 Poster: A snowHead
|
Dilemma for next years holiday 2019......would like to go to Austria but have never been before and not sure where to look with the following criteria :
Nice easy blue slopes for OH, have had the last 3 years holiday in the Dolomites to give you all an idea (1 in Selva, 2 in Corvara), so looking for something similar as wifey likes to cruise the nice easy blues.
Would be driving to resort - Have driven to Dolomites so seems a shame to drive through Austria and not stop..
Not too fussed about apres, did the Murin this year in Corvara which was interesting, so wouldn't mind 1 or 2 places, but not too much 
Looking at going in either January or March, definately not in EU school holidays, noticed 2019 has Belgium on hols the 1st week in March which would of been our ideal dates.
Wouldn't mind a Hotel that is flexible on arrival/departure, so don't do weekly bookings only (as travelling through Germany on either a Friday afternoon or Saturday is excruciating!!).
Sizeable resort...
So anyone got any ideas??
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Saalbach- Hinterglamm
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Obertauern is good. I am in a similar postion to you. I went to the Val di Fassa on 17.02.18. It was great however wifey struggled so we decided to book somewhere easier. We chose Obertauern as it is v.snowsure has 'lively but not intrusive' apres and is quite upmarket. There is also some good off piste to entertain me! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| RWDLYN wrote: |
| Saalbach- Hinterglamm |
+1 Saalbach Hinterglemm has great blues and can be as quiet or as lively as you like. We stayed in Hinterglemm at the Hotel Zwolferhaus, and didn't book a full week, so there should be a few places that do random dates.Hinterglemm is a bit quieter for apres I think...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
If lots of easy blues are a criteria SkiWelt is an option. Late January is good though March less so. If it appeals think about Brixen or Westendorf as that opens up the possibility of skiing Kitzbühel too (they are linked via the Ki West piste, there are also buses and if you have a car it is a short drive). Another possibility is SkiAmande near Salzburg big linked area with lots of easy & intermediate pistes. Not convinced about Saalbach Hinterglemm, certainly not for March (a lot of the easier slopes are south facing). For March perhaps either Solden or Serfaus / Fiss. Warth in the Arlberg might be worth considering, part of the Arlberg ski area but unlike St Anton there are lots of blue pistes (and in neighbouring Lech) and no crazy apres ski plus for those that want them challenges aplenty.
Note the 1st week in March 2019 is Fasching / Karneval (beginning of Lent), despite it being very late next year many places (eg Bavaria) will have the spring half term that week, best to avoid and go the week after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I agree with @munich_irish, Saalbach-Hinterglemm is a great area, but... we were there in March last year, there was plenty snow, but it was warm and sunny. I enjoyed it, but other, (less fit or confident), skiers in the party frequently only skied in the morning as the easier South facing slopes were far too slushy. Also, I'm not sure that S-H has many easy blues. Plenty of blues, but not too much at the easier end of the blue range in my opinion. Excellent area yes, but late in the season, possibly not the best.
In general, modern snow making means early March should be fine in most resorts for snow, but aspect can be very important to whether the snow is easily skiable or not
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Currently at the end of my second trip to saalbach and i can assure you the blues here are far more steeper than in Corvara. In March unless you are very lucky with the weather you literally will have to be up skiing by 9am. This past week some of our group skied some of the so called easier blue runs and the concensus is that they were either steep or the snow too soft (even at 9.30am to 10am). Ill be following this thread with interest as our party is looking for something similar for next year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all for your feedback, heard that the Austrian equivalent blues are more difficult than Italian, would that be the same for all of the Austrian resorts??
@munich_irish, thanks for the recommendation on Brixen, seem to be the ideal place, so just looking at some of the hotels now.
Think we have realised we have to go at the end of January for a better deal and conditions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Westendorf is a prettier town than Brixen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Simon94, no. There’s not really a national standard for grading ski runs. Resorts tend to bench mark their own runs. Their easier runs will be blue, middling ones red and trickier runs black. Smaller ski areas might have no blacks, but most larger ski areas will have at least a couple of black runs even if they’re not as tricky as black runs elsewhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Brixen has the advantage that it is situated in the middle of the ski area, there are two main lifts, effectively from the same valley station, one to the Westendorf skiing one to the main SkiWelt area. The piste down from Hochbrixen is almost always in a poor condition, less than confident skiers are best taking the gondola back down. On the other side there is a long piste back down, it is a nice piste, red with a short black section (path detour available) in the middle. In my experience, unlike the piste on the other side, it generally has good snow conditions. The village itself is much improved now there is a bypass for the valley traffic. It is typically Tirolean and is popular with Dutch visitors. Biggest downside is the lack of height, which should not be an issue at the end of January.
Westendorf I know less well, besides skiing the pistes I stopped for lunch during the summer a good while ago. The village itself seems pleasant enough though similar to many other places nearby. The skiing above the village is very typically Austrian, a network of similar pistes though the trees with a good number of "gemütlich" restaurants and huts dotted around. The snow keeps its condition better here than on the south facing slope directly above Brixen. I would imagine it is a bit quieter than Brixen (not that Brixen is party central). Access to the rest of SkiWelt is not quite so easy, either via the piste to Brixen or there are a few buses.
