 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Looking for some advice. Boyfriend and I are planning 14th dec ski trip. He's an advanced boarder and I'm a skier, just getting onto reds and feeling ok on them but I'm not ready for blacks yet. We have been to Tignes/val very cheaply on lots of long weekends and are now looking for somewhere new to go for a week that wont break the bank. We've also been to LDA together, neither of us have been to Austria.
So, I've heard that St anton can be pretty advanced and my worry is that by 14th dec, many possibly easier runs, might still be shut, and I'll be in trouble. Also heard it might be too quiet a resort then. We are looking at an inghams chalet in the sonnenweise area.
Alpe D'Huez is affordable and skiing looks varied however I've heard some reports that the resort isn't great. We are looking at Chalet Hotel Les Cimes. We want a resort that has some nice chilled pubs/bars and that we can easily walk round in the evening. It doesn't need to be picture pretty, just have a walkable centre with some shops/ restaurants etc.
Thoughts much appreciated!
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My question is, which resort would people recommend wc 14th dec?
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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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If anything, it's the harder runs in St Anton that don't open earlier on in the season in my experience. How do you mean by too quiet? Still plenty going on pre Christmas, opening parties and the like at the various bars and pubs in town and on the slope (although you may miss a lot of them). The Alpenheim (guess that's the chalet, it's the only Inghams chalet in Sonnenweise) is ina good location, not too far to the centre of town or the lifts (Fangbahn chair just a short walk away, Nassereinbahn gondola and Galzigbahn a little further, can access quite easily using the button lifts near by).
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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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snizzle, you'll be fine. The 'blacks' in LDA are far longer and steeper than anything in the Arlberg area and there's certainly nothing piste-wise in St Anton that's particularly challenging and its 'blacks' are just kinda dark red at most. The trick is to not get mown down by over confident or drunken muppets on the bottleneck blue home run (the Steissbachtal/Happy Valley).
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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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Happy Valley will be much easier to avoid for people this Winter, they're upgrading the Tanzboden T-bar this summer to make it in to a chair with a piste to it as opposed to the iffy itinerary route allowing easy access back up to the top of Galzig to be able to get the gondola back down.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sitter, both resorts are good St Anton slightly better especially for a bit of nightlife, BUT the big issue is which will have snow. I wouldn't book either until much closer to the time. St Anton is way more likely to have some snow but you never know.
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snizzle, St Anton will be limbering up that week, the resort won't be fully open by then, though quite a bit will be, and of course you also have Lech and Zurs. By and large snowfall is often pretty good further east (ie Austria) early season, because it is colder, but of course it all depends (for what it's worth I've had great skiing conditions mid December in Austria six of the last seven seasons). Just to add to the options I'd suggest you take a serious look at Ischgl.
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snizzle, I've been to ADH and St Anton, went ot ADH for a pre-Christmas trip two years ago. I really liked ADH - plenty of varied runs and different areas, lots to check out. Can get a TO package very cheaply in those first two season-opening weeks.
I wasn't as bowled over with St Anton as everyone else seems to be as I didn't like having to get busses to the various parts of the ski area. The 'amazing apres' scene that everyone talks about is actually a couple of bars on the slopes playing crap cheesy music to endure, before skiing down in the dark a little the worse for wear. Plus people can smoke in bars so loads of the places in town are gross.
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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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If there are only 2 of you then wait until last minute. Very early in the season and each will have last minute availability. Go to the one with the best snow conditions. Neither resort is pretty but once your on the mountain what does that matter. The mountains are beautiful just about everywhere!
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Both good resorts, St Anton probably has the better standard of accommodation out the two but you will pay for that. Personally, I love ADH - good mix of Apres Ski and not horrifying prices. St Anton... is St Anton.
Ski wise you'll be happy with either, but neither is absolutely snow - sure in December, although the Glacier will be fine in ADH.
My advice would be to book closer to the time when the snow reports come out.
Another one to think about in my opinion, that early on would be Ishcgl.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Went to ADH this year and think that its lacking something but couldnt quite put my finger on what. On paper it looks like a great well planned out resort with the harder runs at the top all coming down into the easier ones but the lift system was tediously slow taking over an hour to get to the top of the mountain one day up the main cablecars. The runs were definitely lacking in something, they just didnt have the magic that other resorts seem to have and felt more like you were on them to get somewhere else rather than enjoying that run. One big exception was the black over the back of the signal as it was empty and we had half a meter of fresh pow so that definitely was magical!
The nightlife was very lacking when we went even thought the resort was supposed to be at max occupancy and it certainly wasn't cheap at 7-14 Euros a beer.
We went mid Jan and had snow for 2 days then rain for 3 days so the snow in Dec could be patchy.
It is one resort I wont be going back to, much rather 3 Valleys or Val D but cant compare it to St Anton as not made it there yet
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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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I like both but know ADH much better. St Anton is better if you want to get wasted while listening to DJ Otzi. It probably in general does better in terms of early season snow, but every season is different so I'd wait til nearer the time before deciding
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| Quote: |
On paper it looks like a great well planned out resort with the harder runs at the top all coming down into the easier ones but the lift system was tediously slow taking over an hour to get to the top of the mountain one day up the main cablecars. The runs were definitely lacking in something, they just didnt have the magic that other resorts seem to have and felt more like you were on them to get somewhere else rather than enjoying that run.
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Funny, I feel exactly the opposit about ADH! All the runs were fun and there weren't many/any tedious flat links and horribly busy home runs.
Lift system was fine.
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You know it makes sense.
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| kat.ryb wrote: |
| Quote: |
On paper it looks like a great well planned out resort with the harder runs at the top all coming down into the easier ones but the lift system was tediously slow taking over an hour to get to the top of the mountain one day up the main cablecars. The runs were definitely lacking in something, they just didnt have the magic that other resorts seem to have and felt more like you were on them to get somewhere else rather than enjoying that run.
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Funny, I feel exactly the opposit about ADH! All the runs were fun and there weren't many/any tedious flat links and horribly busy home runs.
Lift system was fine. |
Your right about the lack of flat bits (as I was boarding and skiing I did appreciate that) and the lack of the usual jam of everyone going home but there was definitely something not right with the resort. There is that massive flat bit at the bottom of that long black thats actually a gentle red which Ive just remembered though
The lifts are terrible if you go up from the main gondola and then up the cablecar. It took an age to get to the top of the first lift and again to the top of the mountain atleast an hour and the queues wernt actually that bad just painfully slow lifts.
Did like the tunnel though, thats quite a cool run.
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