Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Leogang - Fieberbrunn 2016/17 Official Unofficial Thread

A snowHead

Another complete non-sequitur...

Earlier this season, walking up Dorfstrasse on her first visit to Saalbach, my niece misheard our destination and thought that we were heading for the Ben Fogle Bahn, not the Bernkogelbahn.

The gondola, chair and the mountain itself are all now renamed within our ski group in honour of the UK's poshest adventure TV presenter (after all, something as funny as that can't be unheard), but maybe we should mount a campaign with the tourist office for an official twinning ceremony?

A snowHead

@honved, Similarly, the Bergeralm has become the Burglar Alarm, and the Underbar has become the Wonderbra. (As for Schattberg....)

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

Everyone takes at least one trip up the Schattberg when in Saalbach!

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Coming to saalbach on Saturday the 25th. I've seen on bergfex that the temps are forecast to go up significantly do you guys think this will ruin the pistes

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Ps, watch out for piste bashers coming out of the underground garages about 5.30. They don't go around you! And running in snow with ski boots on is not easy as I found out 😰

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@Richard.oxley99,

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Hi thanks for all your help. Hopefully it's good conditions when we come. Was just a little bit worried about the temperatures and freezing level predicted to rise so high over the next week or so. You've reassured me quite a lot. What's your favourite area for less confident blue run skiers?

@Richard.oxley99, If it is warm then the main runs into Saalbach are not the place to be, unfortunately, as they are south facing and likely to be soft and mogulled. Going over the top and down towards Leogang is one option, but the runs are maybe a little harder than you might like for less confident blue run skiers, especially on the way back when you'd have to negotiate the south-facing slopes for a way before downloading from the gondola midstation to avoid the slushfest on the Turmweise slope.

The other option is to take the bus to Hinterglemm, and either ski the top half of the Zwolferkogel (easier than the bottom half, and also hopefully above the freezing level), or use the lower nursery slopes below Westgipfel as a warm-up and then try the Zwolferkogel. This is essentially what the ski schools do as a progression. Alternatively, if the lower slopes are holding up well and you want a quiet area to start off in, get off the bus at the other end of Hinterglemm and use the Bergfried lift, which is a T-bar for a single slope which is normally quiet and easy, and from the top of which you can then enter the main Hinterglemm area with a traverse across the top of the nursery area.

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@Richard.oxley99, Stay above mid-station and you'll be fine. Best areas in Saalbach are on Kohlmais/Panorama or at the top of Bernkogel, from where you can ski on to Hinterglemm and then to Hochalm. I heartily recommend taking the gondolas down to the village if the lower pistes have turned to mush and saving your energy and knees for another day.

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Home from another great time in saalbach .The skiing was great the pistes well maintained and the weather was mostly on our side with only one grotty morning rain low down but was brilliant later on as no one about. One day late afternoon due to high winds closing the lifts when we where in the wrong place caused a problem but thats just chance, some fresh snowfall and a spot of sunbathing the next day made up for that. A day in fieberbrun then catching the bus to leogang14.26 for the retun home via the berger alm happy hour/hinterhag was good fun as was doing the circuit .The apres hinterhag burgis etc was just as good as other years even more so as we met up with many new and returning faces from all over europe especially scandinavia who have become buddies in the hotel bars and restaurants.The only niggle I had was the extortionate cost of a short taxi ride 15 euros from hinterhag to town centre but you live and learn .Next time I will have one less beer and walk/ski. Our hotel was first class and again several returning like minded folks made for a good time.We drove from ijuimuiden/newcastle and returned via rotterdam/hull ferries, no difference in driving time just over 9-1/2hrs although we did stop off overnight going as it meant we had an extra afternoon skiing on arrival with much cheaper accomodation just off the munich/saltzburg motorway in ruhpolding and arrived fresh.We skied in maria alm on our final day which was an extra as we took advantage of a fall of snow and a sunny day on wednesday. Thought we may have bumped into tatman as he helped us a lot previously and have still never got to the chicken man . Roll on next year.

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Mr Tatman

Do you have any availability for you appartment 31/1/18-4/2/18?

There will be 5 of us.

