 Poster: A snowHead
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| Corky wrote: |
| No. What happened? Was planning to go but never made it. |
OMG you.missed a corker. (Sorry) this guy was hauled out the audience. If I knew how to post the video I would. Will never forget his performance of Delilah in all my days. Went up to congratulate him after....said he was a Welsh dairy farmer!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@RetroBod, upload it to Youtube, then paste the link here
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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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Currently in Zell am See and having a lovely week with family (skiers range from almost 4 to almost 70!). Missed skiing today on account of the rain and went swimming and to the sauna.
Need to choose between Saalbach and Kaprun for a final day change of scenery on Friday and whether piste 168 is open is a factor (although I'm keen to take everyone to Leogang regardless!). From what I can read here and on Saalbach's website it is still open....perhaps just.
I'd need to get an 8 year old down it at the end of the day. She's pretty good with her skiing but if it's a minefield at the end of the day I might give it a miss and go down via a different route. If anyone skis it tomorrow could they let me know what it is like.
Thanks!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@TomBH, 168 is closed today, you best bet is to take the bus from Viehhofen where the zellamseeXpress comes in, to the Schönleitenbahn and then on your way back take the Schönleitenbahn from mid station down then the bus back to the zellamseeXpress and back up to Zell
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| Quote: |
168 is closed today,
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Indeed it is, but I’ve just driven up to the Hecherhütte for a late lunch (scaring my sister to death - she’s not used to mountain roads with precipitous drops).
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On the way to the airport from Zell am See.
Never made it over to Saalbach unfortunately but a great week and that's the mountains done for this season. Thanks for all the tips and hints that made Saalbach in Jan and Zell in March such great trips!
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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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I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that of all the pistes I've ever skied, the infamous 168 here does not feature up on my list of the best pistes even in Saalbach, let alone anywhere else in the world. Am I missing something fundamental? It seems to have a cult-like following here, and yet we skied it in February, in excellent snow conditions, and when we got to the bottom I must confess I went 'was that it?' It's pleasant enough, but if I had to pick a single piste in Saalbach for epic-ness, I would pick 125, then 2a, and of course then the single fabulous run home made by 166 followed by 152 after late drinks up at the Wildenkarkogelhutte - done in one hit. Obviously that's not one piste, it's a few. But all of them better than 168. It does, however, make a useful route over to Zell am See, and that in turn leads to the lovely red run back down under the Zell Express, which imo is also a more exciting piste.
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| Quote: |
I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that of all the pistes I've ever skied, the infamous 168 here does not feature up on my list of the best pistes even in Saalbach
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Vive la différence! (It’s actually famous, rather than infamous).
I think that two things make it special: the lack of people (at least usually) and therefore the good condition of the piste leading down to the Hecherhütte; and the Hecherhütte at the halfway point - arguably the best mountain restaurant in the entire area.
Also it’s varied and interesting, and feels like an off the beaten track itinerary, rather than a piste.
But there are are certainly other long runs down - although your use of the word “infamous” probably does apply to piste 2a, which I once heard described by a local ski instructor as “blue in the morning, red by lunch time, and black in the afternoon”.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
the lovely red run back down under the Zell Express, which imo is also a more exciting piste.
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Probably the most hated piste in the entire area!
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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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For me with 168 it a nice run not often skied, never too busy nice views and natural snow, 125 is often crunchy, busy, and can be challenging for those early in their ski experience, thought it was a delight to ski in January as not busy, I don't like the narrow bit halfway down. @Tatmantours description of 2a is good, thought the reprofiling of the bottom section is an improvement.
On my list of enjoyable runs would be 168, 105, 109, 211, 212
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You know it makes sense.
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Quick update on our experience of https://www.austriatransfer.com/en
Pick up from Salzburg airport was scheduled for 12pm. Transfer consisted of ourselves going to Hinterglemm, and 3 others going to Saalbach. Once the driver rounded everyone up we were on our way by 11:50. Route went past Lofer. We were the final dropoff getting to our hotel by 13:20. Comfortable MPV type car, friendly driver & the company had a stand setup just as you were leaving the terminal - all easy.
