 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi.
Thinking of heading out to St Christoph for Christmas this year. Has anyone been out there at start of the season? It sounds like there should be plenty of snow, decent skiing and so on. Is this for real or the holiday company hype? We're not fussed with the apres scene so dont see the benefit in paying the extra for St Anton.
Also, is it mega busy or is there decent amount of space? I'll happily ski wherever whenever but the other half is not as confident and doesn't like it when its shoulder to shoulder skiing.
Finally, from looking at the pistemap is it well connected to the Arlberg area or does the piste map make it look better than it is? We have done Alta Badia for the last year or two and dont mind a short ski to access the main area but dont want it to be a mission to get anywhere. I know there's the busses but seems daft paying for ski in/ski out if I then have to spend 30 mins on a bus every morning...
Thanks for any comments & ideas.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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St Christoph is part of the Arlberg so definately connected. One chair up to the top of Galzig and away you go (can be shut on occasion due to weather, so can be a little isolated should you get that, but free bus round to Anton will give you access to any of the lifts that may be operating round that side which are more sheltered than StC). Not sure what the queues are like at the StC chair first thing, but if heading over to Lech/Sonnenkopf it's a bit quicker than going from Anton as the chair brings you high enough to get to the piste towards Schindler/Arlenmahder so if you go first thing you may well get there before the bus queues appear.
Snow wise, all depends on what the weather does (last season being an example of a bad start), but they will get runs open.
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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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@imull, I've never been to St Christoph. But it reads from your post that you want to use it to access the St Anton slopes and mainly ski there. My experience has been that St Anton slopes are not the best for nervous intermediates...
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@imull, I was there for the season opening weekend a few years ago with my son. We stayed in St Anton but skied over on Saturday. I loved it and there was a lot more snow than in St. A and the pistes were deserted. Even that early lots of the St A stuff was busy with fast skiers, we were nervous intermediates and much preferred the St Christoph side. Enjoy. 
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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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I went in early December many years ago and it was brilliant if a little cloudy.
St Christoph is a charming high pass small village and to my mind a bit exclusive as is Zug down towards Lech.
I think I would rather stay there than Stanton.
The Hospice is by the way my all time favourite alpine restaurant, and is a must to visit.
Go for it!
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Have been there before Christmas - lovely resort with easy access to St Anton. Great for day trip to Lech where the slopes are gentler than St Anton with some great restaurants at Oberlech.
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@imull, I was in Lech mid-December last year, and visited St Christoph; plenty of snow then, with the skiing open over to St Anton. Very nice conditions in St C., but pretty low cloud/murky in St Anton
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Yep, even with the awful start to the season last winter, there was snow on the ground in St Christoph (in the village) from Dec until late April.
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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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St Christoph will be great at Christmas. St Anton gets a bad press for mega busy slopes, but a lot of this is down to the home run "happy valley" when everyone is heading back to St Anton in the afternoon. You'll be going in the opposite direction by then so won't have any problems. It's actually a really nice run when you do it before lunchtime. The main run into St Christoph is a blue, great fun and one of the easier pistes in the area. If you want quiet pistes then Stuben is usually the least crowded area and you can get there and back from St Christoph without using a bus. It's got the oldest, slowest chairs in the Arlberg so best avoided on very cold days. I was there on a cold, windy, snowy day this season and I think there were about a dozen skiers on the mountain. The skiing was fine but it was amazing just how brutally cold you could get sitting on the chair.
Be worth using the bus on one or two days. Zurs pistes are quite steep, Lech pistes are generally a bit more gentle. There are two links between Lech and Zurs but they're both one way, so there's a marked "White Ring" route which links all the pistes you need to do the full circuit. It's a fun route around Zurs/Lech but can get very busy just because it has become a thing to do. The main choke point on it is the little two man chair that you need to take from Zurs to Lech, so unless you're fussed about ticking off the White Ring I'd recommend getting the bus to Lech. Ski Lech for the morning, have lunch in Lech or Oberlech and then take the Rufikopf cable car to ski over to Zurs.
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| Gämsbock wrote: |
| @imull, I've never been to St Christoph. But it reads from your post that you want to use it to access the St Anton slopes and mainly ski there. My experience has been that St Anton slopes are not the best for nervous intermediates... |
Thanks for your reply. We want somewhere that is connected to the whole area and means we can essentially get anywhere, as with teh Sella Ronda, rather than spending half the day getting to/from the main ski area.
She who must be occasionally obeyed is plenty good enough to ski the Sella and will even take the odd black run on but just doesnt like crowds. As someone else confirmed our hope was that by staying up in St Cristoph we would avoid happy valley and the bedlam that we have heard about...
Thanks everyone for your help. Xmas in St C it is. Anyone else thinking of heading out with Inghams?
