 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok folks, I am a glass half empty sort of girl. We have 5 nights booked in Lofer, Austria over New Year. I am still hoping and praying that the snow will come and we will get some snow, no looking to off piste or any fresh powder, just some easy blues will do us.
Thinking of cancelling our accomodation and maybe staying nearer Zell am see where we could ski Kitzenhorn.
But if worst happens and it is all green pastures for New Year, what do folks do in small ski village, other than eat and drink. Have visited Salzburg a few times, will probably spend a day in Munich this time, any other suggestions.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lofer isn't a million miles from Zell anyway, so why move?
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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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@2waterford, for piste skiing I wouldn't worry too much. But you have plenty of other options nearby - SkiWelt etc, so just go ski those.
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Thanks guys, plan had been to ski most in Ellmau and Waidring
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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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All I can think of is what people do in the Alps in the summer... hiking and so on. As I'm assuming there are no other leisure facilities.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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There's a big spa in Bad Reichenhall? And if it's sunny weather what could be nicer than walking in beautiful surroundings? (Well, yes, skiing would be nicer......).
Personally I would choose reading and walking every day over patronizing the "wellness facilities". 
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| 2waterford wrote: |
Thinking of cancelling our accomodation and maybe staying nearer Zell am see where we could ski Kitzenhorn.
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That sounds like a good idea
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If snow is really bad (which is by no means certain at this stage, of course, it could be absolutely fine) the really high areas might be too busy to be very enjoyable at New Year.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
Personally I would choose reading and walking every day over patronizing the "wellness facilities". |
I couldn't agree more. If I couldnt ski, I would be out walking and enjoying the views and fresh air. Or I would take a gondola up and sit outside a mountain restaurant and still enjoy the views and fresh air.
However, I still can't believe that conditions are going to be that bad over new year. Thats still three weeks away!!
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1. Hire a car and drive to an open (but almost certainly horribly crowded) resort.
2. Hire a road bike and enjoy the magnificent cycling in the area.
3. Hire a mountain bike and enjoy some of the magnificent off road trails in the area.
4. Don your walking boots and enjoy some of the magnificent hiking in the area.
5. Catch the train to Salzburg, soak up the culture and do some shopping.
6. Visit an old salt mine and soak up some history.
7. Visit some of the magnificent historic sights/castles/villages in the area.
8. Eat.
9. Drink.
I've spent many happy summer holidays down the valley in Zell. Given a bike, car and walking boots, I couldn't be bored however hard if I tried.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd want to add some good books to that list. Sorted. 
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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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@pam w, couldn't agree more.
More controversially, I'd probably also use the peace and quiet to make my way through some suitable online study with Coursera or equivalent.
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@2waterford, You're staying in Lofer but planning to ski in Ellmau  so I assume you have a car, in which case you can drive 20 mins to Saalfelden, then choose whether you turn left for Maria Alm, right for Leogang and the Ski Circus, or go straight on for either Saalbach or Zell am See. All are within 20 mins of Saalfelden. If there is no snow anywhere, then go to Salzburg - Kitzsteinhorn will be rammed.
Even with the high temperatures, there is currently good skiing above mid-station in Saalbach - see the Saalbach-hinterglemm thread for recent photos - and it is snowing right now down to about 1300m.
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You know it makes sense.
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| quinton wrote: |
@2waterford, You're staying in Lofer but planning to ski in Ellmau so I assume you have a car, in which case you can drive 20 mins to Saalfelden, then choose whether you turn left for Maria Alm, right for Leogang and the Ski Circus, or go straight on for either Saalbach or Zell am See. All are within 20 mins of Saalfelden. If there is no snow anywhere, then go to Salzburg - Kitzsteinhorn will be rammed.
