 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, Is the new Ski connection from Bernkogel (slope 146) to A1+A2 Schattberg X-press now open and if so what are the first impressions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What's the situation with restaurants on the hill at the moment? Do you need to pre-book or just a case of turning up? All fingers crossed, 6 of us due out to Hinterglemm on 8th Jan.
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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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@snorks, yes, and apparently it’s okay.
@boabski, everything’s pretty normal - I haven’t personally been into many, but the ones I’ve been in have been functioning normally.
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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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Thanks@tatmanstours,
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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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I’ve been to Saalbach, Leogang, Hinterglem and Fieberbrun (and Lofer, Maria Alm and Zell am See) so far this week.
Almost every restaurant is open as normal - but there’s a bit less music than normal and the little glass beer huts are closed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@SYL, I am contemplating arriving this early January. How are the slopes?
I understand a spring week is due to arrive.
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I arrived Christmas Eve. It hasn’t snowed since and it rained today all the way up the mountain. Things had been pretty good up to now. Meant to have sunshine tomorrow though and it’ll be cold enough for snowmaking right down to the bottom of the hill. But then I’m coming home. Might get out again in March, but Omicron is yet to hit (they had a Delta wave in Nov/Dec) so they could panic lock-down again.
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A bit of rain helps to solidify the base  We actually may have got away quite lightly with this unseasonably warm front.
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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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@Yorksboy, As you have just arrived on the Postbus, thought I would pick your brains, others may find it useful.
We have always used the convenience of the holiday shuttle, but should consider the Post bus option as the bus stop is less than 50m away from our apartment, this time we will have skis and bags, I’m assuming that the bags go in the luggage bins under the bus?
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| radar wrote: |
@Yorksboy, As you have just arrived on the Postbus, thought I would pick your brains, others may find it useful.
We have always used the convenience of the holiday shuttle, but should consider the Post bus option as the bus stop is less than 50m away from our apartment, this time we will have skis and bags, I’m assuming that the bags go in the luggage bins under the bus? |
I use the Postbus when ever I can. Luggage goes in the lockers underneath, the driver gives you plenty of time to load and unload it. The trip takes just over 2 hours, just one change at the Maishofen Abzw Glemmtal, just a very short walk down or up a footpath depending on which direction your going in. I’ve heard that in the very unlikely event of the bus running late they let the connecting bus know so that it’s there for you!
One trip my flight didn’t land at a time suitable for the Postbus connection, that time I took the trolley bus from the airport (same stop as the Postbus uses) into Salzburg and then coughs the train to Zell then bus to Hinterglemm. The ÖBB Website and app has a really good planner, you can use this to sort out which methods work for you. You can set up a profile and pay for tickets on the app. I usually wait until I’ve collected bags and then purchase the ticket that fits.
You can probably tell that I’m a big fan of the Austrian public transport system. I’ll be using it when I go to Hopfgarten next week then back to Hinterglemm the week after.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Yorksboy, Thanks. Owe you a beer 
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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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Hi everyone, so on my way home (UK) from a family ski holiday in Saalbach, our first time to Saalbach and really enjoyed it apart from one thing, the Moguls on the blue runs. We are booked to go again in February half term with friends who are all mixed ability .
I'm.concernerd about the Moguls on these blue runs as some of my friends would really struggle and lose confidence.
Are these Moguls normal on these blue runs ?
Or is it due to weather being warmer ( we had 2 really warm days) and the snow being slushed snd carved into a daunting Mogul field?
We also felt like it wasn't being pisted as the Moguls would have been flattened on a daily basis.
Any insights would be very much appreciated ?
Much appreciated
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@Beckski, there isn't a blue run in the whole of the Alps which will remain mogul free in warmer weather, especially in peak weeks where the traffic is heavier. That being said, there are a couple of runs in the Glemmtal which suffer more than others - 50A down to the Hochalmbahn faces south and gets more sun than any other slope, while 2A down to Jausern is typically bad in the afternoons. The same is true of 152 from Kolmais to the bottom of the Turm lift, 158 past the Bergeralm, and the bottom of 164 down to the Schonleiten midstation. Basically, anything south facing will be worse than those which face north or west.
