40 minutes waiting for a safe loading spot. To be fair the 300 or so Austro Germans stopped pushing a took a step back 
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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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Frosty the Snowman, your memory must be playing you up. There are never any queues in Austria, and no "rude Europeans" either.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
There are never any queues in Austria
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No, there wouldn't be...because as far as the Germans holidaying there are concerned they are unlikely to queu properly in the first place and form more of sort of pulk and then just to start pushing forward or past other people.
The only way you will get Germans to form an orderly line is by putting up a sign: "Hier Anstellen - Drängeln verboten" ("Queu here - NO pushing") - voluntarily not a chance in hell 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
they both have a lot to offer
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Absolutely right! A bit depressing, all this talk of queues - brings back bad memories. However, as we're on the subject, the worst ones I can recall were the Penkenbahn (as already mentioned and one of the reasons I haven't returned there since 1983), Avoriaz and parts of the 3 Valleys There were probably others but I seem to have erased them (thankfully). I've always found 'back door resorts' in any country gloriously queue-free, eg. St Martin de Belleville, Vallandry, Montalbert, Champery and Leogang. However, things may have changed since I was last in some of these places.
Just as bad are those places where you almost queue to come down as well - like the homeward runs at Val d'Isere and St Anton.
It seems obvious that you can run into trouble in any country in peak season, but some people have no choice but to ski then. It's all too easy to spoil your experience by jostling for ski buses and lifts in the Alpine equivalent of the January sales. The answer is to choose very wisely and take account of the time of the season (whichever country you decide on). Much depends on ability level, but assuming that you need to have plenty of skiing, it makes sense to do your research and go for a big, well-planned area with a minimum of bottle-necks, preferably ski in ski out, fully-interlinked and no need to catch buses, and plenty of access points and routes down. Also, by staying in a small satellite village, you can plan it so that everybody is going in the opposite direction from you - e.g. we always used to be on uncrowded pistes at the end of the day, returning to some of the back-door villages mentioned above, whilst the crowds headed back to the big name resorts. The price you can pay is that it can be quiet later on, but that suits some people (like families with kids).
I could add that it also makes sense to choose the ski area that has a higher percentage of fast lifts than any other major resort in the world, but that would be proselytising - oops, hush my mouth!
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Penkenbahn will never in a million years shake off that reputation of queues, even if they put another 5 lifts in. I've rarely had more than a 20 minute wait. At Zell-am-Ziller... I *shock horror* had to wait for the next 6-man gondola. But the Brits don't go there, because it's not in the brochures.
Avoriaz on the other hand has a pair of chairlifts (the 2 that cross over each other) where I've regularly had a 20 minute wait. And Les Crosets lift getting back over to Avoriaz at 4pm, and Chavannes Lift on a busy day,
In my book, a single 20 minute wait to get on a gondola in the morning is far more preferable to 20 minute waits for chairlifts on the mountain, and is not all that much different to having to wait for the next (or next but one) cable car up.
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andy,
Mayrhofen - Penkenbahn is linked with Horberg, Rastkogel and Eggalm each has its own access gondola.
When I skied Mayrhohen I stayed within the walking distance, about 8 minutes, from the Penkenbahn but I had a car also. Therefore we drove to Rastkogel and Eggalm respectively to access the skiing area and didn't meet much a queue. It was obvious to us there could be a long queue in Penkanbahn because it has to serve the largest catchment of skiers (for the the town of Mayrhofen and the only other lift at another location is a cable car for Ahorn which is in a separate area). We reckoned the only way to beat the crowd in Penkenbahn was to go a little bit early so we abandoned the car and walked there one day just before 9am and straight into the gondola, virtually without waiting.
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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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| andy wrote: |
Penkenbahn will never in a million years shake off that reputation of queues, even if they put another 5 lifts in. I've rarely had more than a 20 minute wait. At Zell-am-Ziller... I *shock horror* had to wait for the next 6-man gondola. But the Brits don't go there, because it's not in the brochures.
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Crystal have one hotel in Zell am Ziller (Which I stayed at the season before last).
I think they also have one in Fugen.
But I agree there are not many UK tour ops go anywhere but Mayrhofen in the Zillertal.
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Skied Morzine at half term last year, very few queues or rudeness. Skied Kitzbuhel half term a couple of years ago, not queues or rudeness. IMO France and Austria were both great, BUT I haven't skied a purpose built french mega resort yet, and I'm a pretty poor skier, so its blue runs for me!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Interesting comments about Mayrhofen here. I have been 5 times and once for a day trip when stopping in Niederau. That was Dec 30th last year and we arrived in Mayrhofen at 9.45 and queued for 30 mins to get onto the Penkenbahn. Never seen anything like it before in all my visits there, including Christmas trips.
The thing with the Penken is that you need to get to it at 8.15am and you wont find more than 20 people there.
Also, I have stopped in Ramsau on the Horberg side and there are hardly any queues to get up from that side, and much the same from Finkenburg as well I understand.
