 Poster: A snowHead
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I've never been to Zell am Zee before, so its about time.
I can ski OK, my wife can ski OK too ... but she don't like anything that hints at being a black run.
So I want to instill some confidence in her and perhaps we may both start off with a couple of days of lessons.
Is this the place for us?
Any tips and hints gratefully accepted. Also prayers for deep snow and sunny blue skies from 21st Jan.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Beautiful village and the slopes are good. Bit of a drag having to get bus, then cabin up as we were staying by the lake but good easy, mid runs, but people stop right across the piste. It was half term. Have fun and enjoy the town.
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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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She will love the beauty of the area..
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You will enjoy it. It's a few years since I was last there, but the one restaurant (on the hill, not in the town) that sticks in my mind is the Pinzgauerhuette? It is worth a trip for lunch. Exceptional location / views / food. Drop off the back by the base station of the Kapellenbahn (after you ski down from the Schmittenhöhe you turn left before going up the drag lift further on) and ski down the road 750 - 800 yards. They give you a free lift back on a skidoo or towed behind a skidoo. The Kaiserschmarrn (a sweet dessert like chopped up pancakes with raisins and icing sugar) was excellent but very very filling. If you do get there and if you do try the Kaiserschmarrn, have it with apple sauce or plum sauce (Apfelmuss / Pflaumenmuss).
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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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It is beautiful , you will love it .We always stayed walking distance of the lift so it was no problem , you can take a locker at the Intersport at the City Express which is worth your while .Enjoy . 
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Zell Am See is lovely, some great wide gentle blues, especially around the upper sections of the Areit bubble and around the kappelbahn chair. Some lovely (and quiet) reds on the sonnkogel side. We've only been there in March so avoided the runs back to villiage level due to the slushy conditions lower down at that time of year - but those are the mostly the more challenging runs anyway.
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It's absolutely stunning! One of the most beautiful resorts I've been to, if not the most (only Lake Louise compared for scenery). Lots of gentle terrain available, but I'd say don't attempt any of the black runs back to resort. They are BLACK*. Get the bubble down...
Have a fab time 
*except for one, which I think is only marked black to keep the crowds down, but I forget which one that is.
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In short yes you will love it! It's stunning both in town and up top. Some of us can't keep away from the place... My other half has been going there since he was a nipper. He used to be an instructor there way back for for
http://www.ski-zellamsee.at/en.html
Not sure if that link will work (!) or if they are still 'the best in town' but he always speaks very highly of their instruction!
It is (unusually for recent years) bloody cold there at the mo so don't forget a warm mid layer and apres gear! It can get to -30... Still least if it stays cold it means the lake might freeze this year... And that's just beautiful, esp at night by horse and trap! They've just had a massive dollop of the good stuff with more forecast (my feet are sore from vigorous snow dancing!) In/above Zell there are two main hills. Schmittenhohe (mostly blues and blacks) is best for re-gaining confidence - blue 1 and 2 and couple of easier reds (but lots of ski school groups). There is a good restaurant at Middle Station with a nearby lift down for those that don't fancy the black runs off the mountain (don't be fooled into taking blue 12 its an icy/mushy road through tree's that is usually chocca with those who've been at the apres... Or bailed the black and are frozen to the spot in the middle of the road... Neither is terribly helpful). Also don't pay to pee at Middle Station (they employ a daft system of saving your receipts/tokens for a free pee next time - it's a bind if not a cheek!) Go over to the lift they have a free loo!
Sonnenalm is (mostly reds) best for sunshine, views and has the very best hut in Austria - Blaickner's. Just delightful - with a fab fire inside and jacuzzi outside This hut is also by a cable car off the mountain for those not wanting to ski down, what used to be black 15 - till they re did the maps after making the new red run off the back... The buses up/down the hill (if your staying in town) are free on your lift pass if you're wearing your ski gear and it is a good idea to get a locker at the City Express (most useful lift) Intersport as that makes for a much more leisurely stroll back into town. Use the pedestrian underpass by the Bogner shop to get across the main road into town. The Lebzelter - one of the nicest bars in town and has loads of great skiing memorabilia on the walls it also sells Stiegl - lovely, Just don't sit at the round table in the corner...
We're heading over soon, so I'm also day dreaming of snow, sunshine (and Stiegl...) I can't wait!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Another Zell fan here.
Definately get the gondola down at end of day for your wife, as the valley runs are either blacks or get very crowded and slushy at en did day, so not good for confidence building, and the blue that winds down to bottom of city express (5a I think) is narrow crowded roads cutting across and winding off the side of a black run, and still has the mushy steep bottom bit, as does the 7 blue road that runs from bottom of grass to bottom of city express. Also the red of Sonnalm/ sonnkogel back to the bottom is the darkest red ever, on earlier piste maps it was a black. Black 13 is a lovely run though, challenging but not too steep, you should do that and blue 7 whilst wife gondolas down the city express and meet at bottom.
