 Poster: A snowHead
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Snow this morning ...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have a query from a Canadian friend looking for a week's package to St Anton in March '19 - ( I'm chasing for details on preferred accommodation types) : which UK tour operators are worth considering?
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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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High Winds coming ....snow accmulations !
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Arctic Roll, are the flying from UK? Even if they were I'd be tempted to book independently. Crystal have got a lot of choice if you are looking at tour ops
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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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@Arctic Roll, Unless your friend is looking for a chalet option or the social opportunities that comes with having a rep then not sure what using a tour op brings. All the hotels offer a half board option, fly into Zürich then easy train journey direct to the centre of the village.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Arctic Roll, never used any of them, I really don’t see the point, they add nothing and take plenty. Do as @munich_irish, says.
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Just done VIPs- chalets in morzine which was great for family holiday.
I see a lot of value in a tour operator and can get some fantastic deals last min.
I generally like the flexibility of a hotel in st anton due to the numerous late apres opportunities, which can be difficult and awkward in a catered chalet shared with randoms.
Happy new year.
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Hmm he's just replied to my further enquiries ( thanks everyone so far), it would appear a TO in Canada does different things to those from the UK!
I think what he is after is some 'group' of skiers to ski with (albeit his daughter is meeting him at the airport, having flown in from Far East, he from Toronto), and have someone to sort out any issues. Arrives in Zurich, would like to do 2 days in Engleberg (for family reasons) then 6 days in St Anton. I'm thinking car hire , plus chalet style accommodation in St Anton may be his best bet... ?
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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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Awesome last week 8 days skiing in Anton, just arrived home. The early season powder was probably the best since last December 29th! That was off the scale, last weeks was just 9.5/10....Albona, Schindler and Arlenmädler powder was fantastic - Arlberg simply the best ski region imo and record, never disappoints- back again 19th..... 
If anyone is in town tonight go see the 23.30 lazer show, it’s fantastic, was there last NY and it’s a great experience.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Its been dumping down today..with many lifts closed
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Dumping down and windy to go with it. Anybody out skiing pretty much restricted to Gampen, although parts of Rendl did open up later in the day.
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You know it makes sense.
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Is the snow forecast for Saturday likely to cause significant problems for transfers? Used to getting stuck on mountain roads in France, haven't been to St Anton before so not sure how much of an issue it's likely to be?
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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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nice snow in Lech today, had to eat inside at Rud Alpe though. Hotel Kone quiet for apres. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@omicron,
Forecast is heavy snowfall well into Germany-lowland
And traffic will be huge as well.
So yes, it is looking rather grim...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So what to do tomorrow? Tree Runs?
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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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| Arctic Roll wrote: |
Hmm he's just replied to my further enquiries ( thanks everyone so far), it would appear a TO in Canada does different things to those from the UK!
I think what he is after is some 'group' of skiers to ski with (albeit his daughter is meeting him at the airport, having flown in from Far East, he from Toronto), and have someone to sort out any issues. Arrives in Zurich, would like to do 2 days in Engleberg (for family reasons) then 6 days in St Anton. I'm thinking car hire , plus chalet style accommodation in St Anton may be his best bet... ? |
Ski Club of GB ski in St Anton. I join up with them in many places such as Ischgl, Mayrhofen, Obergurgl. I expect they’d accept a Canadian applicant.
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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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@omicron, you are very unlikely to get stuck in the same way as happens in France, a motorway effectively runs in a tunnel under St Anton. Very occasionally there is such a huge volume of snow that the whole valley gets cut off (eg last January) largely because of avalanche risk. More of an issue are traffic jams on the Vorarlberg side, mainly on the single carriage way section between Langen and Bludenz. If the weather is poor then it is likely to be a slow journey to wherever you are going to but the main roads should be passable with care.
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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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| omicron wrote: |
Is the snow forecast for Saturday likely to cause significant problems for transfers? Used to getting stuck on mountain roads in France, haven't been to St Anton before so not sure how much of an issue it's likely to be?
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Depends where you're travelling from, but it's unlikely to be THAT bad, unless avalanche control/danger shuts the road. Assuming you're coming from the Innsbruck side, the road is along the valley the whole way. Motorway might be restricted to 80km/h if it's really snowy.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Plenty of fresh snow today, about 6/8 inches at the bottom of Lech. And it's pretty damn cold about -12. Hopefully more snow depth on the upper mountains. Clouds are breaking up and there's blue sky up there making a pleasant change from the past couple of days. Some lifts not open yet (Ruffi, Steinmahder, Zugerberg), but plenty enough to enjoy.
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@buchanan101, thanks will try that.
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DONT bring a car to St Anton ..
They are not needed..and pollute the air
Pulblic Transport is Excellent...Use it!!
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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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Suggest this coming Saturday is going to be a nightmare getting in/ out of St Anton by car, end of the festive holiday and bad weather forecast.
Last Saturday as we left town at 16.30 and drove down to Dornbirn there was a 15km Stau coming up from Bregenz, leading into the one lane section on the Arlberg Expressway - I can see it being like that in both directions this weekend but worse, get out/ in early, ie pre-8am is my advice, otherwise i'd think it's going to be a slow one.
Our next 2 trips this season are by ZRH airport and train - like @stanton, says the train service is excellent, roads full of Swiss and Dutch cars last weekend, we use the trains whenever we can nowadays and have largely dismissed MUC as driveable without a non-time critical hotel stop over if in the car near the airport.
Looking forward massively to 18th 2 week trip Lech/ St Anton, great snow!
