 Poster: A snowHead
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Did many small resorts close after last year's bad season?
Found out today that a couple of very small ski resorts in Eastern Austria had been hit so hard last season that they have closed. One resort only managed to run for 4 weeks as it doesn't have snow cannons. Has this happened anywhere else in other areas of Austria, France or Switzerland etc ? It remains to be seen if someone (e.g. the local authority) comes up with some money and pulls them out or not but I fear they will now be shut for a long time, if not forever. One resort will be good for ski touring but the other was a resort where absolute beginners and children skied away from the madding crowds and on-piste racer wannabes.
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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 think there was a piece on www.pistehors.com a while back but I can't find it on there, maybe David will be along with a link...
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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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DB, which ones are you referring to? I know that one or two in the Niederösterreich area had it very tough, Hochkar for example. same went for some of the German ones in the Allgäu. We have a couple of private drag lifts that operate for beginners in good winters, but last season they did not operate once.
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DB, don't know of any - it was an OK season in much of France I think, until the last very warm week or so after mid April. Not epic, by a long way, but not a disaster either. Abondance closed some years ago - because of lack of paying punters I think, rather than lack of snow. But after a couple of years it was re-opened and I think is OK now, though it's very small (12 runs) and doesn't join up with other parts of the Portes du Soleil. I had friends with an apartment there, but they have since sold after a family bereavement. It's a charming village and sweet ski area but a lot of people seem to want big mileage these days.
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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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Samerberg Sue,
Aflenz and Alpl, two really small resorts. Hochkar is larger than both these resorts put together, but itself very small when compared to the large Austrian R´resorts. Hochkar had problems back in 2012 and the local authority took over Hochkar.
http://noe.orf.at/news/stories/2537063/
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DB, I think some of the smaller Bayerische Wald places as well as some in the Western Allgäu are struggling as well - combination of poor snow and lack of punters to pay for the infrastructure to keep the pistes in good nick. Once it starts it is a fairly rapid downward spiral.
My local area has hit the headlines this summer because the DAV and the Bund für Naturschutz tried to stop the building of a new reservoir for the snow cannons. They were defeated, but it has delayed the construction - they are going to be start filling it next week I believe. Coupled with the construction of a new high-speed 6-man chair instead of 2 parallel T-bars on the Waldkopf, the Sudelfeld area is looking good to keep its Snowboard world Cup races and earn even more income for the region.
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Those closer to the ground may have better knowledge, but from what I gather this year could be shaping up to be pretty quiet, what with recurrent recession in Europe(especially France), big drop in no. of Russians, developing Ebola scare etc. Summer weather in late October won't help. But from what I hear bookings are significantly down especially France
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peanuthead, I already have more bookings this year than last, mind you my french agent has not provided that many of them, so you may be right!
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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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If it keeps the Russians away all the better, They are the most horrible group of people we have ever had the misfortune of meeting on holidays
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mightysaints, Slightly broad brush statement there............. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| mightysaints wrote: |
| If it keeps the Russians away all the better, They are the most horrible group of people we have ever had the misfortune of meeting on holidays |
Yea, all 146 million Russians are EXACTLY the same...
Personally I've met as many annoying Brits/French/Germans/etc on the slopes as Russians, and enjoyed sharing a apres ski drink with people from all nations too.
In my personal experience the entertainment* provided by the Russians far exceeds the issues they cause me.
* Games of 'spot the Russian', where a gold lame one-piece ski suit with gold lame tassles across the back and worn without irony is still the record holder, or just chuckling (to ourselves) at the 'princess' still unable to snowplow without holding on to the instructor...on a green slope...on Friday.
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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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| Quote: |
worn without irony
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personally I find one-piece ski suits worn with irony one of the most lame things on the slopes.
I've not met many Russians - I had a Russian colleague on a week's Italian language course a couple of years ago. Charming and funny - as well as very beautiful.
My son cooked for a three generation Russian family in Courchevel at New Year - the language posed some difficulties but they were generous (big tip at the end), appreciative and perfectly well behaved.
But I dare say some of them are horrible!
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"personally I find one-piece ski suits worn with irony one of the most lame things on the slopes."
fair point!
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You know it makes sense.
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I've met some lovely Russians.
But does anyone remember the film "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie"?
Not a phrase that often comes to mind about Russians with enough €€€€ to holiday in European ski resorts.
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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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The Rosenegg Schlepper, the couple of T-bars to go up the Hochkogl in Fieberbrunn (separate from the main Fieberbrunn ski area) probably didn't run much last winter and the lifts were removed soon after the season. Sad but the lifts have likely been struggling for some time. I believe a taxi shuttle may be available next winter for those wanting to use the sledge run from the Hochkogl (which was previously served by those T-bars).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Small Lower Altitude Skiing Resorts seem to be drying up quicker than Waterholes in a Serengeti Summer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We were in Oberammergau the other week. The snow wasn't great, but the staff there pointed out that they hadn't even opened some of the cross-country trails, which are quite big round there.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nice film. Really captures the sadness of a lost ski area.
There must be a worry that we are going to see a lot more skiing archaeology quite soon.
Covid has probably sped up the process of making resorts more vulnerable to the ongoing affects of Climate change but also the disappearing cohort of baby boomers which I don’t think is being filled by younger generations because of issues around cost, competing interests and a growing Environmental backlash against some of the industrial scale impacts of skiing infrastructure on carbon and a range of natural resources.
Ironically 2020-21 would have been a good skiing season, even here in the UK and perhaps one of the best on record in places like the Dolomites. I hope the snow comes back next year.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| DB, don't know of any - it was an OK season in much of France I think, until the last very warm week or so after mid April. Not epic, by a long way, but not a disaster either. Abondance closed some years ago - because of lack of paying punters I think, rather than lack of snow. But after a couple of years it was re-opened and I think is OK now, though it's very small (12 runs) and doesn't join up with other parts of the Portes du Soleil. I had friends with an apartment there, but they have since sold after a family bereavement. It's a charming village and sweet ski area but a lot of people seem to want big mileage these days. |
You're right Pam it did close a few years ago before reopening and recently it was included in our local lift pass the 'Montagnes d'Evian' pass which currently includes Thollon Les Memises, Bernex and Abondance. We've not skied there yet but I'm hoping it will keep going! I did hear a couple of years ago that Morgins in Switzerland was in trouble which is part of the PDS but didn't hear anything further so I guess it's still operating? Crossing fingers that they all survive!
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Of the two ski resorts I mentioned - Aflenz reopened but as far as I know Alpl closed in 2014.
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