Knowing this, and reading the conditions, you can choose to avoid them at times when they will be bad. At 9am they are all lovely cruising runs, at 11am on a warm or sunny day they're cut up and starting to struggle, at 2pm they're a challenge for beginners, and at 4pm they can be carnage with bodies and kit all over the piste. They're all bashed daily, but not during the day for safety reasons - it may not look like it, but they have all been flattened overnight as these are some of the busiest runs in the valley.
Conversely, in quieter weeks and with cold weather they can all be excellent runs and can maintain good conditions throughout the day.
Now you are more familiar with the area, try to plan your day around the conditions - if it is warm, stick to the north facing slopes on Westgipfel, Zwolferkogel, Schattberg, and down into Leogang. On the piste map at https://www.saalbach.com/en/winter/ski-resort/piste-map north is to the right, so anything that slopes down to the right will be good, and anything which slopes down to the left will not if the weather is too warm.
Also, if your friends are at a level where they will struggle and lose confidence due to moguls on a blue run, your options are limited. The red runs will be in much better condition as the traffic levels are lower, but if they frighten easily then that may not be an option. Perhaps a day or two of lessons would be worthwhile to improve their confidence, and to show them which runs are suitable for their abilities.
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You know it makes sense.
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| radar wrote: |
| @Yorksboy, Thanks. Owe you a beer |
When are you coming?
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| Beckski wrote: |
Hi everyone, so on my way home (UK) from a family ski holiday in Saalbach, our first time to Saalbach and really enjoyed it apart from one thing, the Moguls on the blue runs. We are booked to go again in February half term with friends who are all mixed ability .
I'm.concernerd about the Moguls on these blue runs as some of my friends would really struggle and lose confidence.
Are these Moguls normal on these blue runs ?
Or is it due to weather being warmer ( we had 2 really warm days) and the snow being slushed snd carved into a daunting Mogul field?
We also felt like it wasn't being pisted as the Moguls would have been flattened on a daily basis.
Any insights would be very much appreciated ?
Much appreciated |
Hi just added my thoughts to you separate thread about this.
“I’m in Saalbach now, it is unseasonably warm in Austria at the moment, this means the snow gets very soft in the afternoons and the popular pistes become very bumpy. If you are uncomfortable with these conditions then the trick is to ski these valley runs in the mornings, go higher in the afternoons then at the end of the day just download on the gondolas from the mid stations. This way you will be able to experience all the runs and avoid the crowds being challenged at the end of the day. Alternatively use it as a learning opportunity, perhaps book a private lesson and ask them to concentrate on how to handle the bumps??”
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Alternatively use it as a learning opportunity,
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Yes, that’s the most positive attitude to adopt, especially during New Year week (the busiest of the season), when the weather is unseasonably mild across Europe. Before this week there were no moguls, by the way, and that may also be the case in a few days, when the weather returns to seasonal norms.
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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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Looks like a decent dump arriving midweek, in time for our arrival on Saturday (god willing )
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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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@boabski, maybe only a light dump, but it should freshen things up, and the pistes should be good with the colder weather and fewer people.
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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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What's the apres like at the moment? 2 of my kids currently in the Hof at the moment a d saying it's pretty good - music being played but no dancing allowed etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@boabski, the après has struck me as pretty normal, except that standing around is in theory not allowed, and bars must close by 22.00.
By “normal”, I mean there seem to be plenty of people in the bars, and there is the usual après music and singing.
Obviously nightclubs are closed. Some bars are interpreting the rules as allowing live music; others are being more cautious.
It’s been snowing today, and the temperature has dropped. The streets are again snow-covered, and the snow cannons are blasting away all over the Kohlmais. Quite a change from the previous mild spell.
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@tatmanstours, thanks. Sounds better than I expected Just hope our PCR tests are negative when we get them tomorrow
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I see that recorded infections in Saalbach have jumped in the last few days from 16 to 84, so it seems that a price may be being paid for the relative normality of the après. That’s more than Saalfelden, which is the biggest town in the local Pinzgau region.