Both villages are about a 20 minute or so drive from the Autobahn at Wörgl. In really heavy snow there might be a problem with the hill between Hopfgarten & Westendorf but snow clearing is extremely efficient, it would be very rare indeed for the road to be closed or require snow chains. Do note that winter tyres are compulsory in Germany, Austria and mountain areas of Italy. Legal issues aside they are essential in the Tirol in January.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Thanks @munich_irish, you appear to be a wealth of knowledge on the area.
Just for you only....if you were in my position with an nervous intermediate skier (wife) who will be having 1 - 2 -1 lessons on the first couple of days leaving me and my 21 year old son to explore (we are both competent skiers), where would you go?? This would be end of january, looking at hotel 3 star-ish to give you a rough price guide and driving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@munich_irish, I've never needed chains on that section, in over 30 years of driving there. Also (unfortunately) the rules for winter tyres are not quite as clear cut as that. In Germany and in Austria too, you have to have tyres that are suitable for the prevailing conditions. Which means if there is snow/slush/ice on the road you need winter tyres. Of course in my opinion you'd be insane to drive in the Alps with summer tyres in winter, but the law does not necessarily agree!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Didn't really wan to go down the road of winter tyres/snow chains etc.......as I will have them on/with me...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@Simon94, I would say Brixen is as good as anywhere, plenty of easy slopes for your wife and the option of more adventurous stuff for you and your son (get the Kitzbühler Alpen skipass that covers most of the resorts in the area). Kitzbühel certainly has a good selection of more challenging skiing both on & off piste. Brixen should also be (somewhat) cheaper than some of the more fashionable resorts. There are plenty of similar places and folk have their own favourite often depending where they first went skiing. I first went years ago to a village near Salzburg, St Johann in Pongau, I still have a soft spot for what is now SkiAmade (which would also be a good place).
I have been living in Munich for nearly 20 years and have been to many of the resorts in the Tirol and Salzburgerland. These days I tend to go to SkiWelt and Kitzbühel early / mid season (mainly because they are near to Munich for day / weekend trips) and St Anton in March (wish I could go more but it is an expensive outing and a bit far for me these days as a day trip).
I suspect you will be fine with any of the places mentioned here and if you dont find a hotel that takes your fancy there are more resorts that could be suggested.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
As you have a car I would recommend ski amade area. We go to Radstadt every year and within 20mins drive you can be in any of the nearer resort's like Flachau Zauchansee schladming etc. And tgere are dozens if otger resort's just a bit farther away.
Look at flangesax place they offer snowheads discount. Although they are full first week March with us lol.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@Simon94, on the winter tyres thing (snow chains are indeed very unlikely to be needed). Without getting into a semantic argument about the nuances of German / Austrian law, if you get stopped by the Police or are involved in an accident however minor you will be at fault if you do not have winter tyres, if in the opinion of the Police the road conditions demand it (try arguing that on the roadside with a policeman who will speak perfect English). Potentially not only can you get a fine (on the spot from a cash machine) but they can make you go to the nearest garage to get some fitted. You can get winter tyres in the UK, I have friends who change their tyres every year like everyone does here. The Brits I know who drive to Munich for New Year or whatever fit winter tyres.
You can get away without doing so (I must plead guilty to having done so in the past) but it really is not a good idea. The Police might take pity on a "stupid" British tourist but they might not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@Simon94, you day you have driven to Italy to ski. I assume you did this without winter tyres? You are lucky not to have been caught already.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@speachmaus,
@munich_irish,
I do have winter tyres, and I did have them fitted when I went to Italy, but never really had at any time to use their full potential as the road clearing in Italy was exceptional!
The reason I stated I don't want to go down the road of winter tyres etc......was that I was already aware and have them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Thanks for all on this thread, have now managed to get a hotel booking in Brixen for 9 nights which makes it really flexible for our travel arrangements. Appreciate all the comments. Just looking for a ski school for a couple of hourly sessions for wifey now...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Brixen is a great place. It's a nice size of town
Good for beginners as at top of gondola is a fab plateau for beginners and the igluus are there too.
You can also ski over to westendorf from there too
I haven't stayed there but skied over from soll many times the 1c run is fantastic. Fab long cruisey blue. Its often desrted as you have to get bus at bottom to brixen. Stop at really cute hutte called speckalm they do amazing cured meats and cheese.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@speachmaus, @munich_irish, Guys & Gals, just like to say ...thanks for all your help. Had a fantastic time in the SkiWelt. Stayed in Brixen and it was just what we wanted. Ideally located and excellent ski bus service. Ventured to Westerndorf and found this a bit easier to navigate than the Skiwelt area, but once you got to know where you where it turned out fairly easy. Had a whale of a time and the OH really enjoyed the runs, even the Red ones! She had instruction from Walter of Proskischule for the 1st 3 days and has come on leaps and bounds.  Had a few crazy evenings in the apres pubs at the base of the gondola in Brixen.....so happy days. Thanks again
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I just got back from Soll yesterday. Conditions were fabulous. Glad you enjoyed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@Simon94, Nice to see someone coming back on to thank the s that take the time to reply and advise. Doesn't happy very often ime. Glad you enjoyed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