Even with the high temperatures, there is currently good skiing above mid-station in Saalbach - see the Saalbach-hinterglemm thread for recent photos - and it is snowing right now down to about 1300m. |
tHank you, yes we have a car, off to look at Saalbach pictures
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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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| Jonny Jones wrote: |
1. Hire a car and drive to an open (but almost certainly horribly crowded) resort.
2. Hire a road bike and enjoy the magnificent cycling in the area.
3. Hire a mountain bike and enjoy some of the magnificent off road trails in the area.
4. Don your walking boots and enjoy some of the magnificent hiking in the area.
5. Catch the train to Salzburg, soak up the culture and do some shopping.
6. Visit an old salt mine and soak up some history.
7. Visit some of the magnificent historic sights/castles/villages in the area.
8. Eat.
9. Drink.
I've spent many happy summer holidays down the valley in Zell. Given a bike, car and walking boots, I couldn't be bored however hard if I tried. |
And as it's New Year...
10. Buy fireworks to lob at the locals. They love a bit of anti firework code action.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
sit outside a mountain restaurant
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Erm......not really sure what I'd do 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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According to the Loferer Alm web site the area is opening next weekend and then daily from 17th December. Mind you, the webcams there don't show great cover presently. By New Year things could be fine (the snow came on Boxing Day last year). So I wouldn't worry too much presently and, as others have said, there are other options not far away. E.g. I had a great day's skiing last week in Saalbach/Hinterglemm (and Fieberbrunn) and the weekend before that skiing over to Saalbach from Leogang was also good. It was largely artificial snow and just on the pistes but not bad at that (hopefully sufficient for the Christmas crowds).
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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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Get steaming drunk on Jagermeister and make a nuisance of yourself to the locals.
Brit tradition, innit.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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That last suggestion would, unlike some of the earlier ones, be suitable even if it's p!ssing down with rain.....
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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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2waterford, here are some photos to let you see what the conditions are presently on the Loferer Alm. I skied there yesterday and had an enjoyable day, despite the restricted possibilities, no stress, no crowds (though that may be different at New Year). There is no snow in the valley; this is a view from the Almbahn I gondola just after leaving the bottom station...
So no valley run, not even to the middle station. I had hoped that might be possible. Arriving at the top station of the gondola, things looked better...
Only two chairlifts, the Family Express and the Schwarzeck, and a Magic Carpet in the beginners' area were running yesterday. And, accordingly, only those two pistes were open. The piste by the Schönbühel chairlift also looked skiable but a bit scrappy near the bottom. I asked a lift operator whether they would be running that lift when the daily opening starts in a few days and he said, they hope to but it would depend on the weather allowing more snow making.
The next photo, taken from the piste by the Family Express chair, probably gives the best impression of the current situation, showing the Schwarzeck piste winding its way down the hill, a strip of artificial snow, as in many other resorts just now...
And here is a general view looking in the opposite direction from the top of the Schwarzeck chairlift...
The Steinplatte at Waidring is visible in the photo, on the right in the backround. The lifts were running there but, as far as I could judge from the distance, the snow cover looked similar to that at the Loferer Alm.
The pistes were good to ski, basically hard-packed but with the Schwarzeck softening in the sun as the day went on. I too still hope for (and expect) more snow before New Year, though the immediate forecast doesn't promise much. I had lunch at the Schönblick hut, which was flying its Union Jack upside down. I hadn't found the snow conditions so distressing 
Hope you have a good holiday!
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Thank you Espri. Looking forward to arriving.
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@2waterford, we are staying near Saalbach at the moment. It's been below freezing here over the last few days so most resorts are using their snowmaking facilities. We have skiied Saalbach, Muhlbach (part of Hochkoenig) and Kitzsteinhorn and all were nearly fully open. Most other resorts nearby appear to have at least some slopes open.
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| Quote: |
It's been below freezing here over the last few days so most resorts are using their snowmaking facilities.
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I think that's fairly common at the moment with big inversions. The message for this coming Christmas might be "go low". I posted a picture on the weather thread of resort in the southern French alps where they are making snow in the valley and taking it up the mountain in trucks!
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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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Drive to a big resort with snow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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FAQ
