 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask but I'm going to want a lesson or two when I go to Obergurl in December. In the past for snowboarding I'd always gone with ESF but I know a lot of BASI instructors tend to spend entire seasons in resort and work independently.
Is there a good place to locate a suitable instructor perhaps? Not sure where to look and/or post.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been a few times and never seen an independant instructor so unless they are working incognito....??
On the plus side, nobody I know has ever had a bad instructor or lesson in Ob (red) or Hg (blue) - overall impression is that it's a world apart from ESF (in a good way)
Edit : had a look and there is another skischool (green - Alpinsport) but I've no experience, first or second hand, of it.
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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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@Martin & Ami, As @Scamper suggests, just use the Obergurgl ski school. We've used them for kids lessons, private lessons for adults, and guides for off-piste & touring. All have been excellent and english speaking. In the case of the kids and private lessons, the instructors were English.
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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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The Obergurgl Ski School is excellent, I would agree with @Scamper, never had a problem with language in fact in a mixed group of English and German the lessons were conducted in English. You may find the snowboard instructors are English, the snowboarders from the weekly snow show were all English .
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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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Been there last december and used SnowLines. I think they are based in Solden but they come to Obergurgl as well.
Our guy was Karel, he was skilled, patient and technical. It was 240€ for a 3 hours private lesson, before a 5% web discount.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| RobMcQ wrote: |
| @Martin & Ami, As @Scamper suggests, just use the Obergurgl ski school. We've used them for kids lessons, private lessons for adults, and guides for off-piste & touring. All have been excellent and english speaking. In the case of the kids and private lessons, the instructors were English. |
Looked into this and unless I'm misintepreting the site, its EUR174 for 1 person for 2 hours. That seems more than double what ESF charge in resorts I've been to.
To say I was shocked is an understatement, particularly with what I've read about how little instructors actually end up getting paid as individuals.
That seems very expensive to me to be honest, even considering its a seasonal business.
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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.
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That seems to be the price.
Just had a look at Chill Factore and 50 mins private is £125 - perhaps makes the Obergurgl one easier to swallow?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I know two fully qualified Scottish instructors working in Obergurgl, who I think are going independent this year (having been working/living in Ötztal for a few years already).
Don’t think they have a website up yet, but feel free to pm me your email address and I can put you in touch with them.
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
I know two fully qualified Scottish instructors working in Obergurgl, who I think are going independent this year (having been working/living in Ötztal for a few years already).
Don’t think they have a website up yet, but feel free to pm me your email address and I can put you in touch with them. |
Will do, cheers Clarky.
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Private lessons with the ESI in Saisies (France) are between 78 and 104 euros for 2 hours next season - it's a cooperative and the instructors see a lot of that, once overheads are covered. The ESF costs will be much the same, but I always use ESI. There has been discussion on SHs about how little the North American instructors see of the huge prices paid by customers, but perhaps Austrian ski schools are not so exploitative? Comparing apples and pears to some extent, though - there are more expensive resorts in France and there will be resorts in Austria cheaper than Obergurgl.
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You know it makes sense.
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I think that in North America the issue is broadly that the "ski school" (and almost everything else, eg rentals and retail and food) tends to be owned by "the resort", so it's a different revenue model. The "tipping" culture also changes the equation somewhat. I think it's not really correct to describe it as "exploitative".
That said, its quite hard to compare costs of living across cultures. Has anyone worked in both continents with any anecdotal evidence as to which is the most exploitative?
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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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We’re in Obergurgl from 6th-11th, and trying to arrange lessons for Little Lord Seagrave. The Obergurgl Ski School runs group lessons from Sunday-Friday with private instruction only on Saturdays. As we’re arriving at the end of the week, we’re trying to drop him into the last day of the first week (Friday) and the first days of the second week (Sunday, Monday).
LS
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Poster: A snowHead
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I definitely stand behind my initial recommendation. Snowlines from Solden.
Just saw Karel today with my daughter, perfect guiding and tutoring.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I can recommend Martin Lancaric in Obergurgl:
http://www.martini-sport.eu/about
Great instructor and great skier; we sometimes go ski touring together when he has a day off.
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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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Hope you don't mind me expanding this a bit (defence, Solden was mentioned) but in terms of value for money for (group?) lessons would it be better to travel from Solden to HG or OG?
I'm trying to remember where in Solden I've seen school groups - learner slopes at the top of the railtrack and the blues off the Giggijoch. Where else do they go? Do you spend a significant amount of your lesson time (as a more advanced skier) on lifts getting to where the lesson will take place?
I'm contrasting that with the impression I have of HG/OG where it's one lift up, ski down to the next up lift and lesson commences quite swiftly.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have been with my teens in both places. Since I took private lessons I asked the instructor to meet me in specific spots that I chose. So less time wasted on travelling.
Tutoring in both locations had the same cost but IMHO Solden will take a beginner further.
Obergurgl was high and snow sure, without being crowded but the pistes were narrower and we sometimes missed the signs. Hochgurgl was a better place to start in the morning, having a better selection of blue pistes.
But Solden was always perfect. 2 fast gondolas that take you comfortably to the vast ski area. Perfect to meet up there with the ski instructor and ski right away.
Right now they have about 38 km opened, with a ski bus/private car all the way to the glacier. Free parking with a ski pass.
They will close the private access in Dec but i understood the bus should carry on. And you can always access it through the lifts plus pistes.
Furthemore, if one area gets whiteout etc, you have enough close options with good visibility that will ensure an easy progress
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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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Ok, thanks. so you cut down on wasting tuition (paid for) time by arranging to meet your one-to-one instructor at a "start tuition from here" spot.
I appreciate your reply, but after you get those gondalas where do you go to move on?
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| Kelskii wrote: |
I can recommend Martin Lancaric in Obergurgl:
http://www.martini-sport.eu/about
Great instructor and great skier; we sometimes go ski touring together when he has a day off. |
I've just booked 3 x 3 hr mornings for my two sons with Martin in April so this is good to know. While a little more expensive than Ski school it just seems more flexible and convenient than 2 x 2 hrs per day.
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@clarky999, You have a PM
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