 Poster: A snowHead
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I've just been told the sking at Scheffau/Ski Welt is limited from 2 April because a lot of links/lifts will be closed.
Also been told we can ski at Kitzbuhel instead as it's only 20 minutes away, wondered what conditions there are like and if anyone can suggest best runs to start on there? I'll be taking young family who can ski a bit but would appreciate a gentle first day.
Thanks for any advice!
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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'd have thought that you will be approaching the limit of Kitzbuhel's season, but obviously it all depends on the weather. They've had buckets and buckets of snow, but how much is left I don't know (there's no snow report on their web site at the moment - SCGB says 40cm on lower, slushy). It's low, so it doesn't need much cover to be skiable.
If the snow's up to it, Kitzbuhel should be great for your family. If you're driving, you're probably best off not going into Kitzbuhel (unless you want to potter around the town - the centre is very pretty) as it's a bit busy and parking is limited. Use the Fleckalmbahn gondola on the main road outside Kirchberg (big car park). You could use the Maierl chairs in Kirchberg or, better, the Pengelstein gondola up the Kirchberg valley. If you go by train (or probably if you by bus), that drops you right by the Hahnenkammbahn. Any of the blues up on the Hahnenkamm should be OK assuming that your family are not complete beginners (or even if they are, actually). The reds and blacks may be OK depending on conditions and your family; none of them is particularly tricky. There are no nasty surprises, the runs do what they say on the tin, and are at the easier end of their gradings. There are plenty of pubs on the slopes.
Take the new 3S gondola/cable car across the valley; the view is great and there's some pleasant skiing on the other side. I believe that one of the gondolas has a transparent floor, but I haven't found it.
If you have inexperienced/tired skiers with you, I wouldn't bother to ski down to Kitzbuhel; the main routes down are basically roads, and in poor snow will be unpleasant. Skiing down to the Fleckalmbahn or Pengelstein car park is a better bet, although likely to involve poling/ walking if the snow is poor. Probably better to take the gondola.
Don't rely on the Kitzbuhel ski bus, it's a crap service.
There's also the Kitzbuheler Horn which I believe has a fair bit of gentle stuff.
If the snow is crap, head up to Pass Thurn. It's not as pretty, but the snow will be better. You'll need to use a T-bar there, if that's an issue.
Kitzbuhel town will repay a half day visit if you don't want to ski all day, everyday.
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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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roberto, 2 good bets for this time of year are the north facing resorts of St. Johann and Fieberbrunn.
For St. Johann, you should drive to Oberndorf - easy parking, no lift queues onto the Penzing gondola, and at the Scheffau end of town. 60km of piste, really holds the snow - allegedly still 120cm on the lower slopes which I very much doubt but it usually stays fully open to mid april. Not a resort for expert thrills but good for family. In terms of easy runs to start the family off, there are a set of drag lifts at Oberndorf, although the gondola from Oberndorf does dump you out onto a red run. If your family are after blues only, you might be better driving into the centre of St. Johann, and starting from the mid station of the Harbischl gondola (warning - long queues). St. Johann is a genuine 20 minute drive from Scheffau. if you're on the train, kids in ski boots carrying skis will probably walk from the station to the base station of the Harbischl in 10 minutes.
Fieberbrunn, I absolutely love. Only 38km of pistes but each one you'll want to ski again and again. Hidden gem and a brilliant snow record for April, I'm sure it'll be fully open. 20 minutes the other side of St. Johann.
As richmond, says, Kitzbuhel is a bit of a pain if you're driving, and unless I've got my geography wrong it's 45 minutes from Scheffau.
As for the Ski Welt, it's a big plateau with linked peaks. I would have thought once you're up the Brandstadl gondola (top station 1650m) the runs on the "plateau" will be open. The problem I found was the number of short runs - up on the plateau you often find yourself doing about 10 turns before it's time to plan the hockey stop into the next lift queue. If the longer lower runs aren't open you may find it limiting.
If you do end up doing a multiple resort thing you will be OK cost-wise getting day passes. I think five day passes roughly = one six day single resort pass. But if you're not skiing full days most resorts over there sell cheaper passes from 10am, 11am, morning only etc, so you can make that back.
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There is a 6 day Kitzbuhler Alpen pass covering Kitzbuhl and Ski Welt. It costs little more than the Kitzbuhel 6 dayer.
http://www.skiwelt.at/winter/tarife/tarife_kitzalp_en.asp
JimiHendrix's north facing slopes sound good (although anything by Jimi sounds pretty good to me).
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 27-03-06 16:32; edited 1 time in total
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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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Thanks very much, all very useful information. I'm not driving to get there, but I might think about hiring a car to get around and explore the different ski areas.
When I worked in Switzerland years ago there was hardly any snow in Villars, but we found a tiny resort (Ovronnaz, I think) which was tucked away and, although very small, had excellent snow – down to the way the slopes faced.
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Scheffrau is at the wrong of Ski Welt with Kitzbuhel. Richmond's account is as good as you can get.
There should be some snow in Ski Welt if you can find snow in St Johann which isn't higher than Ski Welt I would have thought. You will definitely need a car to go from Scheffrau to Kitzbuhel and should travel in clockwise direction too (head for Ellmau/Going). Anticlockwise you will have to pass Soll, Itter, Hopfgarden and Brixenale. It doesn't appear to me Kitzbuhel is significantly higher than Ski Welt and the condition you see at Kirchberg should be similar to Scheffrau too, which also has lifts taking you right up to the top.
Remeber the first 7 of the 8 satellite resorts of Going/Ellmau/Scheffrau/Soll/Itter/Hopfgarten/Brixen are consecutively and fully linked the tentacles of an octopus. Even a lot of chairlifts are closed, so can't ski down to each resort, there should still be plenty to do at the bowl level at the top. The unlinked Westendorf (adjacent to Brixen) is reasonably high and should have good runs left.
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We all know the difference North/South facing can make but I've never seen it as marked as one time in the Tirol in mid March 2003. Going along an East-West valley road, North facing half pure white, top to bottom skiing. Grey road. South facing half mostly green. They've still got 80/200 depth in Fieberbrunn, which sometimes goes to May despite it's low altitude. If you don't have top to bottom all week there i'll change my username to aGuitaristinBusted. 
The last few years in the tirol they've had an unseasonable cold snap and big dump to resort level in early->mid April, so you never know your luck!
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