The return leg was slightly more stressful. Our flight departure time was 11:15. We were picked up about 10mins ahead of our 07:15 slot. There were subsequent pickups at Saalbach, Zell and Kaprun so we weren't properly on our way until 08:20. Although googlemaps was suggesting about 1hr 30 mins, the driver seemed to think an hour was plenty time to get to Salzburg Airport and in a way he was right as we got there bang on 09:20 (going up some hills the car sounded like it was flat out). Route back was along the A10. If we hit any heavy traffic we'd probably have missed check-in. Think the flights of the other passengers were all closer to 12:30 so no issues for them.
Both vehicles were comfy, the drivers friendly and the price was ok. I'd use them again, but only if I was certain there would be a bit more tolerance built into the schedule.
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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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@weezer, useful feedback, thanks!
On the schedule tolerance, that's within your control - if your flight is at 1115, pickup at 0715 seems entirely reasonable but of course the detour to Kaprun wasn't factored in to your thinking. Personally if I had a flight at 1115 I'd tell them it was at 1045 or 1030 to build in some tolerance of my own. As it was, arrival at 0920 for a flight at 1115 is plenty of time especially if you're in terminal 2 with very limited airside facilities, and they have options to monitor the traffic and work around it, so even if the A10 was at a standstill I'd expect maybe a 15 minute delay max from a transfer company unless the traffic issue happened right in front of you and there was no option to avoid it by using the 159 instead. Between the two main routes and the various options to cut around incidents, almost all drivers should be pretty good at keeping to their schedules.
Missing flights because of traffic is pretty rare. Yes, it happens, but usually when people self-drive and aren't familiar with the route and the alternatives. Transfer companies have to cope with that regularly, and are either very good at it, or get poor reviews and go bust. The drivers also know where the speed cameras are 
Also, beware of Google Maps time estimates. They're based on distance and typical traffic conditions for that time of day and day of the week of course, including seasonal variations, but they also adapt to your journey and driving so if you started the map trace in Saalbach and then the car stopped in 3 places (including a 10Km detour into Kaprun and out again) for 5 minutes each while loading up luggage, it would show the likely time to Salzburg based on the average speed so far on the journey compared to the speed the app expected to be achieved, and that can significantly overestimate as a result. Once on the main run from Kaprun, it would converge on the real arrival time on the way. If the driver is typically doing 140kph in a 130kph limit, the app may see that as faster than the average and so the estimate is also inaccurate.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@weezer, We thought they were good too, I've posted a review a few pages back, the only way to really avoid that nervous bit on the way back if go for a private transport, i suppose were Holiday Shuttle are better is that they would have brought the people from Karprun to the petrol station at the bottom of the valley as they have an arrangement with the taxi companies in Zell, Kaprun, Leogang .
Won't be using them on the way back as their shuttle times doesn't work for us to its the Postbus via Maishofen.
We will certainly use them again.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good day today, we were on 2 by 9am! it was certainly in the best condition we have ever had and I thought January was good, headed over to Leogang and stoped for coffee at the Kraller Alm, interesting toilets.
Really enjoyed the skiing in Leogang apart from 207, never skied it before and thought it looked interesting, never again, it's a very long road and very boring, I've said to Mrs R she can slap me if I ever suggest it again!
Lunch at the Stockalm was good been meaning to go there for a while.
Coming back around 2ish into Saalbach bit slushy heading to the Shonleiten 6er only second half on 164, dowloaded on to the Kohlmaisbahn at mid station.
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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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Pretty good skiing going over to Fieberbrunn today, and also quiet. Surprised how many restaurants were closed (possibly because it’s Monday) - the Wildalpgatterl, the Ferchtlstadl, and the Hochhörndlhütte. But that gave us an opportunity to rediscover the excellent Fontana Stadl, which ticks the music, menu, service and suntrap boxes.