Thanks
Matthew

Great first day in Saalbach today. Beautiful blue skies not too warm. Lunch at the chicken man. One of those days when you ask yourself if there's anywhere else on the planet you'd rather be and the answer is no. Apres at Bauer's and Spitz Pub.

You know it makes sense.

Just back from a most enjoyable week in Saalbach where we experienced winter, spring, summer and autumn all in the space of seven days. For example, pouring rain below 1,400 metres on Thursday, light snow all day Friday and blistering sun and very warm on Saturday! Generally, conditions above 1,400 metres were very good, below that, the late afternoon runs could be a trial. Run 2b, for example, was a hideous experience below it's mid-point on Saturday afternoon (and if that's a blue run, then I'm President Trump!). Just a brief note of thanks to Tatman's Tours for his very helpful guide which provided invaluable intelligence.

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A snowHead

What slopes would people recommend to start on for an intermediate that hasn't skiied for a while? Me and my girlfriend are fly out on sat and I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable by doing difficult slopes too soon. personally I'm comfortable on reds but want to start on some easy blues for her sake. what do people recommend? Thanks in advance, Ryan

A snowHead

Head for leogang area. Nice slopes with good power and short compared to other runs. The ski back to saalbach via 66 is grand.

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

The top of the Bernkogl is an easy, confidence boosting run. Runs 64 and 62 off the sparkling new Schonleitenbahn are very pleasant too as is 66, mentioned above. Some of the other blues can be 'very dark' in grading according to two different instructors from the Heugenhauser ski school, particularly given the current very heavy condition of the snow on lower runs.

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@merch, Definitely do not head to Leogang (from Saalbach-Hinterglemm) with your girlfriend until she has found her ski legs. Wait a few days before attempting 81, which is a busy red off Polten and necessary to get to Leogang.

Top of Bernkogel for day one, then head to Hochalm (Bernkogel - Reiter Ost - Hassenauer - 28 past Rosswaldhutte) on day 2, then you're ready for anything blue.

Lower pistes are getting slushy and difficult in the afternoon. I've noticed a number of instructors taking their guests down on the gondolas after 14.00 rather than ski through the mush. Above mid-station/1400m the pistes are excellent.

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Thanks everyone for the replays. Very helpful. Will try a few surgested before going onto the bigger stuff. What is 46 like? Looks a nice long blue? Looks to be a few different blues at the top off prundllopf? Are they any good? Thanks again

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@mattiwilkin,

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@ski for fun,

After all it is free

no, sorry tatman we didnt meet up this year it was last year but as we get older it all runs into one ive found !!.but as I said above im home having had a another great hol in saalbach and am already thinking about planning next year just wish id found the place years ago as without a doubt saalbach offers the best all round holiday on the snow as im sure you agree

Had a super week in Saalbach last week. Definitely going back again.

Thanks to Tatman for all the advice and the apartment. Super location and great apartment.

GC

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@memphis04, Thanks - glad you had a good week. 🙂

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How bad are the pistes getting with the rain and the tropical weather last week. Been seeing a lot of posts on here suggesting it's more like late April than March... Might end up sat with several beers on my week out there next week..

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@Richard.oxley99, Like most of the Alps (by the sound of it) it's been raining all day here in Saalbach; having said that our new guests, who arrived around midday, promptly got their equipment and lift passes and went out skiing this afternoon and seemed to have enjoyed themselves. I think they're relative novices and were on the nursery slopes. I'm impressed by their positive attitude, because I certainly wouldn't have been out there. Having said that, I've seen this many time before; there seems to be plenty of snow cover on the pistes, and all it takes if for the sky to clear and for it to freeze overnight for the pistes to recover. 24 hours is a long time in a ski resort!

Just back from my annual week, though I've never been this late in the season before. Great weather, great holiday, but I missed the deep winter feel that I normally get. Still, wouldn't rule out a later season holiday again. For those going out in the next couple of weeks, the heavy rain, which I was out in yesterday, will have really affected the look of the skiing, but the depth of snow on the artificially covered slopes, (i.e. most of them), is such that there'll be plenty of fine skiing ahead.

You know it makes sense.

