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How do i convince my nervous mate that st anton is OK for beginners

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We have 4 families all booked up for st Anton next year , but 1 family has so far been reluctant to do so . The dad came away with us in March when it snowed most days and was very warm and the resulting moguls appear to have put him off . Even the run from top of glazigbahn to St Christof wasnt great and the route over to lech was no wider than a single carriageway and full of moguls . His daughter is a great skier but his son ( now aged 9 ) broke his leg in Vallandry 3 years ago and despite skiing in val D'isere the following 2 years on blues/greens the dad is obviously concerned . Has anyone got any hints on lifts or areas that he should focus on . Is the run from gampenbahn down to st jakob botom of nassereihnbahn usually kept in decent flat condition
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gwatts10, I've only skied in St Anton a couple of times but, in my limited experience, I don't really think it's OK for beginners. There is a thread on here somewhere, not more than few months old, that discusses the topic. Try a search.

From my last trip there, it was the run home at the end of the day that was the worst, as I remember. Lots of moguls and dithery people. Sad
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@gwatts10, No, but the Gampen/ Nasserein runs are quite steady compared to most......It definitely isn't an ideal resort for timid skiers, i'd suggest Rendl is most groomed area but thats steep too. Osthang also OK and quite a bit of Lech, otherwise its a quick learning curve and an early couple of shots in the nearest bar i'd suggest!


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 14-06-17 9:15; edited 1 time in total
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I was wondering what made Austrian 9 year olds so fearless; now I know - schnapps!
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So there you have it, @gwatts10. It's not! A friend of mine, a pretty tough South African, went there as a beginner snowboarder. Conditions weren't great, the slopes were rather icy, and crowded. The fact that his girlfriend (a more experienced snowboarder) had a fall, busted her back on a stone in the piste, rather unluckily, and got helicoptered off to spend months in a full body cast did nothing for his confidence. He wouldn't go back....
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Yes St Anton isn't known to be the best for beginners, but never the less you still do get plenty of them in resort. Get them in to lessons with an instructor who knows the resort and has the patience to to help boost their confidence and show them which runs to stick to/avoid.

Edited to add: I did my first season in St Anton, having only ever spent one week on skies some 11 years prior to that, and subsequently learnt to snowboard in St Anton.
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You can't -it isn't .
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
It's not good for beginners - I once came across a stereotypical British dad yelling at his 2 kids to "just bloody put your skis on and ski" in a very foggy Happy Valley late in the day, while kids sobbed. It wasn't even its usual carnage as it was too late for that. & Happy Valley is pretty innocuous terrain if it weren't for the fact that it is usually mobbed.
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@gwatts10, I agree with the other posters - St. Anton is not that good for beginners. I'd suggest that you just accept that the one family you mentioned has valid reasons for not joining you on your St. Anton trip.
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I don't think it is
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My first ever ski trip was to St Anton's...tbh I hated the skiing, it put me off for years...but I enjoyed the whole 'being in the mountains' thing so I decided to try snowboarding instead Toofy Grin

(I do ski a bit now and then now though)!
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I'm in the "its not" camp but if you need to make the best of a bad choice then there are possibilities by taking lifts or buses out of the village and going over to St Christophe and Lech where there is skiing for all.
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For -real- beginners, any resort, also St.Anton, is fine since they will stay on the "Ubungswiese" almost all week.
But for early intermediates (from 2 years on), St.Anton and in fact all of the Arlberg is not a good place to go. There are so many alternatives!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@gwatts10, it seems a strange choice to have booked a resort that some of your group didn't want to go to. Why have you chosen St Anton? Is it too late to switch to somewhere else? There's loads of great ski resorts. There's bound to be several that you could all enjoy.

