 Poster: A snowHead
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This will be my first DIY trip and want to return to Maria Alm, can't stop thinking about the place!
Ski passes - do they start on Saturdays? Can I choose what day I want it to start?
Transfer - what are my cheapest options?
Best airport to fly to?
Any advice is appreciated!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 30-08-19 15:54; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@NewSki, you can choose the day you want, just walk up to the cash desk and buy it on the day. Fly into Salzburg. You could do Innsbruck if more convenient; it's about 45 mins further away
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @NewSki, you can choose the day you want, just walk up to the cash desk and buy it on the day. Fly into Salzburg. You could do Innsbruck if more convenient; it's about 45 mins further away |
Which ever airport is easier for the transfer!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Salzburg is the closest airport, although klagenfurt, Innsbruck, Munich, are all doable if your flight are a problem.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ski passes start any day but you might well find that accommodation doesn't.
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Fabulous area, am I to assume DIY is the only option with all the Brit' tour ops having dropped it?
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| Rogerdodger wrote: |
| Fabulous area, am I to assume DIY is the only option with all the Brit' tour ops having dropped it? |
It's about 5 years since I was there but we went to a catered chalet operated by a Dutch company. There were at least two of them but I'm afraid I can't remember the name now. Try google?
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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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Skifix operate in the area and will do everything but the fights. Agreed, it is a great place to ski!
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With regards to the slope conditions in Maria Alm, do they have a history of being groomed even with bad snowfall? (Veterans please help)
When I visited before it was the worst snow in 10 years according to some 100cm in 5 days but the pistes were perfectly groomed everyday! Very enjoyable!
There was lots of snow in Saalbach and the pistes remained ungroomed, personally I didn't like skiing ungroomed pistes through snow and moguls. Does the size of a resort have any impact on wether the pistes get groomed or not during bad snow?
Maybe I'm being super super pedantic? but the ungroomed pistes in Saalbach ruined my trip this year. There is nothing better than skiing on groomed pistes. Perfect!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Umm, all pistes are groomed every night, certainly where I am in Ski Amade. However, with snowfall throughout the night leaving a fresh layer on the top, then a few turns by the first skiers, then yes, after even half hour of the slope opening it can appear that the piste has not been groomed at all and it is bumpy. Ange
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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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@NewSki, Saalbach tends to groom slopes every day, but clearly when there has been a heavy overnight snowfall it doesn't take much for the slopes to develop moguls again especially on slopes where lots of people are putting in lots of turns, e.g. on the lower section of the Hochalm slope at the end of Hinterglemm, or on Turm in Saalbach.
The piste bashers are not used during opening hours for safety reasons.
Maria Alm operates in the same way, and has the same issues when the bashers finish at 3am and the snow starts at 4 and continues heavily throughout the day.
"Worst snow in 10 years" = "100cm in 5 days" ... most skiers would call that good snow, and revel in it. Yes, skiing cut up snow is harder at first, but eventually you will learn to ski through it rather than around it, and then it becomes fun.
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@NewSki, As others have said, all the pistes in Saalbach are groomed every night, so normally, first thing in the morning, you would be skiing on pistes that are as flat as a pancake, with a surface like corduroy. Last season we had massive amounts of snow, which often frustrated the nocturnal piste-grooming (as it would anywhere if heavy snow was falling throughout the night), but on the other hand provided ample opportunity for practising skiing in deep powder and mogully conditions. Such challenging conditions can be off-putting for some, but it's all part of skiing. I've found that the best answer is to try to think positive and to thank nature for giving you the chance to gain experience and develop technique in different conditions. The only other thing worth mentioning is that the choice of skis can make a difference, so, if you find yourself struggling in difficult conditions, it might be worth speaking to your equipment provider (e.g. Hansi in Saalbach) to see if they recommend swapping to a different ski. Also, needless to say, a two hour private lesson can make a big difference.
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You know it makes sense.
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@NewSki, no doubt skiing perfect corduroy is fun and very easy to ski, but it never lasts long. If you get the first lift in the morning you might get two runs if you are lucky. After that the state of the pistes depends on a number of things, number of skiers, type of snow, temperature, steepness of the piste etc. On piste conditions tend to be at their best from mid December through to mid February simply as this is when the temperatures are lowest, often not rising above freezing during the day and the power of the sun is not so high. At this time when there is good snow you can often hear the snow "squeak" under your skis, compressed snow easily keeps its shape and it takes a lot of skiers using the piste to cut up the surface. The downside is that, especially on steeper slopes, the snow can get scraped away leaving exposed patches of ice. As conditions get warmer (or if there is a lot of fresh snow) the surface of the piste is less able to keep its shape especially when there are lots of skiers.
It could well be that smaller resorts, especially if they have shady or north facing pistes, appear to have better prepared pistes. There is a lot less area to deal with and likely to be less people skiing on the pistes.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Ski passes start any day but you might well find that accommodation doesn't. |
you're correct, the hotels online booking system doesn't like my dates!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Finding it difficult to work out pricing structures for 4 and 5 day passes, my accommodation is for 5 nights arriving on a Saturday and leaving on a Thursday which only gives me 4 full days skiing.
I would prefer 5 full days skiing but if I buy the 5 day pass I will only get to ski a few hours on first day of arrival! Will the price justify the extra day of skiing?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@NewSki, see if they let you on the lifts on the afternoon of your first day, even though your pass starts the next day (as they do in Saalbach).
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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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@holidayloverxx, @ousekjarr, @Bob, @pam w, @Rogerdodger, @JohnHSmith, @Klamm Franzer, @flangesax, @tatmanstours, @munich_irish,
Thank you all for helping me, everything has been looked at. Flights are booked so now just need accommodation.
What are the best websites for booking accommodation? Airbnb I've tried already!
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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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@NewSki, booking.com or email the tourist information office
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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 need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| NewSki wrote: |
Finding it difficult to work out pricing structures for 4 and 5 day passes, my accommodation is for 5 nights arriving on a Saturday and leaving on a Thursday which only gives me 4 full days skiing.
I would prefer 5 full days skiing but if I buy the 5 day pass I will only get to ski a few hours on first day of arrival! Will the price justify the extra day of skiing? |
Only you can really judge that. You don't need to make the decision in advance, though. There's no need to buy your lift pass before you arrive. Arrival day skiing can be very dependent on weather, how your journey went and how quickly you get you ski gear sorted.
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There are different options such as points, 3 hours etc which are suitable for the first day. You should be able to use your 4 day pass from 3.00pm on arrival day
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Have prices for the shuttle suddenly jumped up? I'm trying to book and it's working out at 94 per person
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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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@NewSki, it is €47 each way, which makes €94 per person - BUT if you book a return journey in advance, there is a 5% discount, which takes it back down to €89 and which matches the headline figure on their page at https://www.holiday-shuttle.at/en/maria-alm/shuttle-service
So yes, it has gone up by €5 since last year.
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FAQ
