Everyone on here should stay in Zürs or Lech...you folks seem to spend all your skitime over there& then complain about the Steißbachtal beng closed !!!
IF you want to get down fast use Osthang (under the Galzigbahn or Zwischen (between down through the trees) all the way down ..
Cant wait for the Break Up of the Arlberg Ski Area back into independents ski area tickets
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
stanton wrote:
Cant wait for the Break Up of the Arlberg Ski Area back into independents ski area tickets
You are playing with yourself if you think that will happen.
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?
stanton wrote:
Everyone on here should stay in Zürs or Lech..
Lech is nice place to stay, and now that St Manton has gone silly prices for ordinary accommodation I did decide to stay in Zurs this time. Great location to start the ski day ahead of the ski hordes, however if you get your timing wrong you can end up with the Ubungshangbahn and Zurserseebahn lift queues being pretty significant.
To be really honest about the Arlberg after having had great ski holidays there for over 20 years, despite the great skiing to be found all over the Arlberg region, the overall costs are questionable now. As regards "value" that too is debateable even after having had a great ski holiday based in Zurs, there was a significant and noticeable increase in prices generally. Hotels, bars, restaurants, mountain watering holes, equipment, shopping, services. All the aspects that make a ski holiday what it is have taken a jump up in the Arlberg to the point that comparing other great ski destinations makes those better "value". Such a pity, as I do think I may have just made my last ski trip to the Arlberg.
Stanton is right. Folk should stay in Lech or Zurs (at least once for a ski holiday) which I found this time to be the busiest ever experienced in the Arlberg. I was expecting much better snow conditions than I actually encountered, but at least had pretty decent pistes with half decent preparation. However, I can ski "slush-puppy-snow" into Lech and St Anton at Easter, I was not expecting soft crappy on top of teflon hard with a fair amount of chunky monkey in January/February. I still had a great ski holiday but ask myself was it worth it.
Sitting in station bar waiting for delayed train home. Conditions today very similar to yesterday. Crowds this morning which, as usual, faded away by lunchtime. Snow held up better, I think because of high cloud taking the edge off the sun and the strong wind. The wind did cause some icy patches either by scouring the surface (top of Kandahar) or by freezing soft snow (Kappal). Surprised some of the high lifts stayed open the wind was that strong.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
The insanity on Kandahar continues. The iPhone camera does not do it justice.
I was skiing Bachseite, but not dropping down to valley floor until opposite the Mattun exit. While waiting for a ride out on Mattunbahn at the end of the day, a helicopter picked up a casualty just above the last pitch. No surprise.
Best piste snow today was over at Stuben this morning. The least enjoyable was Rendl: death cookies and ice. Some decent-sized avalanches from the Schindler slopes and the east face of Mattun.
The 50+km/hr wind saw Schindlerbahn closed a bit after lunch.
Now sitting on the delayed train with nothing else to do but post ramblings about "The Arlberg"!
Having skied a good number of areas in the eastern alps over the past 20 odd years there seems little doubt that it is the best ski area. There are others that compare such as Verbier & Val d'Isere but nothing nearby. Most of the time it has the best snow conditions around. No doubt it could be better currently but from what I understand everywhere else is worse. Does it get crowded, yes it does. Yesterday afternoon was pretty unpleasant on the way back down Kandahar, to the extent that I would have got the lift down rather than ski it again but today it was fine, busy but not crazy. I cant see this being any different from any of the other large ski areas.
St Anton has got more expensive, this has been a deliberate policy of the Tourist Board. There has been a move to attracting those with deeper wallets. From casual observation the policy seems to work (even if not popular around here). The village is packed, business is booming. As has been noticed the average of visitors seems to have risen. The typical visitor is no longer the mythical ski bum, but a corporate type in their 50s with money to spend. This is going to mean some long standing visitors will not longer visit. Others will come though. I can see the argument against but, at least for now, it seems to work.