The Reckmoos South run at 3.30pm, and the run all the way down the Bernkogel at 4.00pm provided us with some excellent slushy mogul practice.
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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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@radar,
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Really enjoyed the skiing in Leogang
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We found some lovely skiing over there a couple of weeks ago. We really enjoyed top to bottom on 206-201-202. The snow was good all the way and we just about had 201 & 202 to ourselves. We liked it so much we did it a couple of times, followed by lunch at Alte Schmiede in the sun. 
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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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@RobMcQ, when you come back try the Stockalm a bit further on , big terrace at the back
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A Tatmanstours recommended stop
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 22-03-22 16:46; edited 1 time in total
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Had a great day today! Guided a fellow Snowhead (Hi Nicole!), and first time visitor to Saalbach, over to Leogang. Despite hot, sunny weather, we had lovely skiing/boarding. Did the Steinberg run once, and the Asitz run twice, in each case to the bottom. The little black at the bottom of the Asitz was in beautiful condition. The relative quietness of the pistes has made a big difference. Lunch at the Hendl Fischerei (“Chicken Man”), happy hour at the Bergeralm, and then finished off at the Spitzbub. A memorable day.
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Have made what is to me an amazing discovery, the live ski bus timetable is in the SBG Vekerhr app! 
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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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Austrian Transfer feedback on our return journey, got a text from the driver to say he was outside, very different to holiday shuttle were you can spend 15. Minutes or more waiting for the pick up and getting stressed.
11.15 pick up on the shuttle for 13.30 arrival, had to pick up a passenger near one of the Gasteins, so the motorway route rather than via Lofer, arrived Salzburg airport at 12.55.
Very friendly and helpful driver, who reassured us we had plenty of time and did we want to stop enroute to by some lunch, he had a very nice new air conditioned VW transporter mini bus.
Think they are going to be my go to transfer company
https://www.austriatransfer.com/en
We use tripcase to monitor our flight which went from 8 minutes delayed to 30 minutes delayed while on route, no stress on this trip
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Uncanny how on 1st April every (or at least that’s my perception) season we get a return to winter weather, with very cold temperatures and fresh snow.
Today I skied over to Hochalm and lunched in the Walleggalm, which was hosting today’s White Pearl Mountain Days party.
The pistes were mostly hard-pack with a sprinkling of fresh powder on top, and blissfully quiet. It was snowing “lightly” (i.e. heavily by U.K. standards) right down to the village level. Visibility was at times very limited, but soon improved as one skied lower. No lifts were closed, but there was certainly a wind chill factor, and it felt icy cold at times - more like December or January. The conditions over the next few days look promising. Off to Fieberbrunn tomorrow. Leogang the next day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Fresh powder, low temperatures, blue skies, and deserted pistes.
Today, 4th April 2022, was one of the best (if not THE best) days of the Saalbach ski season for piste skiing. Beginning with an ascent of the Schattberg Xpress and a few runs around the Westgipfel, we skied down to Jausern via piste 2a, ascended the Schönleitenbahn, and skied over to Leogang, where the pistes were in sublime condition - it really doesn’t get any better!
Lunched at the Stöcklalm and wondered why we don’t go there more often.
Called at the Bergeralm for happy hour on the way back. A couple of beers on that sunny belvedere, again deserted apart from a few of our friends, would have been a fitting way to end a beautiful day...except we hadn’t finished.
A procession of piste bashers had prepared a perfect carpet of corduroy all the way to the bottom, resulting in a certain amount of ecstasy and elation, as we glided and carved our way down at around 5.30pm.
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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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@tatmanstours, couldn’t agree more. Pretty much the route we took today. 2a a dream, best I’ve known it in many years. The blue from the top of the Asitz then onto the 2 blacks leading down to Leogang in amazing conditions. Took the 166 back to Saalbach, a quick wave to the lonely DJ at the Hinterhag and then up the Shattberg and over and down into Hinterglemm , an epic day!
