 Poster: A snowHead
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We have been over to Wagrain today. We have enjoyed a glorious bluebird day today, and the conditions on the Wagrain side seemed better than the Flachau side. There are far fewer skiers on that side and it clearly helps the pistes and they appear to not get 'cut up' as quickly. The snow everywhere (Flachau and Wagrain) is firm underfoot, but in most places there is a good loose top to give the skis something to grip into, occasional spots lower down on the Flachau side are a bit scraped later on in the afternoon. I know that fresh snow has been forecast for mid-week - it certainly will be welcomed, but conditions are brilliant in comparison with last years Les Arcs holiday - the odd scraped bit here and there lower down on the Flachau side is nothing compared to the ice rink that was Les Arcs last year.
The flachau side of things was very busy by mid morning - queues to the achterjet and the spacejet 2 chair were large - we waited about 20 minutes for the achterjet, which seems slightly outdated as there seems little provision for wider skis and snowboards as there is not the long slot at the end as you find on other similar lifts - there is also a bit of 'free for all' when you get on it. Mind you I was surprised that the wait wasn't longer - it certainly shifts the people up the hill at a fair rate of knots.
Wasn't quite so cold today though and skiing was more enjoyable as you weren't wondering where your toes and fingers had gone.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We woke to -18.5 (according to the car thermometer) and it got to a balmy -11 by about midday here. We skied over to the bottom of wagrain (Flying Mozart and the rot8tor) and both were considerably scraped in places near the bottom. Where the snow existed on them it was really good, but you needed to have your eyes peeled for the sheer bits. The resort was less busy today, but the lifts were still really busy by mid morning on the Flachau side.
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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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We skied from Flachau-winkl into Zauchensee today. We got powder and I've posted a pretty good description into this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=86524#1983332 (I can't seen any point in posting the same stuff twice). It IS still gently snowing at 2150 and has done this all day so it must be building up - hoping it snows for most of the night 
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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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Flachau Update
Most lifts closed due to high winds. Not forecast to improve. Great snow but unable to get to it!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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FraserP, Grafenberg side at Wagrain is all open
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Thanlks, the lift office suggested otherwise however we are now driving the kids to the spacejet 1
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Grafenberg is open! We may go there later. Lots of snow! Many thanks Frosty
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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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Hubby is teaching a school group at Flachau today - that will be fun!!!!
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Megamum just spoke with Kooky who is at Flachauwinkle. Kooky reports It's Very windy. Almost lifted the cover on an 8 seater chair! Still snowing!.
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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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Forgot to say, there is a whole heap of powder (if you can get to the top of the mountain  ) but if you do there is almost zero viz, and I got a bit lost on the way down in a total whiteout even though I have skied that hill a hundred times before, stay safe and stick together.
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Almost a complete lockdown in the Sportwelt area.... not a lot open above 1400 ish... Flachau is stooooooopid busy (tried to teach and we have all called an early bath!)... so can't even fit in an afternoon of cheeky pow 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| FraserP, Grafenberg side at Wagrain is all open |
| FraserP wrote: |
| Grafenberg is open! We may go there later. Lots of snow! Many thanks Frosty |
Only on snowHeads - brilliant!
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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15:00 hrs Flachau update
Still snowing!
Achterjet now running. We are sat in the Birkhahnalbar at the top of the Achterjet lift. Usual Megaclan drinks in hand. Beer, gluhwein, hot choc and tea
Pisted conditions heavy but well skiable!
Snowing hard!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| it should be great once they put a basher over it |
ouch - shouldn't do that to powder.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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waynos,pass the eye bleach
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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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waynos, Well as with fresh snow it's already getting 'mounded up' and there is so much of it that I think it might be the only thing they can do with it to keep the skiing safe. Mind you the way it's still snowing if they do it now-ish the powder will top up by the morning.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, when are you headed home? I still owe you a round of HeisseWitwes and a dance on a bar top somewhere
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kooky, We will pack and leave on Saturday morning, I don't know if that leaves sufficient time to plan another meet? It was good skiing with you the other day. We might do FlachauWinkl tomorrow and try the Kleinarl side of things, and on Friday are thinking of staying closer to home and going to our favourite eatery on the Wagrain side - I think its the Almstadl.