Cheers,
Sandy
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Going slightly off-topic, with regards to "Happy Valley", we'll be staying at the Nasserein end of St.Anton the NY week. If we're returning from skiing on Galzig or around St.Christoph, can we avoid the bottom half of "happy valley" by cutting across to the 4 seat chair that goes up Grampen (around runs 20 & 23 on piste map)? It looks like that will give us an easier ski back down to Nasserein on run 24, but will it also be quieter last thing than Happy Valley?
Personally I can usually cope with just about anything. The wife, although a decent skier when she gets her confidence, probably won't appreciate a busy, cut up piste. Our 8yr old son, one week and a few days on snow but learning quickly, might also struggle with a lumpy piste if tired.
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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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Xmas Week is not as busy as New Year week.
December 24th (Xmas) is QUIET everything closes at 17:00. Many Austrain workers go home to there familys.
Most Germans/Dutch go hoe for Xmas.
St Christoph only has High End Hotels.
Start of the season it can vary . Normally good but last season the start was bad the run ( to St Christoph was designated a Ski red itinery route (At your own risk) up until just after Xmas Day when they received some snow . Consequently it detered many people from skiing down to St Christoph. Folk were descending by the Chair.
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| Ravelin wrote: |
Going slightly off-topic, with regards to "Happy Valley", we'll be staying at the Nasserein end of St.Anton the NY week. If we're returning from skiing on Galzig or around St.Christoph, can we avoid the bottom half of "happy valley" by cutting across to the 4 seat chair that goes up Grampen (around runs 20 & 23 on piste map)? It looks like that will give us an easier ski back down to Nasserein on run 24, but will it also be quieter last thing than Happy Valley?
Personally I can usually cope with just about anything. The wife, although a decent skier when she gets her confidence, probably won't appreciate a busy, cut up piste. Our 8yr old son, one week and a few days on snow but learning quickly, might also struggle with a lumpy piste if tired. |
You wouldn't be able to avoid Happy Valley (Steissbachtal), but you would be able to avoid the section from Zammermoos down past Mooserwirt/Griabli to the Galzigbahn which can be just as bad, if not worse, than the Happy Valley section. Once out of Happy Valley, take the piste spur down skiers left to the Mattunbahn and ski down to Nasserein from there.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ravelin wrote: |
Going slightly off-topic, with regards to "Happy Valley", we'll be staying at the Nasserein end of St.Anton the NY week. If we're returning from skiing on Galzig or around St.Christoph, can we avoid the bottom half of "happy valley" by cutting across to the 4 seat chair that goes up Grampen (around runs 20 & 23 on piste map)? It looks like that will give us an easier ski back down to Nasserein on run 24, but will it also be quieter last thing than Happy Valley?
Personally I can usually cope with just about anything. The wife, although a decent skier when she gets her confidence, probably won't appreciate a busy, cut up piste. Our 8yr old son, one week and a few days on snow but learning quickly, might also struggle with a lumpy piste if tired. |
Actually it is possible to avoid. But you should skiing down from Galzig using steep black piste 2 "Kandagar' and just before end of piste, moves to straight left.
And then, you will be able to get to 4 seat chair that goes up to Gampen.
But, I am not sure is it ok for your family or not.
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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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Alta Badia/SellaRonda has much easier skiing than St.Anton
Also St.Christoph is not the most atmospheric place, it is rather cold and windy. And no (christmas) trees at 1800 m.
Lech has much more atmosphere, easier skiing, and also quieter.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Einari78 wrote: |
| Ravelin wrote: |
Going slightly off-topic, with regards to "Happy Valley", we'll be staying at the Nasserein end of St.Anton the NY week. If we're returning from skiing on Galzig or around St.Christoph, can we avoid the bottom half of "happy valley" by cutting across to the 4 seat chair that goes up Grampen (around runs 20 & 23 on piste map)? It looks like that will give us an easier ski back down to Nasserein on run 24, but will it also be quieter last thing than Happy Valley?
Personally I can usually cope with just about anything. The wife, although a decent skier when she gets her confidence, probably won't appreciate a busy, cut up piste. Our 8yr old son, one week and a few days on snow but learning quickly, might also struggle with a lumpy piste if tired. |
Actually it is possible to avoid. But you should skiing down from Galzig using steep black piste 2 "Kandagar' and just before end of piste, moves to straight left.
And then, you will be able to get to 4 seat chair that goes up to Gampen.
But, I am not sure is it ok for your family or not. |
Kandahar at the end of the day can be horrific, not necessarily due to the number of people, but the number and size of moguls coupled with tiring people who have been on the slopes/bars all day. If going that way you would need to keep skiers left so you don't miss the turn down to cross the blue and on to Mattunbahn. Personally I'd rather take Happy valley.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ Sitter & Einari78 Thanks, I at least have a better idea of where "Happy Valley" is now. Looks pretty unavoidable so we'll just have to get the timing right and/or enjoy the experience. I could cope with the black, but the wife and son wouldn't.
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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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@imull, The piste down to St C is probably the easiest in resort, with some good powder on the edges for playing in if conditions permit. Chair from St C can be susceptible to wind but not a major issue, but worst case scenario you just jump on free ski bus to St Anton. I've never stayed in St C because (a) its too expensive, and (b) remoteness, I like access to St Anton and Rendl (lift in main town) and like a couple of beers in town after the day.