I am not sure it is really that much more than anywhere else, I paid more in SkiWelt for a day ski pass than I would in the Arlberg. There is no comparison between the skiing available in Scheffau, Brixen and that in St Anton or Zürs. Skiing has become very expensive generally and The Arlberg is in a top spot so will always be more than elsewhere. How most families can afford a ski holiday I have no idea. A weekend trip used to cost me around €500 now €1,000 is a more realistic number. Goodness knows what a week trip for 2 adults & 2 kids would cost. Even simple things cost more, beer in the station bar was €5.40 more than I would expect to pay in the centre of Munich (which is the most expensive place in Germany)
Due to booking at the last minute I ended up with a room in St Anton or Friday night and Pettneu on Saturday. St Anton has the advantage of convenience and feeling at the centre of things. Pettneu however has a much more traditional feel and is cheaper. Still plenty of traditional Pensions, which seem to have all but disappeared from St Anton in favour of "wellness" hotels. Definitely worth looking at for those who want to keep costs down. Fredls bar has reopened and a good choice of places to eat. It still has a traditional village feel something not in evidence elsewhere in the Arlberg.
As to where to stay, personal preference plays a big part. For me Zürs has little appeal as a place to stay, the skiing might be good but the huddle of apartment buildings hotels always has the feel of a place time forgot popular with tea club types (apologies if that is you!) with little to do outside of the hotels. Lech is nice but not me too many international "Sloaney" types & champagne bars. St Anton just has a better feel and the train station is a big advantage. It is easy to get around. I know that some want a dense network of pistes on their doorstep but there is little that can compete with the grandeur of the Arlberg mountains and the variety of challenge they provide.
Yes it has got (silly) expensive but I plan to keep coming back.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@ulmerhutte, It was worse when I did it yesterday just couldnt be bothered fiddling with the phone to take a picture. Accidents were inevitable.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@munich_irish, I liked your ramblings. A lot gels with me, but like you we will also keep coming back. We came to the Arlberg 21 years ago for the mountains, and stayed for the friendships. Familiar mountains and old friends. That is what St Anton means to us.
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.
@munich_irish, Great review about the Arlberg. I've been skiing here for 40 years and have stayed in all the places you mention. To be honest ,at 71, I now love staying in Stuben, its a great location and now with the new Albona 1 , or is it 2, its a great place to get into the skiing really early.
Thanks for the Pettneu tip, I was considering staying there but was concerned about the nightlife, of course its never going to be wild but a bar is all you need for a change after a hotel meal.
I was in Lech in January and there are still some good bars like the Schneggerei where the staff and crowd are cool.
I also dislike these wellness hotels , what's all that about FFS
71 and not done yet . . .
Thanks for your posts, always enjoy them
RGds
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@munich_irish, I agree with your comments also, we've been visiting St Anton winter and summer now since 1997 having been to loads of other places previous 10 years in mainly France and CH-land (in fairness not skied in Italy much and should give the Dolomites a go) and for us it still ticks all the boxes we require, and more. I agree regards the pricing, 2 small 0.3L beers and a glass white wine 23€ is a joke and i'll not be using hotel lounges for a quiet beer anymore! We've moved onto self catering and also Pensions now, and also down the valley to get sensible pricing. Fast ski buses and affordable accommodation just works better for us from there, we really can't justify the 4* international hotels and restaurants in town anymore.
No plans to revisit this winter, the early season promise, deep snow which fell in December (and still provides a great base for piste skiing) did not transmit into any OP when we were out last week in January which was disappointing, and the forecast doesn't look great, thoughts now moving across to return end June for hiking/ mtb-ing and perhaps a pre-Xmas week next season if conditions allow.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Don't think the Accomodation is that more expensive than other resorts. I stayed in a garni hotel with welness suite on dorfstrabe and 30 meters from nasserein gondola for 1 week db room single occupancy for €680 including breakfast 3 weeks ago.My friends stayed across from me in a hotel with swimming pool for €700 each including breakfast for 1 week.
Think the average we paid for a large beer was €6 excluding base camp and the murmell where we paid over €8 .
Also we had good value meals and drinks in the Sonnegg and San Antonio and Pizzas in Anthony's.
