 Poster: A snowHead
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@Lozza1uk, glad you all enjoyed it.
I took the bus to Steinplatte this morning for the first time. It’s a small ski area with around 40km of pistes. There’s one black piste (which isn’t very steep or difficult) and the remainder are blue and red.
I found the skiing all a bit dull but it was a nice sunny day and I enjoyed my lunch there. It’s a great place for beginners/early intermediates to go to because of the width and gradient of the pistes. With that said, if a beginner skier was staying in St Johann then there wouldn’t be any point going elsewhere but it could be worth a bus trip for early intermediates wanting to go somewhere different that’s still easy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
| There’s one black piste (which isn’t very steep or difficult) |
This must be all in the eye of the beholder. I certainly find the Nordhang steep and difficult enough!
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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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@espri, the conditions on the day probably make a big difference too to how difficult it is. Yesterday was very warm so that makes the pistes softer and a lot more forgiving.
I will go again a different day and have another look!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Beautiful day in St Johann today and although busier than it has been in the last few weeks it’s still nothing like what I’ve seen elsewhere in the past during February holiday time! I’ve not queued for lifts any longer than maybe 2-3 minutes? Unlike in Kitzbuhel earlier this week when I queued for 30 mins to get on the Hahnenkamm and there was a lot of sneaky pushing in too!
Snow is fantastic here today with no bare patches etc. Obviously the snow depths are very great from all the snow earlier in the season but I think there is something about the aspect of the slopes here that keep the snow nice. I think a great deal of them are North facing.
Had an early lunch at the Pointenhof and had the chicken in breadcrumbs and chips. The chicken was really good and tasty breast pieces. Would recommend!
Also the Harschbichlalm at the very top doesn’t look like much from the top of the gondola but it goes upstairs and back and is actually quite large.
Lovely view of the Kitzbüheler Horn towering right in front of you (but far enough away to appreciate the view) when you are sat on the terrace having a coffee like I did this morning!
I’ve been delighted with the last couple of months being here and I’ve not even had to use my car once! There is so much skiing available for all levels using the bus or train. I thought I’d travel around a lot more but there’s been more than enough to keep me occupied and I’m one that bores easily believe me!
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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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They do a really good half chicken and chips up there.
I was really impressed with St Johann and I’m already looking into next year. Glad the snow is holding up, I could see grass coming through at the top when we left so worried for people coming this week but I guess it’s still cold enough at night.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Lozza1uk, oh really? Haven’t seen any grass today. It did snow a lot last Sun night, all day Monday and Tuesday though, I think at least 30-40cm so once that got packed down and possibly spread out a bit....they may have filled in some patches.
After about 1.30pm today the snow was soft and there’s a bit of ‘stop start’ going on when you’re whizzing along (or there would be if going slow enough) so time for an early finish for me today!
Still quite a lot of untracked snow off piste in St Johann but of course the window of opportunity is slim with it being so warm at the moment you have to catch it just right.
I will get the half chicken next time.
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@VolklAttivaS5,
I think I prefer the Steinplatte area to St Johann, there are probably more steeps there than St Johann, but also plenty of wide blues to practice carving on.
Also more off piste opportunities, though I haven’t bothered in these warm conditions.
We’ve been trying out some new places for us. Lofer which was quite busy but very picturesque and Buchensteinwand. The blue from the top was quite underwhelming, but I really enjoyed the red that comes down straight down the mountain. Steep but wide.
I skied with my daughter today from Fieberbrunn to Leogang. Quite a distance. Then got back to Fieberbrunn on the bus.
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@Drammeister, yes I think the red and above pistes are steeper at Steinplatte than St Johann. There were quite a lot of open off piste areas too like you say but again I didn’t bother as it was too warm.
Did you think Fieberbrunn was generally more demanding than Saalbach and Leogang?
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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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We went straight through Fieberbrunn. I think some of the reds are tougher though.
The red down the Reckmoos to the Tirol S lift was a steep slushy mess yesterday.
The blues runs above Saalbach were all pretty easy.
The visibility on the Steinplatte is terrible today. Going to give up and get warm I think!
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Hi, we're in St Johann for the week and my skis could do with a service (no damage to them, just need wax and edge, I think).
Any recommendations for somewhere above others?
Thanks.
Btw, it rained here too - all night and most of the day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Scamper, Intersport Patrick down by the Spar serviced mine last time but it was €25 for a small service. Still it meant I could drop them off on the way back from the train station and pick them up as I was going past the next day.
It was only €20 in S4 Freeride Fieberbrunn for the same thing and they did them within an hour while I was having my lunch.
Don’t know what the places by the Harschbichlbahn charge. Best to pop in and just ask how much it is.
