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Saalbach or Zillertal

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi
Would love to try Saalbach but going a bit later, 24th March, should I worry about the snow.
Otherwise we have an option to go to Koenigsleiten, does anyone have any experience of the resort.
Thanks
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@jackfrost, Don't know Koenigsleiten, and I don't regard the Zillertal as in the same league as the Ski Circus. Regarding late season conditions in Saalbach, the resort closes this year on 8th April (slightly earlier than normal, which could have something to do with some of the extensive work that is planned for next summer, including the complete replacement of the Kohlmaisgipfelbahn gondola). Before I retired we always used to have four weeks of skiing in Saalbach: two weeks over Christmas/New Year, and two weeks during the second half of March. It's impossible of course to predict what the weather will be like - could be cold and wintry with fresh dumps of snow, or could be mild and spring-like with blue skies and sunny skiing (even sometimes in a tee-shirt). A few seasons ago I remember that the first week of April was one of the best weeks of the season, with cold temperatures, fresh top-ups of snow, and perfectly-groomed, empty pistes.

What I can say for certain about late March is that, by that time of the season, the sun will have climbed higher in the sky and acquired some warmth. When the weather is fine, the norm is for the pistes to freeze hard overnight, for the skiing to be excellent in the morning, and in the afternoons for the snow to be still skiable and enjoyable on south-facing slopes but obviously a lot better on slopes that face north and west. Unlike the early part of the season, it therefore becomes worthwhile to plan itineraries that allow the south-facing slopes to be concentrated on in the mornings and other slopes to be targeted in the afternoons. As the season nears its end in late March/early April, one of our local Austrian friends always advises, "get an early start, ski for three or four hours, have a long, leisurely lunch at a sunny mountain restaurant, and do one run (home) in the afternoon". We normally ignore that advice and ski all day - but with plenty of breaks for drinks and sun-bathing on mountain terraces. The best sking is generally to be found over at Leogang and Fieberbrunn, and on the more shady slopes of Schattberg and Zwoelferkogel.

If you intend to drive down, or hire a car, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, which is only half an hour away, offers superb, extensive skiing, and you can get a lift pass that covers both the Ski Circus and the glacier. We went over there in early April last season and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having said that, our final guests of last ski season skied in Saalbach from 8th - 15th April - two men and their 10 year old sons - all competent and fast skiers - and they seemed to be having such a good time in Saalbach that they didn't bother to go up to the glacier. I suppose that speaks for itself!

Normally we stay in Saalbach until the end of the season (last year 15th April), and we haven't yet known a year in which we couldn't ski back to the door of our apartments, even as late as early April. There are certainly compensations for any loss of quality in the snow (although it does go through a "perfect" stage in the middle of the morning) - the springlike days with blue sky and warm sun, the relaxed, chilled atmosphere after the business of the peak season, and the long days. Also mountain-top parties at a different restaurant every day, hosted by "White Pearl Mountain Days".
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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?
@jackfrost, Koenigsleiten is at the "wrong" end of the Zillertal Arena, in that it is furthest away from the airport, the main roads, and the other ski areas on the Zillertal pass including the glacier at Hintertux. I've never stayed there, but I've arrived on skis several times from Zell am Ziller and then turned around and headed back. It's a reasonable enough place, but on the small side and a little strung out with the main lifts a walk or bus away from the centre. At 1600m, there is likely to be snow in the village in late March, which won't necessarily be the case for Saalbach, but of course that also means that access may not be as simple. The Arena is a great area to ski, but most of the slopes are south-facing and at that time of the year you'll probably be looking for north-facing areas to get better conditions. You could of course ski across to Zell and back, but for a week of skiing this area is a little limited - if you were based at the Zell end, the slopes of Hochfugen, Mayrhofen and Hintertux are all easily reachable and there's more than enough to keep even the keenest skiers happy for more than a week. From Koenigsleiten, Hintertux is at least an hour away so if the conditions are poor locally, that's a bit of a trek.

Saalbach is a larger area, and has better snowmaking plus several areas which are north-facing. As @tatmanstours has already pointed out, the conditions in March can be very good, and with the current base there is unlikely to be any lack of snow although it will start as concrete corduroy and soften towards sugar later in the day.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
tatmans tours and ousekjarr, thanks very much for your very helpful reviews of our options. As a result Saalbach has been booked!
We are renting a car so can travel to other resorts, but it appears we will have more than enough to occupy us for a week in the local area. I see elsewhere on the forums there is a lot more information but would either of you have an suggested must do list for our first visit to the resort. Only two of us ski, confident on reds and will have a go on blacks. Look forward to any help you can give and thanks again.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@jackfrost, If you send me a PM with your email address, I’ll email you my comprehensive guide to the Ski Circus. Always glad to help (especially whilst temporarily signed off from skiing with an unpleasant dose of bacterial bronchitis 😞), so don’t hesitate to ask any questions.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
tatmanstours wrote:
@jackfrost, If you send me a PM with your email address, I’ll email you my comprehensive guide to the Ski Circus. Always glad to help (especially whilst temporarily signed off from skiing with an unpleasant dose of bacterial bronchitis 😞), so don’t hesitate to ask any questions.


Eek, you're not still I'll are you? That's been weeks hasn't it? Anyhow, hope you get well soon.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Never mind the snow depths, maybe I should be worrying about my health in Saalbach!
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@jackfrost, only if you insist on sampling all of the apres venues every night, like @tatmanstours wink
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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.
Saalbach starts off the season, as do I, pure and unsullied, and then all these pesky, diseased tourists start arriving, bringing with them all manner of assorted germs, and anyone who gets into a cable car or steps into an apres-ski bar is a lamb to the slaughter.
I’ve missed a whole chunk of this fabulous season (as I did last season) with chronic man flu - which unfortunately has a habit of getting into your lungs if you try to ski before you’re fully recovered, and also if you aggravate it with passive smoking.
Anyway I’m now hitting it with two weeks worth of amoxicillin bombs. Next season I shall go around in a surgical mask and plastic gloves.


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 20-02-18 16:10; edited 1 time in total
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
tatmanstours wrote:
Saalbach starts off the season, as do I, pure and unsullied, and then all these pesky, diseased tourists start arriving, bringing with all manner of assorted germs, and anyone who gets into a cable car or steps into an apres-ski bar is a lamb to the slaughter.
I’ve missed a whole chunk of this fabulous season (as I did last season) with chronic man flu - which unfortunately has a habit of getting into your lungs if you try to ski before you’re fully recovered, and also if you aggravate it with passive smoking.
Anyway I’m now hitting it with two weeks worth of amoxicillin bombs. Next season I shall go around in a surgical mask and plastic gloves.


Hope you get better soon Richard. Must be awful being ill over there especially this season. I'm sure we'll come across you at some point (probably Elvis night) when we're there from the 10th onwards!!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Flu jab next year perhaps Richard?
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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.
@PeteMan, Had one the last two years - useless!
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 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
@jimmybog, Thanks, I hope to be back firing on all cylinders well before then. The Elvis night is one of the highlights of the week!
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