We had a great time and didn't feel like we were been ripped off.
Holiday ended badly as my cousins wife broke her tibia and fibula near the end of blu 27. She was taken off the mountain by Helicopter to near by hospital for which she was operated on that evening.
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.
Markymark29 wrote:
I agree regards the pricing, 2 small 0.3L beers and a glass white wine 23€ is a joke and i'll not be using hotel lounges for a quiet beer anymore!
You should then seriously avoid going to some hotelterraces at Lake Como or Amalfi Coast....there just a glass of wine might easily set you back 23 euro...
And what does two beers and a glass of wine cost in London? For sure Amsterdam is hardly cheaper than Arlberg...
Indeed it is not just Arlberg where inflation struck hard, it's all of Austria. Rumor has it that even the Swiss are now avoiding Austria
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
ulmerhutte wrote:
stanton wrote:
Cant wait for the Break Up of the Arlberg Ski Area back into independents ski area tickets
You are playing with yourself if you think that will happen.
Yes , very interesting observations on the way St Anton is going. Package holidays with the big tour operators Crystal's and Inghams have shot up in price and deals are scarce. With all the 'wellness' hotels etc I do hope it doesn't lose some quaintness and become more corporate looking like Courchevel has. St Anton is the full package with great Apres ski and world class off piste skiing over a vast area. . Its snow record is one of if not the best in the Alps. Nassererein was my favourite place to stay as its not so noisy at nightime and only a 15 minute walk into town for the bars. I also will keep returning to this 'magical like' place as long as possible as the vibe I get is like no other resort.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
swimsutty wrote:
I do hope it doesn't lose some quaintness and become more corporate looking
Funny...remembering St.Anton in the '90-ies....crossing the railroad to get to the lifts whilst men were clearing the tracks; a tiny Mooserwirt and Gunnar in the Postkeller....the Feldherrnhügel lift, the Kandahar cable train....Törli skitour simply indicated on the map.....etc. etc.
St.Anton has changed at lot....too much for my taste...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
stanton wrote:
ulmerhutte wrote:
You are playing with yourself if you think that will happen.
Watch ths Space
Maybe you have the wrong type of website I think Admin might draw the line at that
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
stanton wrote:
Cant wait for the Break Up of the Arlberg Ski Area back into independents ski area tickets
Would be a great idea, probably solving most "Flexenbahn-related-problems". Assuming a choice between a cheaper smaller area, or the overall Arlberg skipass.
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?
munich_irish wrote:
Now sitting on the delayed train with nothing else to do but post ramblings about "The Arlberg"!
Having skied a good number of areas in the eastern alps over the past 20 odd years there seems little doubt that it is the best ski area. There are others that compare such as Verbier & Val d'Isere but nothing nearby. Most of the time it has the best snow conditions around. No doubt it could be better currently but from what I understand everywhere else is worse. Does it get crowded, yes it does. Yesterday afternoon was pretty unpleasant on the way back down Kandahar, to the extent that I would have got the lift down rather than ski it again but today it was fine, busy but not crazy. I cant see this being any different from any of the other large ski areas.
St Anton has got more expensive, this has been a deliberate policy of the Tourist Board. There has been a move to attracting those with deeper wallets. From casual observation the policy seems to work (even if not popular around here). The village is packed, business is booming. As has been noticed the average of visitors seems to have risen. The typical visitor is no longer the mythical ski bum, but a corporate type in their 50s with money to spend. This is going to mean some long standing visitors will not longer visit. Others will come though. I can see the argument against but, at least for now, it seems to work.
I am not sure it is really that much more than anywhere else, I paid more in SkiWelt for a day ski pass than I would in the Arlberg. There is no comparison between the skiing available in Scheffau, Brixen and that in St Anton or Zürs. Skiing has become very expensive generally and The Arlberg is in a top spot so will always be more than elsewhere. How most families can afford a ski holiday I have no idea. A weekend trip used to cost me around €500 now €1,000 is a more realistic number. Goodness knows what a week trip for 2 adults & 2 kids would cost. Even simple things cost more, beer in the station bar was €5.40 more than I would expect to pay in the centre of Munich (which is the most expensive place in Germany)
.
i made a weekend (2 adults & 2 kids) in St. Anton (Fri-Sun) with accommodation in St. Jakob for 100 pro Night with Breakfast. With the bus it was only 4 min till Nasserein Bahn.