@Ravelin, There's a lot made of Happy Valley - never had a problem, less confident skiers just need to stay close to the edges I suggest, more competent (and hence faster) skiers tend to just fly down and ride the bumps, and are aware of the slower skiers, I've not seen an accident on there in 25 years. Worst case, you just track along the cat-track to Galzig and go down on the Galzig lift.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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No no no. Less competent skiers should stick to the middle of Happy Valley freeing up the edges ( or outside the poles) for those who want to go a little faster. Re St Christoph be prepared for it feeling very isolated ( like the moon in a snowstorm) and very little activity outside your hotel.
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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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| Quote: |
very little activity outside your hotel
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+1. Have only been to St. Christoph the once (at easter not xmas) a few years ago. It is just a handful of hotels, one of which has a ski hire shop attached. Perfect if you like the isolation/silence and enjoy sitting in your hotel all evening. Not so good for an evening stroll.
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I've never found Happy Valley that bad either. The home run to Ischgl at the end of the day is WAY worse.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, Gotcha! Of course fastest at the edge, was tongue in cheek! 
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@clarky999, yep Ischgl home run not great especially the last icy ramp in front of Hotel terrace crowd!
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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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The Wilde grub'n in Stubaital some year ago was like a scene from Waterloo. They started grooming a few years back but before that I would rate it with Anton or Ischgl for mayhem.
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@Piste View, haha you're right there!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@clarky999, ....mid November circa. 2004, no snow for weeks, fading light, the entire population of Tirol and Bavaria heading to the car park - very grisly carnage! I guess you could draw on a few memories as well 
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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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@Markymark29, ... the real tragic cases are those who kick off their skis to attempt that last Ischgl pitch in ski boots, only to end up in the middle of the Dorfstrasse minus accessories. Why in ski boots????
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Ah yes that was an icy one back in 1993 .... must go back ...
Lots to watch from the Umbrella bar...
Hey I thought this thread was about St Christoph?
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You know it makes sense.
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I have spent Christmas in St Anton. We had Christmas Day lunch in the Hospise. It was really lovely. Dead quiet and magical. Would like to do it again. The lunch bill came and seemed reasonable considering, I paid it and off we went, a few days later I found the bill in my pocket and upon closer inspection it was just the bar bill!
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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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Thanks. Not too fussed about the quiet/remote feeling. Rarely bother to wander out of the hotel on a night anyway but thanks for the heads up.
Cost wise, we thought it was comparable with similar holidays we have had in the past. Going with Inghams as just dont have the spare time to devote to building out own 'package'...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
The lunch bill came and seemed reasonable considering, I paid it and off we went, a few days later I found the bill in my pocket and upon closer inspection it was just the bar bill!
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 so you'll only be going back in heavy disguise?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Having stayed in St Cristoph several times it is not remote, not unless you consider a frequent bus service to St Anton lasting nearly 15-20 minutes as being in the outback. Having stayed in both, I would always choose St Cristoph.The Inghams hotel St Cristoph is a delight with a beautiful swimming pool, nice bedrooms and very spacious. In the morning there is a poma almost at the door from which you ski to the main lift and in all the times I have been there it was only off for a couple of hours.
If going to Lech/Zurs, avoid the bus queue and paying for the bus on the way out by skiing from St Cristoph to Alpe Rauz (involves a number of lifts) which is more fun, gets you warmed up and take the free bus from there. Perhaps prudent at the end of the day to take the pay bus the whole way back from Lech/Zurs to St Cristoph as it takes quite a long time to ski back to St Cristoph from Alpe Rauz with the possibility of lifts closing before you reach them. This then necessitates skiing the whole way to St Anton via Happy Valley, although by this time it will probably be deserted, and getting the bus from there. You cannot get lost as you will hear the drinkers packed out at the Krazy Kanguruh near the bottom of the slopes.
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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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| handyman wrote: |
| Having stayed in St Cristoph several times it is not remote, not unless you consider a frequent bus service to St Anton lasting nearly 15-20 minutes as being in the outback. |
Driving that road in a proper storm feels like you're on the moon... And the busses don't run in storms like that.
Obviously that's fairly unlikely, and being stuck on the moon with all that new snow wouldn't exactly be a hardship either
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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St criistoph is lovely and the ain't hams hotel great. The food is top notch for a main one operator. The hospice restaurant over the road is simply beautiful and oozes old style class.
St criistoph is quieter than St anton but easily linked in. Most of the skiing is far more challenging than Alta Badia and expect lots of twenty something testosterone charged nutters on the lash in SA compared to the more refined, older types you'll be used to in Covara and San Cassiano. lech and Zurs are simply beautiful and very classy. It's just a short bus ride from St Christoph
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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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| Quote: |
St criistoph is lovely and the ain't hams hotel great.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sorry. iPad doesn't like Inghams
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