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Official Weather
The Alps will remain located between a high over West Europe and a low-pressure over East Europe in a northerly inflow. The approaching air will gradually become less cold, but more humid from Friday on. Already on Friday, heavy clouds will prevail again, and the sun will barely shine. For the moment, however, only weak and very rare snowfall is expected. Towards Saturday, the snowfall will increase throughout the day. Also, the wind will increase. The heavy clouds will continue on Sunday and further snowfall is expected. The weather will calm down not until starting next week. The sun will temporarily get a chance again.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stanton wrote: |
Official Weather
The Alps will remain located between a high over West Europe and a low-pressure over East Europe in a northerly inflow. The approaching air will gradually become less cold, but more humid from Friday on. Already on Friday, heavy clouds will prevail again, and the sun will barely shine. For the moment, however, only weak and very rare snowfall is expected. Towards Saturday, the snowfall will increase throughout the day. Also, the wind will increase. The heavy clouds will continue on Sunday and further snowfall is expected. The weather will calm down not until starting next week. The sun will temporarily get a chance again. |
That may well be the Teutonic version, Stanton.
But on the ground today in Lech it's bright, some large expanses of blue sky, some clouds moving in and out, with just about ALL the lifts open! Pistes not too crowded, queues hardly at all! Happy 2019.
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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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@skimastaaah, Sounds awesome, have a beer in Rud Alpe for me!
@malarkey99, We've driven to St Anton 40+ times and never yet have needed chains to get into town, unless you are going over the pass you'll be on motorways all the way I suggest, its the main Innsbruck/ Swiss motorway so its kept 100% clear. (We always go over the pass unless its bad weather then we go trough the tunnel). You will need to ensure that you have winter tyres on the hire car (if its MUC or ZHR they will be) standard unless you are driving across from say France or Italy, and winters will get you 99% of places you need to be in Anton, the roads are very well maintained (blown, ploughed, anti-freezed/ granite chips spread not salted) even in high volume show-dumps. We never hire chains from car hire companies, not necessary if you have winters, dont need the tag things either I suggest 
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You know it makes sense.
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@Markymark29, you are really spreading some wrong info.
It can happen that chains are obligatory, also for cars with wintertyres and even for 4x4. It actually was last week.
And neither are highways kept clear 100%.
We have experienced having to put on chains as low as on the S16 at Klösterle, and that was direction tunnel, because both Arlbergpass and Flexen were closed already.
Coming saturday might very well be such a day, seeing the forecast. Not to mention the holiday-traffic. Roads might be open, but it looks like it will be snowing heavily well into Germany. A recipe for carnage.
As a sidenote, yesterday the Fernpass was closed. A very rare experience.
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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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@malarkey99, completely agree with @Markymark29, I have been driving around the Austrian alps for the past twenty years and have never had (or needed) chains. Unless your accommodation is well outside the village up a farm track then the chances of needing them are very small (that said someone recently suggested that there were needed on the Fernpass the other day). Very occasionally so much snow has come down that the Autobahns or main roads have had to be closed to allow the snow to be cleared but chains would be no help in that situation. If you are concerned check with the place you are staying to get their opinion.
Whether you are approaching from the Vorarlberg or from Innsbruck the main roads will be passable without chains. If you are driving from Munich best avoid the Fernpass, it is potentially a little quicker but it does get blocked on occasion and gets busy with ski traffic. If there is a lot of traffic on the A8 (there can be 30km queues on peak weekends, not generally in January though) the route via Tegernsee and the Achenpass might be worthwhile. Do also note the speed limits on Austrian autobahns, the entirety of the road between Kufstein and Innsbruck has a 100km speed limit (pollution issues) and there are cameras.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@malarkey99, Make sure that your car is fully "winterised" with M+S rated tyres, snow tires or proper chains are obligatory in Austria in winter months. If there is a dump when you don't want it you may just need some chains on.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Langerzug, OK, if it was hammering down with snow for a full day prior you'd swing into a sunpermarket and buy chains, and if I was going up from Stuben towards Lech then maybe but driving along main motorway network into St Anton then i'd not be bothering if I was on full winters.
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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 have lived in Germany for 3 years and skied maybe 20-25 days in Austria and I have used chains (by necessity) three times. I also tend to chase powder so frequently drive during bad weather. They have really saved me. I strongly recommend having them and knowing how to put them on. If you go off the beaten path at all, there is a reasonable chance you will need them. Especially this next week.
I have also heard of cases where an accident caused a backup of cars so that roads could not be cleared and treated for several hours while heavy snow continued to accumulate. When traffic resumed moving, chains were essential.
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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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Access to St. Anton from the east in bad weather is relatively easy. But do not make the mistake of assuming that this is representative of access to other Austrian ski areas.
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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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@malarkey99, where are ypu staying?
You wont need snowchains in St Anton & out lying villages unless your up some remote farmtrack in Flirsch or Strengen.
If coming from Zurich ,Innsbruck Munich take the train !!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the advice everyone. Staying beside Nasserein lift. Flying to Memmingen from Edinburgh so 2ish hours to St Anton (how long is this likely to really be on changeover day?)
Car has winter tyres. I did think about buying some chains en route from Germany once I knew what model of car we had - the cable tie things I guess can be an emergency substitute - allegedly they do qualify as “official” snow chains. I’ve had to use chains on several occasions, which is why it’s stressing me out a bit as would hate to get caught out.....
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@malarkey99, No Chains required at all.
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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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FWIW last year there was very heavy snowfall in Anton and they weren't letting people out without chains, it was the time the resort was in effect cut off for a day or two
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@8611,
Locals never use chains....
Only the commercial vehicles...trucks ,busses use them.
Really a waste of money .time..as long as you have snow tires its ok..
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FAQ
so husband decided he’s buying some ridged plastic tag things instead that he thinks he’s going to put on the tyres in a 