The biggest problem is the ski pass. It is really expensive. For a couple of days or one day it is still "ok" but for a week it is out of question. But so is for almost all the "big" resorts in Austria. Since last Winter we drive till France for week ski trips. If you are not looking for Val Thorens or Valdisere you can find something cheapr compared to Austria and usuall ski in ski out, wthich in Austria is too expensive.
But of course the appartments in France , at least the cheaper option, are not in the same level
We think we’re good at doing a good family ski cheaply, but there’s no doubt costs are rocketing.
8 years ago we could comfortably ski, in school holidays, as a family of 4, for £2k all in. We’d self cater but eat out for 50% of the evenings.
As the children got bigger and better at skiing we moved to larger resorts such a La Thuile and Avoriaz. This gradually has bumped up costs from ca. £2750 to £3250 last Easter.
I’m anticipating our trip to Warth this Easter will cost £5k.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Looking promising for next week for a top-up at least, I may even use the D word..
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
munich_irish wrote:
@Langerzug, I was sat having a coffee on the main street. I could time my arrival at the bus stop for a couple of minutes before the bus was due (they go every 10 mins). By the time I had queued for the lift and got to the top I would pretty much be in Zürs. The skiing on the route to Zürs is fine but nothing special better to head back to St Anton to fit in more there (though I would have been better doing Täli again!). Sunny morning in St Anton.
From the top of the Rufikopf bahn back over to Zurs, the pistes are quiet, no lift lines, and the other day, a pleasure to ski doing sweeping G/S turns.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@davidthornton, There is a difference in approach here. My view is that rather than queuing to get on a crowded cable car and then ski a couple of perfectly pleasant runs with a drag lift in the middle to get to Zürs I would prefer to get there quicker on the bus and move on to somewhere more interesting. I think the Arlberg means a different approach than say Ischgl with its fairly dense network of lifts & pistes (much like many French areas). Perhaps my early ski experiences in Austria where shuttle buses were simply part of the setup have made me inclined to a different view than others?
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.
@davidthornton, exactly. In stunning scenery.
But @munich_irish has another 'approach'....something with a bus
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@davidthornton, it usually is a cruisey run over to Trittalpe, but some 2 weeks of warm temps have really done a job on the pistes (and offpiste) in that area. Skied it yesterday, but in hindsight I should have caught the bus. I could have got back to StA sooner and got in a few more passes on Bachseite on much better snow. C’est la vie.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I'm having Statler & Waldorf associations now.....together in a bus...
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.
British Holidaymakers (Hooligans) in mass brawl and we are only just getting into the Mad Fighting High Season
In St. Anton am Arlberg, famous for its wild party life, two groups of British holidaymakers clashed on Sunday evening, the Tyrolean police reported on Tuesday.
It is not uncommon for there to be punches between tourists in Tyrolean ski resorts during the winter season. But this case is not an everyday occurrence.
Because in a brawl between the opponents in St. Anton, a 29-year-old Briton was bitten off the tip of his nose. The perpetrator was able to escape unrecognized.
After first aid, the 29-year-old was admitted to the hospital in Zams and then to the hospital in Innsbruck.
The 29-year-old is said to have lost about half a centimeter of his nose due to the attack.
Quarrel started in pub
According to the police, there was initially a dispute between two groups in a restaurant. A person is believed to have been injured, who then went outside with two friends around 8 p.m. According to the police, some members of the other group also left the restaurant a short time later.
The friends of the already injured man went after the men and then attacked them surprisingly with massive punches and kicks.
There was a scuffle between the people, with one of the attacked, the 29-year-old Briton, having his nose bitten off by one of the unknown men.