St Anton really isn't a very good resort for nervous skiers. I still found it daunting when I skied there.
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@gwatts10, I think your friend is wise to be reluctant, they should go somewhere else less daunting and busy. I was in St Anton in January, and whilst I had a great time, some of the main runs were icy, mogully and very very busy. Also there were a lot of skiers and boarders going far too fast through crowded pistes. The home "happy valley" run is not fun.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm afraid I'm going to join the chorus saying its not a good option for beginners.
They'll survive but you risk putting them off and perhaps more importantly damaging your friendship if they resent you for persuading them to come. I think it's a poor idea.
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@gwatts10, has this family actually booked (as part of the 4 families group) or are you trying to convince them to?

If the latter, I'd echo most other responses and say it's not the best choice for them, by quite a long way - it will probably benefit your friendship if they don't go ahead and join you. If the former, they'll likely have to be prepared to get themselves to St Christoph or Lech for skiing that is more suitable/comfortable for this trip. That extra travelling alone, might be a pain for them, when the rest of the group have skiing that suits THEM on their doorstep.

Where have you booked in St Anton?
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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?
You don't convince them because it isn't a great option - they'll be happier almost anywhere else in Austria. Sorry it's a resounding echo but I wouldn't take first timers or the nervous there.
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^+1
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@Dave of the Marmottes, +1
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St Anton,lots of difficulty,crowds,icy moguls,rocks.Probably the worst choice in Austria for your reluctant family.Bits of Nasserein not too bad,Lech good.
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My reading of the situation is that this holiday is a done deal . It's probably not that helpful lots of people telling the OP that he shouldn't have booked St. A but to try and help the chap who is a bit nervous find the best bits.
It's a long time since I skied there but from memory.
There is fabulous gentle skiing above Oberlech which is a short bus journey away.
The stuff up at the top of the Stuben area is uncrowded and usually in very good condition and fairly gentle.
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@T Bar, +1
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@T Bar, I agree plenty to go at for beginners and more timid skiers, not ideal but perfectly doable and after all that's how you improve, by skiing more challenging terrain.....Osthang, Rendl, Stuben, Lech, Nasserein...... and also plenty to avoid too!

The key imo is to keep away from the crowds and get back to town via lifts not fast end of day runs. Advice as follows - Gampen/ Nasserein early (let the crowds get past), then Osthang, Valfegehrbahn via the track (not the black), Rauz, Stuben. Or early straight up Rendl and stay low, Maas initially then up Riffl 1. End of the day up Valfegehrbahn, down the track to Tanzbodenbahn and back down Galzigbahn. Or post pus around to Lech and stay low on the sunny side around Oberlech.

The standard of skiing in St Anton is generally very high based on most other places I've skied, which consequently means when people are in full-on relaxed end of day easy blue/ red mode, they charge (usually for the après) and slower skiers can get spooked by these fast, but generally competent skiers. Sadly, in amongst are a few idiots who ski too fast for their own good and ability and can cause problems.
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Just to add to the suggestions, if you take one of the buses to Lech and then take the link to Warth-Schroecken, there's a lot of fairly easy terrain there and the crowds are quite small, relatively speaking.

Although the area is now fully linked and you can actually ski all the way, I'd still recommend taking the bus. The skiing option involves a lot of terrain that is either difficult or crowded.
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@cerebralvortex, Agreed quite gentle skiing compared to St Anton but little point going to St Anton if wanting to ski primarily in Lech/ Warth, its a good trek there and back in the day and not particularly great fun on the bus when you want to be skiing....(or maybe don't)! wink
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Sunny Egg would probably be a good option too - although we only spent a day there some time ago so my perception my be distorted. Probably can't remember how to spell the name either Wink

Edit: Sonnenkopf (Sunny Head) it was. Very easy access via the train from St Anton.


Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 14-06-17 17:43; edited 1 time in total
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@altis, Good shout, very beginner friendly and on same lift pass


Last edited by 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 on Wed 14-06-17 12:58; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Markymark29 wrote:
@cerebralvortex, Agreed quite gentle skiing compared to St Anton but little point going to St Anton if wanting to ski primarily in Lech/ Warth, its a good trek there and back in the day and not particularly great fun on the bus when you want to be skiing....(or maybe don't)! wink


Actually, there's little point bringing nervous beginners to St. Anton full stop. But, that decision has already been made, so they need to make the best of it.