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kooky, I think I'll be playing on fat skis around schladming tomorrow if you can make it this way.
Updated avi report for styria
http://lawine-steiermark.at/index.php?frame=lage
Up to level 4, 30cms fresh today with another 50cm between now and midday tomorrow.
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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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Even more fresh snow overnight here in Flachau and it's still snowing We will have to dig the car out again! We'll now be staying here rather than travelling, unless when we get to the lifts there are closures like yesterday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Had a non-stop 5 hour bash around Planai, Schladming. The first run we did was well horrible, an off piste line on Planai through meadows and a steep wooded section, it was all very wind exposed, very little fresh snow, wind had scrape the snow back to a solid base and tree debris all over the shop.At the end of this run I was ready to quite unless we found some better snow. So we headed over the mitterhaus area where we thought it may have been more sheltered from the ferocious winds. Top dog, we made a good choice, what a difference. First line down a cheeky little couloir, knee deep powder,a little wind compacted bit still very nice. Did some excellent off piste lines, a few news ones, being very careful where we went as the avi risk was high and we saw plenty of slides. We kicked off a small one, quite scary, we were just approaching a stream ditch from the uphill side about 20m away and suddenly the far side of the ditch the snow cracked and slid. Did a quick ski tour, walked out of a couple of runs, put nice large scratches on ski bases as I skied over a barbed wire fence.
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| We woke to -18.5 (according to the car thermometer) |
You are very tough, sleeping in the car. I normally prefer a nice cosy hotel or guesthouse. Still guess it makes the skiing seem warm by comparison.
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You know it makes sense.
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Megamum,
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Les Arcs in Jan 2010
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that experience really has burned itself into your psyche, hasn't it?
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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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Megamum,
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Then I went back up and did it again just to prove I could!!
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That´s the spirit!!!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@megamum
how sunny was it?
The achterjet sounds like some kind of Viennese Praterpark funfair ride.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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davidof, the sun popped out today here and there - several prolonged spells of sun certainly brightened up the slopes when they occured and the top of the surrounding peaks actually cleared for the first time so I could take some decent photo this afternoon. The sunny spells seemed longer in the afternoon. However, first thing this morning the top was pretty grim - windblown and in the cloud/mist/fog everytime we were up there, the light wasn't brilliant either, but was the right side of Megamum 'bad light panic mode' at all times.
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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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Megamum, do we get a "minimum's report" today?
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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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A good round here of the chaos due to the recent storm.
http://www.kleinezeitung.at/steiermark/2948226/zwei-strassensperren-nach-lawinenabgaengen.story
Summary:
A ski tourer has died in an avalanche at Zirbitzkogel in Styria.
Reports of the traffic chaos on the B320 Bundestrasse, the main road running along the Enns valley from Radstadt eastwards past Schladming and beyond due to poor vis in blowing snow and drifts.
Train stuck in snowdrift at Mandling (between Radstadt and Schladming)
Some towns cut off
Army to fly avi viewing flights when weather clears.
For the second afternoon running I told my son I'd take him for a hot chocolate at a remote hut a few miles further up the valley from where we live by car. Yesterday the road was not ploughed and had 30cms of fresh on and zero visibility and snow drifts, I got some way with a struggle but decided to turn around. Today I tried again, better vis, road ploughed BUT bug-ger got a little bit further than yesterday and road closed due to avi risk. The valley does get steeper as you go deeper with I'd guess 1300m of mountain above.Two weeks ago we walked to the hut when it was -17, got there and it was shut, on a Sunday too. Some things aren't meant to be.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi Megamum and all the other snowheads
A fellow snowhead directed me to this thread as we are thinking of coming to the Ski Amade area for next UK half term ( Sat 16 Feb 2013) and I have a few questions for you...........