Funnily enough, I found the queue to get on the only gondola in Niederau much more frustrating, as the place is not geared up for large numbers. One gondola that takes max 6 people didnt move the queues very quickly, whereas at least at Mayrhofen you get 15 into a gondola and they keep on coming damned fast.
The rudest people I have come across in queues are the French. Val Thorens 7 years ago, Montgenevre 2 years ago and Serre Chevalier in March this year....not particularly long queues, 5 mins at most, but far more of the shuffling in front of you, pushing, nudging, putting their skis between your legs....very annoying. Worse still, some French chappy came from about 10 people behind and clambered over everyones skis to get to the front of the queue. Plenty of people gave him a whack as he went past, but the best bit was that the lift operator did not allow him onto the lift when he got there and made him stand by the side in shame for the next 12 or so rows of people to get on!
Verbier appeared to have the biggest queues I have seen to get on the Medran lift. However, people all seem to queue for the right hand gondola up the staircase, and if you carry on up past them and keep walking, there is never much of a queue for the left hand gondola. Top tip that one.
To the person who hasnt been to Mayrhofen since 1983 because of the queuing, I think its time to take a look at how the lift system has changed since then!!!!
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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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Tony_H, typically, once you've navigated the Penkenbahn, are there many queues to disrupt the rest of your day ?
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We are going to an apartment just outside Mayrhofen at February half term, so do expect big queues at the Penkenbahn, but as we have cars are we correct in thinking we will be able park and get the Horbergbahn quite easily? Also, are there much in the way of queues at the other Zillertal resorts - Zell-am-Ziller etc? At half term we don't expect quiet seclusion, but I don't want to spend all holiday in a queue!
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You know it makes sense.
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masmith, not in my experience.
RobinS, I went to Zell am Ziller (Zillertal Arena) the weekend of the Stroh Juchee event (where they slide huge "carnival float" type things down a slalom course). Probably had to wait for about the 2nd or 3rd gondola to get an empty one to myself to get on the mountain, but was busy with non-skiing spectators on the way back, but note that they've opened a 2nd lift now that's positioned to really be exlusively for skiers/boarders. There's about 5 huge carparks right at the lift station.
Fügen/Hochfügen also has carparks right by the lift. All 3 areas now have about the same number of piste km.
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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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masmith, after the Penkenbahn the only queue you will find of more than a couple of minutes is for the Tux 150 cable car if you want to take it up to the Rastkogel area, and that's only because it takes 10 minutes for the cable cars to swap places. There are occasionally small queues around the Tappenalm/Gerent/Larchwald cluster where the Horberg lift arrives, but I've only ever seen that at peak times like New Year. These can take 4-5 minutes to shuffle through. The trick with the Penkenbahn is to be there when it opens - the queue suddenly appears around 9, and is gone by 9:45, so avoid that time and all will be well. On the way back down, 3:30 to 4pm is the peak time, and again there will be queues. They're not so bad, as many people leave before 3, but expect a 10 minute wait to get off the mountain. Alternatively, stay and have a pre-apres drink at the top for 30 minutes.
RobinS, both the Horberg and Finkenberg lifts have good car parks which are easily accessible and free. I've been in Finkenberg several times, and even the peak time queue is 5 minutes. Getting down has a similar queue. Queues in the other areas are non-existent. Even at half term, I'd expect that on-mountain queues will be minimal apart from the main uplift at 9 and 4.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
stay and have a pre-apres drink at the top
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better than an apres drink at the ice bar at the bottom, if you want your skis back  Hate to think how many people come out of there trashed when the place closes at 8pm, and drunkenly take "a pair of red skis, cos my skis are red".
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ousekjarr, and andy, Thanks, that is good news
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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 would agree that Finkenburg is a great lift, we used to roll up at 8.20 be the first car in the car park and ski that side of the resort for a good hour or so before the guys on the penken lift found their way over.
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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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Wish I was a morning person! Must make an effort to get out earlier next season.
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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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Jeez..... !!!!
T bar
Even the new cable car will not do much to reduce the ski school uplift, so you are going to still have to wait for the next cable car or even the one after that ..and I'll take that any day.. 
FWIW.. worse queues, IME. AFAICRC
Chamonix. Flegere and Brevent, valley cc's..
Ag D Midi...so good, who cares
Argentierre CC can be avoided by taking the chair
Courmayuer... don't use the town CC
Verbier. Medran ..so use the chair up.
St A.. the 1st stage of the Valuga..they had to give out tickets, ditto GM top lift and they change you extra...!! might have changed now..
Hintertux
Mayrhofen, Penken use the gondola.
Zermatt KL Matterhorn... bottom stage and top stage..use the drags..
Punta Indren/Stolem..so old and the only way out of the valley..or was... but you were normally glad of the rest
In the large French mega resorts, most have so many options up that you needed queue hardly at all...
My view tends to be that all those lifts up deposit so many peeps up the mountain you get them all in the wrong place coming down so that can be just as bad..but once out of the main piste bottlenecks, then you are much better off.
As ever, IMV..it isn't so much the lift capacity, it is how many beds you have to cope with that would be my issue..
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FAQ