But returning to the valley aside, it's a great resort, stunningly beautiful scenery and some great pistes. Nice gentle blues of both sides of Schmitttenhoe and uncrowded cruisy reds off Sonnkogel and pretty easy to navigate around.
And you have to lunch at the Pinzgauer hutte, the ride back is worth it.
And it's snowed buckets over the past couple of days so the pistes will be in great condition.
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@t44tomo cheers for posting correct detail... Indeed blue 12 hasn't been 12 for a while and is, as you say now blue 5. Serves me right for going with my increasingly crap memory - rather than a current piste map 
Zell got 40cm overnight - yay!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wow all of you!
Thanks Such positive referrals, the truth is I don't know why I haven't been there before!
I've weekended Kaprun and stayed for a week in Saalbach and an Easter in Leogang, but never Zell.
All the comments have been a great help and I will heed,
so basically write a list of the lunch stops above, start late in the day, just stroll to the City Express, graze around the mountains and get the misses back on the gondola back down.
I know that so many Austrian resorts are under rated because the Val/Tignes brigade don't understand how skiing can occur below 2000m
but I've never found any problem with Austrian meadow skiing.
I even enjoy going to church in Austria ( and I really need to go, the way I ski )
I'm familiar with the Kaiser Schmarms & Gemknuddles + Tyrolier Grostlie and I'm looking forward to getting around them again.
Thanks again for the advice!
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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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@frankEvb, >> Zell got 40cm overnight - yay!!!
Thats why I'll be going to church ... there is a 7pm mass in Kaprun on Saturday night
Dear Lord .. "I would like a top up please"
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@frankEvb,
Yes that link still works, I checked the webcam on the site (5:30pm Sunday) it looks stunning.
The lake does not look frozen except for some parts .. but if the cold spell continues perhaps it will be in two weeks time.
And Thanks
@HoneyBunny for comparing it with Lake Louise ...
That drive up from Banff on a clear day just makes your jaw drop with the sheer magnificence of Gods creation.
Sorry I'm not intending to be all "Holy Molly" ... its just that up in the mountains when there are those glints of frozen ice crystals and perhaps even Sun Dogs, I just feel closer to heaven and my knees jellify. 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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http://www.bergfex.com/schmittenhoehe-zellamsee/webcams/
Got back from Kaprun/Zell am See on Saturday - 3rd year in a row in the area though this time we stayed in Kaprun. Conditions are very good at the minute and there is a chance the lake will be frozen when you arrive, something that I am yet to see for myself. We keep coming back to the area as it pretty much has everything you want in a ski town.
The resort runs are not good for a total beginner, so make the sure wife stays near to the top of the mountain for the best blue runs. Maybe a trip to the Maiskogel in Kaprun on the free ski bus may help to fill her with confidence before taking on a few trickier runs.
Recommend the Mosshammer bakery/cafe in the main square for a coffee and cake. They also do nice pizzas from the restaurant upstairs. On the hill the Breiteckalm is a must visit at least once in the week, but generally you can't really go wrong with any of the piste side restaurants. Greens XXL (downstairs dive bar) is decent for Happy Hour cocktails 8-10pm, also we enjoy the outside Castle Bar opposite the Spar for a Happy Hour drinks straight after skiing. Crazy Daisy's does great food all day and is a decent bar (upstairs) to visit late at night. There is a waffle man just outside and these are brilliant!
Very jealous that i'm back at work, enjoy!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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View from the Pinzgauer Hutte
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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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@HoneyBunny, Oh Yes .. Bring it on!
& @t44tomo, Cheers! but isn't Paulner a Munich beer? Ein Prossit!
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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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It is, it says on the glass, but they serve it in the Pinzgauer, and that definately isn't the English Gardens in the background
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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 love it DrLawn , as someone previously said rent a locker at intersport at the city express for the week, and buy some Jagatee from the local Spar shop, and also remember to scan your head on the scanning machine as shown, it increases your skiing and drinking ability probably. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Aye!
That's at the top of my list .. "Getting me Heed scanned!"
I'll have to top up on some of that gin first though.
You have a good time there next week!
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FAQ
I had hoped to get married there but "it is not permitted" as I'm neither Austrain nor Catholic! I Don't really understand/go in for 'the God thing' myself and I'm afraid I have rather more Dawkins on my bookshelves than is probably reasonable; though I do conceed he is as evangelical in his beliefs as some religious people are in their's! For me, one of the more marvellous things about skiing is it's capacity to unite disparate groups and create a shared joy of nature and of marvelling at the beauty of the slopes; no matter how, or why, you think they came into being; or whether you believe that snow is created by prayer or by snow dancing! 