We also returned yesterday from a week in Saalbach. We stayed at the very comfortable and well placed Hotel Post on a DIY basis. This time taking a leisurely mid day flight out of Bristol instead of the 6am out of Gatwick. Hagleitners sorted out the skis for us (with the customary schnapps / beer) and Marcel was happy to make adjustments to my mate's boots that he purchased last year from them.

Weather was great, sunny most of the time and only really hot on a couple of days. Early starts rewarded us with good conditions but we tended to call it a day by mid afternoon, sometimes downloading to avoid the mashed up home runs. Favoured runs for us intermediates were 64, 34 and 92. For anyone lacking stamina / confidence, 2b should only really be done first thing in the morning. Best lunch by far was the Chicken and Bread sold by the legendary Chicken Man. Go early to ensure you get a seat and a lump of chicken.

New lifts (Schonleitenbahn and the tiny 12er Express) were a great addition to the resort. Only the one Coke can (to the Zwolferkogel) to be replaced now.

I'm afraid we were a bit feeble on the apres front, missing Hinterhag Alm, Goastaal, etc but enjoyed many beers at Spitzbub (where Spacey appeared a couple of nights) and the Eva Alm. Good fun as ever.

All in all, a good time was had by all and I think we were lucky to be there for one of the best weeks for the year, I think.

Looking forward to returning next year.

Pete

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

A snowHead

A snowHead

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

Agree with the comment above. If you are an intermediate it would be a real shame to miss out on Leogang for the sake of 200 feet. Once that is out of the way Leogang is an intermediate paradise. I've always loved the run down the Asitz, but I got to try the lower section of the new Steinberg for the first time. Really fun run, beautiful, and I suspect a wonderful confidence builder for the mid-skier. I, and my daughter, loved the snow trails. The one off the Rosswald lift had one heck of a roller on it...

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@LOTA, @Colinthc, I'm not suggesting that intermediates steer completely clear of 81 and thus not make it to Leogang. If you re-read my post, I'm suggesting that it is not a good place for @merch, to take his girlfriend ( an intermediate skier who hasn't skied for a while ) on day one.

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@quinton, @Colinthc, @LOTA, @PeteMan, @merch, If I may just add my pennyworth to the discussion about piste 81, I agree with @quinton, that there is no need for @merch, to inflict piste 81 (or even more apposite to the point being made, piste 2b) on his girlfriend on day 1, or at least until she has got her ski legs back and built up a bit of confidence.
As shown on the piste map, piste 81 is actually a blue run with an optional, initial, red-graded drop-off from the ridge. That first short section is of course graded red, because it is slightly steeper than the rest of the run and can get mogully or icy, and it's also often busy. However there are three ways of mitigating it, and I usually give nervous or cautious intermediates the choice of all three options, as you can appraise them all from the ridge.
(1) is the blue loop shown on the piste map, which simply takes you around the initial, steepish drop-off
(2) is to traverse carefully to the left and get on to piste 82 or 83, both of which are less busy and IMO easier than 81 (notwithstanding the fact that 82 is technically a red)
(3) is to use the wave slope over to the right (Montelino Trail), which might appeal to those who are comfortable snow-ploughing down a relatively, narrow, windy track - personally I avoid them like the plague.
In reality, many of the blue runs have sections that border on red, and I wouldn't discourage any first-time skier, who has progressed to the point at which they are reasonably comfortable on the Kohlmais blue runs from venturing over to Leogang via piste 81.
In answer to:

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@quinton, I made no comment about Run 81 (can barely remember it, to be honest!); I just contributed by saying I enjoyed going fast down the Montelino Trail and, Tatman's Tours, I didn't use one snowplough! Wouldn't recommend it to a snowplougher or anyone cautious or nervous. A perfect trail for old-fashioned short-swings with a few GS-style power slides to get around the bends! Very Happy

After all it is free

@LOTA, Apologies, my original comment about not going to Leogang on day one was in response to @memphis04, saying 'head for Leogang'. My fat fingers on a small screen hit your name on the next post

@LOTA,

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It was me who said he snow ploughs down the first part of the Montellino Trail to avoid the red bit over the ridge. 30 seconds and you're down.

Help!!

Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Leogang - Fieberbrunn 2016/17 Official Unofficial Thread

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