 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I am going to Zillertal (staying in Ramsau) this winter with a group of friends and 2 of them are non-skiers - but they love the skiing scene. Previously we have been to resorts where they have had no trouble buying a lift pass and using cable cars/gondolas and chair lifts so that they can pretty much end up in the same place as the rest of us do on skis - so we meet for drinks, lunch etc.
Try as I might I cannot find out whether the chairlifts in any of the Zillertal resorts take foot passengers. I know there are plenty of cable cars/gondolas but there are some areas with mountain restaurants etc. which look as if they can only be accessed by chairlifts.
Does anyone have any experience of being in Mayrhofen or Zell as a foot passenger in the winter?
Thanks for any advice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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MandyG, Welcome to snowHeads! 
I'm pretty certain that in Mayrhofen foot passengers can go up the Ahorn cable car (the Ahorn has plenty of blue nursery slopes at the top and gentle gradients), but the only way down back to Mayrhofen on snow is via a red piste, so I'd recommend foot passengers take the cable car back down. At the Ahorn by the cable car there's the Freiraum Cafe Bistro. Near to the top cable car station is the more rustic Ahornhutte. I expect that foot passengers can also take the Penkenbahn gondola up to the Penken, but I'm not sure how far from there they can get on foot.
At Zell am Ziller and Kaltenbach further down the valley they'll be able to take gondolas up to the top and visit some of the restaurants near the top gondola stations, but again I'm unsure as to how far they can get from there.
Possibly a query to the Mayrhofen tourist office may help: http://www.mayrhofen.at/en/101008/winter-holiday-family.html
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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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Mayrhofen does not allow foot passengers on the chair lifts so your foot fellows would not easily get beyond the areas at the top of the gondolas, I suspect this will be the case in most resorts.
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The Kaltenbach gondola takes you up to a massive and fairly poor self service restaurant. But a 10 minute walk up gets you to the Platzlalm, which is a lovely hut inside and out with great food. The Zitmstadl hut is also walkable from there and worth a look in too.
The gondola up to the Penken area from Finkberg has a great old fashioned hut right next to the mid-station and another modern restaurant with great views at the top. The main Penken gondola can get pedestrians up to the same area ( I think) as it connects to a Chondola that will be pedestrian accessible. The very top of Penken is quite flat so it's easy enough to wander around and take in the views before hitting the umbrella bar.
Don't remember there being anything special at the top of the Zell gondola - just a self service place I think.
Your friends might like a trip up to Gerlos. It's a fair bit higher than the other resorts so likely to have snow on the ground. There is a nice little woodland walk though the forest the other side of the river from the village. Several bars/restaurants in the village and a big but quite good modern self-service place at the top of the gondola.
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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.
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If they take the Horberg gondola they can access a couple of restaurants. In terms of the chairlifts, then the only one they may have some joy on is the penken combibahn as that is mixture of chairs and gondola. The other option would be for them to take the bus around to Finkenberg as they can then get the gondola up to the Penkenjochhaus, Penkentenne and Christa's Skialm.
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Thanks for all the help everyone.
It's a bit disappointing if they can't use the chairs as have been to places over the last few years (Zell am See, Serfaus, Obertauern) where there were always at least some they could use. Still looks like plenty of options using gondolas/cable cars. Glad we'll be able to access some of the more traditional mountain restaurants as that is one of the reasons we prefer Austria.
Hopefully one day the rest of us can ski from Zell to Krimml and they can meet us there using the bus. Then those that don't want to make the return on skis can go back on the bus with them!
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Mayrhofen has that funky combined gondola-chair thing, but i think only accesses one more restaurant. For some reason I had a feeling the chair between top of Penken and top of Horberg bahns did allow foot passengers, but maybe it was someone that just knew the liftie.
Would have suggested Kaltenbach restaurants mentioned above. Or Gerlos (ie skiers start from Zell am Ziller and ski round, with the walkers getting bus to Gerlos). Funky lift with 2 mid stations joining Zell to Gerlos (definitely not good for non-skiers).
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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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Another option for a cracking day out. Take the train/bus to Kaltenbach and ski over to Hochfugen. Your non-skiing friends stay on the bus and go up to HochFugen, which is nice and snow and has some good huts close to the road. The lift connecting to Kaltenbach is a gondola which takes pedestrians. At the top of the lift is the Wedelhutte - probably one of the poshest and coolest huts in the Alps. A great place to meet for lunch, though I'd strongly advise booking.
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Valkyrie, Another good call for Hochfugen! Wedelhutte website here.
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