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@summerseat, getting out reasonably early to get over to the Zwölferkogel tomorrow (then maybe Leogang again in the afternoon). Hope the weather doesn’t spoil it.
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You know it makes sense.
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@tatmanstours, friends in ski school report it very busy up the zwolferkogl, so if you want peace and quiet might be best avoided. Looks a bit overcast today but sun back tomorrow hopefully so back to Leogang, with the difficult choice of chicken man or Alte Schmeide for lunch!
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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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| Quote: |
friends in ski school report it very busy up the zwolferkogl, so if you want peace and quiet might be best avoided.
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Seems surprising - we had many of the pistes yesterday to ourselves.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ski schools full it seems, plus all from Saalbach on the learning slopes, progressing up the zwolfer
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@tatmanstours, Agree with you about the Stöcklalm only recently visited it, great terrace. We had thought of nipping back but the flight schedule isn’t what it used to be. Enjoy
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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 am notoriously a creature of habit in my menu choice at lunch time. As the season draws to a close (5 more days to go), I thought I’d publish my own personal ratings in this year’s gulasch soup stakes:
1. Hecherhütte (incomparably delicious)
2. Pulvermacherscherm (a new favourite)
3. Walleggalm (a surprising dark horse)
Honourable mentions amongst the also ran:
The Alte Schmiede and the Stöcklalm at Leogang
The Wildalpgatterl and the Hochhörndlhütte at Fieberbrunn
The Westgipfelhütte on Schattberg
(The search continues for a gulasch soup that can come even close to mounting a serious challenge to the absolute supremacy of the Hecherhütte’s perfect offering.)
Whilst on this theme, my ratings for spare ribs are:
1. Hendl Fischerei
2. Bauer’s Schialm
3. The Soul House (would have been at number one, but one of my dinner companions thought they tasted slightly of paraffin, or whatever they use in their smoker, and I know what he meant - although I ate mine anyway, and most of his).
The Parma might have made it to into the rankings, but unfortunately their ribs were a bit charred and overdone on one recent busy night.
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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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Now the season has ended, at least in Saalbach (apparently the glacier at Kaprun is still offering good conditions, and of course the Ski Circus season pass covers it until 1st May), it seems opportune to reflect on it.
After a shaky start, due to the pandemic, the post-Christmas holiday period and the high season were nonetheless relatively busy. As ever, mid-January and early/mid-March (as well as the week before Christmas and the first week of April) offered good conditions and relatively quiet pistes.
Apart from the occasional light top-up, dumps of any significance were few and far between, yet the season was pretty good in terms of the sufficiency and quality of the snow.
March was unusually sunny, but the snow conditions held up well for the first week or so. Later on in the month it became increasingly vital to get out early. I imagine that the Alps generally, if not most of Europe, were basking in the early Spring weather.
After some great skiing conditions with good snow and cold temperatures in early April, the warmest week was probably the second week of April, when we were skiing in tee-shirts (and, in the case of one young lady glimpsed on piste 166, completely topless), and the pistes became notably sticky and heavy by late morning, but then conditions improved radically again for the last few days of the season. I actually did more skiing between 13-18th April inclusive than any other week of the season, and 17th April was in fact my biggest skiing day. Even the notorious piste 2a was superb. Obviously the lack of people helped to keep the pistes in good shape.
Overall I think that this season did much to enhance Saalbach’s image. The piste maintenance was excellent, and the cold temperatures that prevailed during much of the season helped to keep the pistes in good condition. The après-ski took off later in the season, and many a first-time British visitor was heard enthusing about the resort, in terms of its general atmosphere as well as its skiing.
Bauers Schialm, Spitzbub and Burgi’s Bar were rocking as usual, but the new-look Soul House made a massive impression - certainly the best après-ski that I have witnessed here in Saalbach in a long time. The new-look Maisalm also attracted significant après-ski business, even early in the season, when everyone was supposed to be seated or wearing masks.