They're going to get bored pretty quickly of the limited terrain on the St. Anton side that won't make beginners nervous. After that, their options are to either battle crowds and more difficult terrain or venture out further. I'd recommend the latter.
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cerebralvortex wrote:

Actually, there's little point bringing nervous beginners to St. Anton full stop. But, that decision has already been made, so they need to make the best of it..


My reading of the OP is that the family with nervous/beginner skiers haven't booked yet, and he's wants our help to persuade them to join the others who have booked. I think his idea has backfired!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Tom Doc wrote:
cerebralvortex wrote:

Actually, there's little point bringing nervous beginners to St. Anton full stop. But, that decision has already been made, so they need to make the best of it..


My reading of the OP is that the family with nervous/beginner skiers haven't booked yet, and he's wants our help to persuade them to join the others who have booked. I think his idea has backfired!


You're right.

My new suggestion is, tell the other four families to cancel their bookings change their plans to go somewhere like Arosa instead.
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http://youtube.com/v/Lyg1svwMLYY
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If they stick to rendl and zurs it MIGHT work but as others have said there are better alternatives for nervous skiers. Or take a couple of flying hirsches first thing to settle the nerves Toofy Grin
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Tom Doc wrote:


My reading of the OP is that the family with nervous/beginner skiers haven't booked yet, and he's wants our help to persuade them to join the others who have booked. I think his idea has backfired!


Quite but at least he only has himself to blame if he persists and it backfires on him. I'm far from a nervous ninny and even the crowds on Ulmerhutte to Alpe rauz and Happy Valley terrify me at times.
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Hmm. If the OP was so keen to have this family included in the trip, they should have been given more consideration earlier on. It's a bit late now - would be better for the fifth family to go to many of the excellent (and often cheaper) alternative resorts in Austria or elsewhere. Maybe they should be invited to read this thread and come to their own conclusion? After all, they will miss out on the benefits of a holiday with friends if they have to choose between skiing outside their comfort zone or getting on a bus to go elsewhere.
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@Dave of the Marmottes,
Quote:

even the crowds on Ulmerhutte to Alpe rauz and Happy Valley terrify me at times

That makes me feel better - I thought I was being pathetic!
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@pam w, Yep.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Hurtle wrote:
@Dave of the Marmottes,
Quote:

even the crowds on Ulmerhutte to Alpe rauz and Happy Valley terrify me at times

That makes me feel better - I thought I was being pathetic!


Yup, that final steep pitch on Valfagehr, when it is crowded, and scrubbed down to ice, can be really harrowing. People spearing off in all directions. If I need to head down to Rauz after, say 9:30am, I will track out to the off piste, usually on the skier's right, or onto Pfannenkopf.

Happy Valley is bad enough late in the day, but the former Run 1, below the Groomer Garage is worse. Usually dotted with huge moguls, and filled with people who cannot ski a line on them. Collisions are frequent.
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Oh dear , Thanks to all of you who have contributed , it is a 100% resounding No . Only 1 x poster who had anything like reassurance , so it looks like we will be 1 x family down this year . Flights are booked into Memmingen and we've booked Hotel Valluga , so we can't change , but at least i can explain with a degree of certainty that st Anton is not suited to beginners.
thanks again
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When you say beginners, are they first timers, or do they already have a couple of weeks under their belt? With the new lift link over to Zuers/Lech, the slopes around St Anton seemed to be a lot quieter, with all the traffic heading towards Schindler/Arlenmaehder and Rauz in the morning, and then back down Happy Valley towards Zammermoos and in to town. What time of season are you going, as that can have an impact on conditions/how busy it is. If it's booked, there's no reason the other family can't join you, they just might want to consider other options than just skiing every day.
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