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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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@Drammeister, I had to stay in today because I had an email this morning saying my new skis were coming sometime before the end of the day from UPS! I thought they’d come on Monday but I think from the sounds of it everywhere was foggy.
Anyway so I took the opportunity to get the washing done and will go out first thing to try the new skis.
I’m eyeing up Steinplatte for the morning possibly in case they had more snow than Kitzbuhel.
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@VolklAttivaS5, thank you, I think the costs are much of a muchness.
Just wondered if you had any favourites.
Will probably go with the Spar one of you were happy with that.
Happy New Ski Day!!!
I'm a newbie (old) skier I've only had 2 pairs of my own but it's so exciting trying then for the first time!
Have fun!!
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You know it makes sense.
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After coming back down to Waidring, it was wet but clear so we popped along to Kirchdorf for an hour, where we stayed about 20 years ago. It was my OHs first ski holiday, and as it was before the chair was put in, she learnt to hate Tbars!
It’s a short, but fun, run. We were literally the only people in the mountain.
Home tomorrow sadly.
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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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@Scamper, yeah go with Intersport Patrick.
I forgot to say. Although I was happy with the service I got on mine at S4, last week I tested some skis there and they were hooky as hell. Edges were left too sharp on the shovels or burrs left behind. So I thought hmm maybe they aren’t good all the time or it depends on who does them!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@VolklAttivaS5, thanks again. We have the Tirol SnowCard so although we'd like to have had a look at Fieb it's saved for a future trip.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Scamper, it’s only 19 mins on the bus mind
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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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After a couple of warm weeks winter is well and truly back at Steinplatte. I’m delighted to have snow on my goggles again and it seems to have been snowing here all morning.
Bit chilly too so it’s all good!
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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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@VolklAttivaS5, well I did order a bit more “winter” for next week. Got all my layers packed.
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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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@Yorksboy, hopefully the temperature will drop considerably overnight as the ground is still too warm after the last few weeks. There’s lots of snow coming down and it’s getting windy too but it’s falling on a warm wet surface. Skis don’t slide too well lower down.
Tomorrow should be good though I will be on the first lift tomorrow, I had a lie in this morning and it was just as well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Raining in St Johann when I got back. I think the rain was anything below 1200-1000m as the snow turned to rain on the way down in the Steinplatte gondola.
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Are there many Swedes in the resort this week? Asking because Skistar bought the resort a few years ago and it’s the peak half term (‘sportlöv’) holiday for the Stockholm region. It’s been very busy here in Åre and because of the queues this week (in addition to lifts here being vulnerable to closure from wind) I’m thinking of alternatives for next year....
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@Themasterpiece, it’s difficult for me to say if there are any Swedes around because when people are talking in a foreign language that I don’t understand (as would be the case with Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) it doesn’t register with me, it just goes in one ear and out of the other so they could be anyone!
But it sure seems quieter this week in St Johann, Fieberbrunn and Kitzbuhel than it did last week and the week before if that’s any help!
This week I’ve not queued for any lifts anywhere in this region longer than maybe a couple of minutes max?
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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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We left on Thursday - I hadn't noticed any Swedish people there.
Dutch and German mostly, with the occasional Brit or Irish.
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Also in the very snowy stormy weather we had here for most of January the lifts in St Johann were pretty much open and the same applied in Zell am See which you could get to by train if you wanted to (but you’d have to pay for the train-€11 each way currently for 1 adult).
Kitzbuhel on the other hand I noticed had a lot of lifts closures when the snow/winds came so when there were closures in Kitzbuhel I simply skied in St Johann, Zell am See, Ski Welt or Fieberbrunn (but the link to Saalbach was closed most of the time in the January snows).
Still plenty of choice though! It’s been a good spot for the season it really has!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@VolklAttivaS5 and @Scamper, thanks. Was just interested as St Johann is on the Skistar website when you book for a Swedish/Norwegian resort, and covered in the Skistar All annual skipass (although I suspect the majority of people with those are local-ish to one of the resorts in Scandinavia).
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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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@Themasterpiece, I skied in St. Johann today and I did have the impression/suspicion that some of the families I saw and heard might be Swedish. Can't swear to it, though.
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If they were tall, slim, wearing Norrøna, Haglöfs, or Peak Performance clothing, and POC or Sweet Protection helmet and goggles, they are probably Swedes.
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You know it makes sense.
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Have come to Steinplatte again today for the 3rd time this season. I noticed it was a bit colder over here at town level so it turned out to be a good choice. Had all the nice spring snow off piste this morning that was available without walking/skinning and will clear off somewhere else shortly to see what I can find!
I meant to say the other day that the Panorama Alpenblick restaurant in Steinplatte is excellent. Yummy food and quick service. They also have a self service section downstairs/next door.
Delicious!
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FAQ
