Looking at a trip first week in January for myself a beginner skier (2 weeks of skiing) and a snowboarder of many years. Obviously looking for a resort that has nice blue runs for me (ideally nice wide ones) but also suitable for a snowboarder (who generally follows behind me and makes sure he's there if I fall over and can't get up!)
The last two years we went to Zell am See which offered the perfect type of runs but we'd like to try somewhere new. Ideally in Austria as we love it. I was looking at Alpbach but the blue runs do not look suitable for boarding, especially blue 52.
Any suggestion on suitable resorts?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
If you were up for a change, Corvara and Civetta would fit the bill in the Dolomites - especially Corvara as there's just acres of blues there, and its stunning scenery.
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?
Very few snowboarders (or Telemarkers) around Corvara......so probably room for one more
I would have suggested Soll or any other resort in the Ski Welt area, however early Jan can be a bit rough if it's a bad year for snow. They do have extensive snow making though.
Personally I'd look for somewhere high and snowsure for that time of year, but also somewhere with trees in case the weather closes in. La Plagne in France is a great confidence building resort for a 2 week skier, it's high and has plenty of trees.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
have a look at the Grand Massif Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon or Samoens. good snow record and the whole area is linked with genuine blue runs and just one hour from Geneva
Zillertal? Hochfugen/Kaltenbach is pretty mellow. I skied there with a mixed ability skiing/ boarding crowd and it seemed to suit everyone.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I've never been to Austria, so can't help on that front - but it might be worth mentioning that when my partner and I were in exactly the same situation a couple of years back, we went to La Tania, France, which suited us both perfectly.
La Tania is a nice small place and relatively affordable, but linked to Courchevel and in turn to the huge 3V skiing area, which is enough to keep anyone happy. My partner, who's the experienced boarder, would happily go back to this area any time. There was no shortage of suitable runs for me, a skier on my second full week, and the home run to La Tania still ranks as one of my favourites - nice wide treelined run that was really quiet other than when people were returning back to resort at the end of the day - I skied it a lot! There's a choice between the local Courchevel lift pass (many gentle runs around) or the full 3V pass (a lot of blues in Meribel area, although these were more crowded; some nice quiet runs towards St Martin de Belleville, e.g. Jerusalem, which was a red when I was there but I believe has been re-graded as a blue this year - it was practically deserted when we were on it, beginning of February - one of my other favourites of all time!).
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thank you everyone for your help. Really appreciated and i'll take a look at your suggestions.
Has anyone been to Saalbach? Thoughts?
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We went to Saalbach on our third week skiing and loved it. You can get pretty much anywhere via blue runs but there are also alternative reds if you are so inclined. The lift system is one of the best and the recent extension to Fieberbrunn just adds to the area. Lots of lovely mountain huts for drinks and food during the day and the apres is legendary. They also have extensive snow making so no worries about cover.
If you liked Zell, you will love Saalbach.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
If you like your apres Austrian as well as your skiing then check out Ischgl. Good record for both early and late season snow and good number of blues and easy reds.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Treakletoes, I've sent you my guide to Saalbach and other info, as requested.
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.
Another vote for Saalbach/Hinterglemm - and you'll find Tatman's guide really useful. Or if you want somewhere higher, and more snowsure, take a look at Obergurgl/Hochgurgl. Loads of easy, long blues and some lovely reds to progress to. The long, winding red down to the bottom of Hochgurlg is particularly lovely.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Treakletoes wrote:
Has anyone been to Saalbach? Thoughts?
Yes, it's amazing, and would suit your needs perfectly!! Love the place.
Ischgl is a fantastic resort, but generally more challenging than Saalbach/Hinterglemm.
But yes, having spent a fair amount of time ski instructing in Saalbach it's one of my first recommendations for beginners/intermediates in Austria.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
As usual I'm going to suggest our home town: Grand Tourmalet / Bareges in the Hautes Pyrenees. I'm a good skier but beginner/intermediate snowboarder and find it very hard to beat. A good range of pistes, off-piste, cheap flights to Lourdes and not expensive. Here is a video some friends made last year (they were off-piste a lot but you get the idea): http://youtube.com/v/fbJpA6f1zHY
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The OP did say, "Ideally in Austria", didn't she?
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?
Is a difference in opinion regarding ideal allowed?
Being a snowboarder doesn't put any restrictions on where you can ride or what's good.
I've not been to Alpbach, but those cat-track runs which cut across a mountain (usually the easiest way down) aren't great runs generally. People on them are the slowest on the mountain and everyone else is going to cut their line, plus they're roads, which are really "transport" not ski runs. But there are plenty of other runs there. If you're learning then huge variety isn't necessarily what you want. Perhaps someone here will know, but there will be good runs for learners there I'm sure.
Suitable resorts... pretty much anywhere in Austria will be good if there's snow. I could list places I've ridden, but none of them have been bad. Ishgl gets pretty busy, and the runs back to the village are probably not great for learners - I think their teaching area will be high up. That's no problem, as the access lifts don't require skill or snow.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
Is a difference in opinion regarding ideal allowed?
@in garbure we trust, Of course. It's just that it always seems to be the case that people will ask for advice, based on an expressed preference, and that responders will then set about advising them on the basis of their own preferences. The OP says "ideally Austria" and then receives a series of recommendations of French resorts. (Not that it matters a jot - she's apparently already booked to go to Saalbach).
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Poster: A snowHead