After the people were separated, the attackers fled in the direction of the pedestrian zone of St. Anton am Arlberg.
The Chalet N., luxury resort in Lech, created by real estate mogul René Benko. Once a high-flyer, now in free fall.
Insolvencies shake his empire. It's crumbling everywhere. Also in Lech. Now it turns out that Chalet N., named after his wife Nathalie, was founded as a hotel, but René Benko and Co. were probably the best customers. And: In Corona times, COFAG received 1.2 million for failures. Tax money.
The mayor of Lech commented on this this morning on Krone-online:
Compliance with the strict guidelines is continuously checked by the municipality by its own inspector - regardless of the property designation. The checks are carried out by means of on-site inspections and interviews as well as by comparing guest registrations, guest taxes and charges. These, in turn, are compared with actual consumption such as water and waste. These checks did not reveal any indications of misuse of the Chalet N hotel.
The current decline of Mr. Benko's insubstantial business empire will not make things any easier in Lech. I expect that from mid-2024 there will be some very special properties for sale in Lech.
From Friday to Saturday with a snow line around 1600m, On Sunday, the southerly foehn will calm down, so that the precipitation can spread from the southern side of the Alps over the main Alpine ridge to the north. At the same time, the snow line from the west begins to slowly sink below 1500m
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@stanton, if you follow the locals’ FB page, you will see there have been many more unsavoury incidents. Last week, or a bit earlier, a Bar Cuba staffer was head-butted by a customer. He was identified pretty quickly. Don’t know if the police were informed. Point being, has there been an uptick in that sort of behaviour? Seems like it this season, though it might just be more of it being reported?
Best skiing today was up high, eg Schöngraben, and from mid-morning to a little after lunch. Down low, eg the valley run below Z’Bahn was sloppy mashed potatoes after 11am.
Holding my breath for this weekend’s forecast snowfalls. The forecast temps seem too high, even with a 1500 - 1600m freeze level. That said, anything but clear liquid would be welcome precipitation!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Is there an evening bus service between Stuben and Lech? If yes, anyone know how late it runs?
If that isn't available, any idea on taxi availability?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
We took the last bus from St Anton to Lech a few weeks back, it left the train station at 7.11pm.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Sounds like a good ruck.
St Anton has always been favored by the lower orders.
Plus ca change, as they say.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
JimboS wrote:
We took the last bus from St Anton to Lech a few weeks back, it left the train station at 7.11pm.
That's the 'party bus' and can get rammed with Lechers going back to civilisation after an afternoon on the sauce in stanton.
Mr Mike may enjoy that or may prefer the cab which is 55€ with Der Lecher
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?
@mr. mike, you can find the bus between Lech and Langen (this is the line, no. 750, on which Stuben is) here: https://www.lechzuers.com/en/local-bus
Don't take the bus to St.Anton!
And yes, plenty of taxi's. In Lech, at night, they are waiting in front of Gasthof Post, next to the covered bridge
or you can call to www.derlecher.at
If you plan to go for dinner in Lech: table reservations essential!!
Can anyone advise if there are boot lockers to hire at St Anton? We are not renting gear so it’s unlikely we could use a hire shop’s lockers.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@sbooker, I believe there are lockers at the Bahnhof, but not sure how useful they would be - a bit out of the way, and probably cold. You could try Jennewein or Alber and see if they will rent you a locker.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@ulmerhutte, thanks
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.
@sbooker, There are lockers at the station (opposite the bar), easy to use with English instructions, you will need coins no card. You only get 24 hours so would have to pay every day. Lots of day visitors use them, at a push you can changed there too. There are ski racks but you would need your own lock. Jennewein have boot storage just opposite the Galzig lift. I hired skis from them so got it for free but believe they will do so for a fee if not hiring. They have a small number of lockers but these seem to be used by guides and instructors. Jennewein have the best selection of hire skis, the staff are very helpful, I believe the manager at Galzig is an Aussie. Note they dont open until 08:30 which might be a bit tight if wanting to get on the first lift. Sure Alber & Intersport will do the same.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I think Admin might draw the line at that