1. How busy is it this week ? ( better than France at half term? - only one zone out of 3 in France will be off that week?) We are planning to stay near Maria Alm which I understand has few UK tour operators going to it. I have checked the European hols for next year and the Bavarians and Flasching are the week before. However, two regions of Austria are off and about half of Holland ( haven't been able to find out about Denmark yet).
So really wanted to get your opinion on whether it will be mega busy half term next season - or ok ?
We normally ski in 3Vallees or pdS but have only done Easter and first week of Jan ( never half term) but are now stuck with school hols so Jan is out. Have heard France gets really busy so after lots of research we have come across Maria Alm.
Don't want to leave busy France for busy Austria!
2. Our children will be 5 ( 2nd time on skis) and 8 ( has passed ESF 2) and will need ski school. In Maria Alm should we go for Natrun which is only 1000m or top of Alberg lift which is 2000m. Want our 5 year old to ski on real snow ( so think Arberg) but dont want her to be too cold to ski ( so think Natrun).
I would really appreciate your words of wisdom - we have found an apartment and want to let the owener know either way next week
Thanks for all your help - hope you enjoy the rest of your week
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IwishICouldThinkOfAFabNam, not stupid busy around schladming this week, rare to get long queues here, not sure about Maria Alm.
Out skiing with a small group of friends on the Hochwurzen mountain today, near Schladming. Played in the off piste amongst the trees on the east facing side, the wind hadn't really effected the snow much here so was hours of untracked powder to be had. A couple of steeper sections we thought looked tempting but avoided due to avi fears, though the snow seemed very stable, no signs of any slides or cracks in the general area, did avoid any obvious convex areas. A scary moment when someone fell into some trees and got somewhat stuck upside down head first down the hill. Needed help to get out, always best to ski with buddies in trees and keep an eye on each other. Did one line where we traversed around the N / NE face which was wind blown with piles of tree debris to ski over, more like the forest floor. One of group had go-pro running so hopefully get some video at some point. Was hovering around zero degrees at the bottom of the ski area, 1100m, so snow a little heavier lower down but mostly great powder.
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We skied on piste in FlachauWinkl today up to the top of the second chair. There was a fair wind at that height, and I think it could have got a bit evil higher up. The area wasn't busy by my standards, and the pistes were in excellent condition. It got very lightly mounded up around 3pm+ with just the odd minor blip of hard pack here and there, but everything was easily skiable. This evening we drove home around 1630-1700 and there was light snow just starting to come down (odd flurries previously earlier on ) and the light snow was still coming down around 9pm tonight when we were out doing the car, so those skiing tomorrow (not us ) should find a good piste surface again I think.
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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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Just back from half term in Schladming - staying in Haus at the base of Hauser Kabling.
Really surprised at the lack of queues. Only one bad queue on one morning. otherwise almost straight on every lift.
Snow was ace - especially after the snow-fall on Weds/Thurs.
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A nice afternoon at Radstadt hill with Mrs Flangesax and kleine Flangesax and kleine waynos. Taking the gang off the side of the piste for bumps, jumps and a little powder. A touch of spring today, sunny and warm with softening snow (not slushy), what a contrast to a few days ago. Cold and snow forecast to some in later tomorrow through Monday before warming up again.
Sad event as we drove back to the home to the remote Untertal valley this evening. We followed a large fire truck with the big ladder all the way up from Schladming, as we got to the valley and could see lots of blue flashing lights across the valley exactly where we live! Christ did we leave the oven on? Anyway as we approached the activity was the house just up the hill. We're told someone had a heart attack whilst clearing snow off the roof and was still on the roof. Hope it's not too serious.
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FAQ
i have to say, it was pretty scary being the only idiot on that lift getting blown from side to side, felt decidedly queasy at the top and had to pop into Frauenalm for a medicinal brandy.......incidentally I was the only person in there at 11.30 
Have fun out there though, catch some flakes for me 