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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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Are restaurants and cafes still accepting cash or is it contactless only now?
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| 2planks wrote: |
| Are restaurants and cafes still accepting cash or is it contactless only now? |
We’ve not found a single place that has insisted on contactless. Cash is still king in Austria. Friends tell me that lap-dancing bars are still contactless.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@2planks, Quite a few take card, The Winkler Alm is still cash only
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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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| Austrian Seagull wrote: |
| 2planks wrote: |
| Are restaurants and cafes still accepting cash or is it contactless only now? |
We’ve not found a single place that has insisted on contactless. Cash is still king in Austria. Friends tell me that lap-dancing bars are still contactless. |
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You know it makes sense.
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@2planks, you need a better card 
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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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@2planks, in most cases you'll get stung on the cash exchange to start with, so you lose out that way too. As @radar says, get a better card - Revolut and several others now do cards which you can either preload with Euros at the interbank rate, or load up with GBP and spend it at the interbank rate at the time of the transaction. And the app tracks your spending - if that's something which doesn't give you nightmares when it comes time to look at the statement with your partner, as per @Austrian Seagull's comments above...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Are restaurants and cafes still accepting cash or is it contactless only now?
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There are certainly some places insisting on cash.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@2planks, are there any specific ones that you want checking 
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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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| tatmanstours wrote: |
| I see that recorded infections in Saalbach have jumped in the last few days from 16 to 84, so it seems that a price may be being paid for the relative normality of the après. That’s more than Saalfelden, which is the biggest town in the local Pinzgau region. |
where can I monitor the saalbach data?
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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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@tatmanstours, Thanks Richard, I know the resident population is about 3000 but assume it's a good bit higher than that at the moment, using resident population only brings the incidence rate to about 4766 per 100000 or about 1 in 21 which is similar to a lot of the UK but I suspect that's a bit misleading owing to visitors in the town
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@kb36, yes it’s been pretty busy, obviously over the festive period, but that’s likely to change after this weekend, as the national holidays end and the “little vectors” go back to school. In fact I heard that some hotels are virtually empty, and some bar owners are wondering if it’s worth opening every day. On a selfish note, I’m wondering if that means empty pistes during mid-January.
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Quick question - does the Spar in Saalbach open on Sunday? Or any other grocery shop local to the village centre?
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@tatmanstours, empty slopes ( and therefore gondolas) sounds appealing, I do wonder if there will be an uplift in British visitors now that the restrictions have been eased here, also the factor that people cannot, currently, get to France for the snow fix
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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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| tatmanstours wrote: |
| @kb36, yes it’s been pretty busy, obviously over the festive period, but that’s likely to change after this weekend, as the national holidays end and the “little vectors” go back to school. In fact I heard that some hotels are virtually empty, and some bar owners are wondering if it’s worth opening every day. On a selfish note, I’m wondering if that means empty pistes during mid-January. |
Arriving in 3 weeks for a week, keeping everything crossed.
Chatting to our travel agent (so a sample of one independent travel agent) they have had a lot of people bump bookings for Austria from Jan to March making use of tour operators flexible booking policies.
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son and son in law plus families had planed to return to saalbach this weekend made more possible by boris relaxing the testing to return, but as they drive the 48 hour pcr test meant they couldnt guarantee arrival as the first 24 hours could have been used up by waiting for the test result report .So their plans changed and off theve gone to switz as only needed a 24hr to get on the ferry and another on disembarkation to drive across( transit) holland and down germany before overnight in basle .They had no paper or digital checks other than holding them in view at borders and were basically waved through apart from leaving uk where they got the full monty 3rd degre .Just had an update from them now on the road up to village /resort . As for us 2 we are hanging on as hoping austria relaxes its entry rules re testing timing so we can drive via hull/ holland end of next month. Despite my ideal of saalbach am now checking out switz just in case they dont as neither of us want to fly ,got another 4 weeks before no fee cancellation but id rather not as love saalbach and have missed it this last couple of years .Nor do I want to cacel the hotel as they have been helpful
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FAQ