Once the restrictions were relaxed in early March, things started to get back to normal, with Castello and Taverne opening, and even the Hinterhag Alm creaking into gear with live music on the terrace. (By the way, I’ve not much idea what was going on in Hinterglemm, as I don’t tend to bother with the après there these days, but I believe that the Goassstall and the Schwarzacher were well-attended.)
The “White Pearl Mountain Days” mountain-top parties, in the last week of March and the first few days of April, seem to have gone very well as usual. I attended the ones at the Rosswaldhütte and the Breitfussalm, and I came away very favourably impressed, despite my general scepticism about anything that involves D.J.s, house music, scantily-clad dancers, and lots of bling - white table-cloths, candelabras, champagne buckets, “pearls” around the neck of every attendee, etc. Certainly a poseurs’ paradise, but also loads of entertainment and fun, with some genuinely good live musicians.
Some interesting stats from Skiline.cc: apparently this ski season I skied for 83 days and covered 1,745 km (1,084 miles) on skis, and I spent 2 days 13 hours sitting on ski lifts. Nice to have spent the winter doing something useful 
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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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@tatmanstours, WhilstI know it is only April have just booked a holiday for early January. I would appreciate your recommendaations for ski hire. I am sure there was a mention earlier in this thread but cannot find. My friend is also interested in buying some Stockli skis, she has more money than sense, so any info on which shop if any stocks these would be appreciated. Finally please let me know how I can obtain your indispensable quide to the resort. World war 3 not withstanding hope to be skiing in Saalbach in January. Have a great summer and many thanks in anticipation of your helpful advice.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@peter w, for your ski equipment hire go to “Hansi’s Best-Price”, a small, independent rental shop at the bottom of the main village street, next door but one to Bobby’s Pub.
Hansi is a personal friend, who speaks fluent English and will give you excellent service. His equipment is of good quality and renewed each season. His prices are competitive, as implied by the name of his shop, and he will happily match or undercut any other quotation. He will also give a special, additional discount to anyone who mentions that I recommended them to go to him - the “Tatman discount”. (I don’t get any monetary kick-back, but he does provide me with a pair of good skis and services them when necessary).
It may also interest some people that he has a bar in his shop, with a “schnapps fountain”, and he will welcome you with a schnapps or a spritzer.
For buying Stöckli skis your best bet is probably Ski-Pro, which has two shops in Saalbach. Hansi’s girlfriend works there, and there’s no harm in asking Hansi if there’s any chance of a discount.
Alternatively try Ski Fürst, just up the road from Hansi’s shop. Hansi sends his skis there for servicing, so again it might be worth asking about a discount. However in early January it’s obviously not as easy to get a discount as in late season (a friend of mine got something like a 50% discount on a pair of K2 Disruptions from the latter shop towards the end of the season).
You could also try Marcel Hagleitner at Hagleitners shop in Schulstraße. Marcel is the boss there and knows me as a resident of Saalbach. I don’t know if that would help you get a discount, but there’s no harm in asking. (He made me a good offer on a Ski Mojo recently and I do recommend his services for the Mojo or boot-fitting).
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@peter w, p.s. send me a PM with your email address, and I’ll send you my guide.
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Looking ahead to 22/23 season, and we've decided on Austria, and Saalbach-Hinterglemm is a potential.
I've found a B&B at a price i'm happy with, but it's a bit out of town. It's the Linzerhaus Frühstückspension.
There's a bus stop right nearby which is great for getting to skiing, but they stop running at 5pm, and i've then read there's a paid for service called the nightliner.
Any information on this at all? I can't seem to find any online. Does it run until late for us to go to either Saalbach or Hinterglemm for food/beer?
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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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you have to take bus number 680 for a fee
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From memory it runs hourly until around 8PM. Taxis are pretty readily available but you’d probably be looking at €15/20 for the trip.
If you expect to be out most nights I wouldn’t rule that place out but I would look for something more convenient.
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FAQ
