 Poster: A snowHead
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Evening,
I realise there's a very similar question posted recently but we have different requirements so worth a different thread I thought...
I'm looking for recommendation for an Austrian resort for the week 2-9 Jan next year please? I am aware its a roll of the dice snow-wise but the higher the better for snow surety would be great.
We are reasonably strong skiers who have been living in Chamonix for the past several years. The reason we're wedded to this week, and that we've moved back to the UK is my GF has started teacher training at Edinburgh Uni. I have already calmly explained that I will not be skiing during Feb half term at any point and will be going away without her again in March 
We will be a group of 6-10 decent skiers looking for good off-piste if possible - we'll probably hire a guide at least one day and can take touring kit if needed. As this will be our first actual ski holiday in quite some time we've decided on Austria as its somewhere we've skied very little and fancy a bit of traditional austrian apres if its possible by Jan. We were recommended Alagna/Champoluc in Italy as a destination to drive from Chamonix via this forum previously for which covid stopped play unfortunately but that's still on the list for years to come!
Mayrhofen and Obergurgl seem strong candidates? Is St Manton worth a risk that early? (no one's got a crystal ball etc etc)
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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 the show for that week should be pretty nailed on. I would go to Saalbach. If Apres is happening, it will happen there. There is a big area to ski with snowmaking everywhere if the worst should happen. There is guided off piste across the mountains and there is Fieberbrunn only a short ski away with some great inbounds type off piste. Plus, it is a real gold star Austrian ski area with great infrastructure and mountain restaurants etc. You can't go wrong.
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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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So much is condition dependent and you have chosen just about the busiest week of the year (for most German speaking countries the first back to work day will be Monday 10th). The obvious answer is the Arlberg, there really is nowhere else in Austria that is as good, it will be crowded that week (the Arlberg is just about the snowiest part of the alps so more chance there of good conditions than elsewhere). Ischgl is not in the same league in terms of off piste but still very good, Galtür might be a better option if you want to do any touring (though pretty early season for that). The Zillertal has a lot of skiing all the way from Fügen to the top of the glacier at Hintertux, in good conditions lots of off piste and touring options. You might find Obergurgl a bit small and quiet. The eastern Tirolean / Salzburgerland areas are generally fairly tame though maybe the area between Fieberbrunn and Saalbach / Hinterglemm might appeal, it is a fixture on the freeride tour and SH does have good apres.
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| Quote: |
maybe the area between Fieberbrunn and Saalbach / Hinterglemm might appeal, it is a fixture on the freeride tour and SH does have good apres.
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Interestingly, Jimmy Petterson, the skiing journalist and guru, (author of “Skiing Around The World” Vols. I and II, and holder of the world record for the most number of countries of the world skied - 648 resorts in 75 countries at the last count) enthuses in his books about Saalbach-Hinterglemm’s off-piste. He gives the area’s off-piste his maximum 5 points in his resort comparative summary and describes it thus: “Saalbach-Hinterglemm, as a powder paradise, is one of the best-kept secrets of the Alps”.
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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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But Jimmy is biased....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Langerzug, ... because he’s discovered the secret 
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@tatmanstours,
Secret? Isn’t S-H Austria’s biggest destination (in overnight stays)?
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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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| Quote: |
but the higher the better for snow surety would be great.
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Obergurgl is reliable for natural snow but there is also a greater risk of poor skiing weather at altitude and every year these days the high resorts seem to lose days and have closures because of strong winds, avalanche risk and poor visibility. Saalbach May we’ll be one of the more reliable resorts for number of open lifts and open runs in early January, because of its shelter and snow making strategy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Langerzug, by a strange coincidence I also discovered the Ski Circus by visiting Leogang for a two week holiday in 1986. It would have been late Jan - early Feb. Clearly I had a different experience from yours, because I returned to Leogang for three further annual ski holidays in 1988, 1989, and 1991 (before exploring France, Switzerland and other resorts in Austria - and ultimately rediscovering the Ski Circus in around 2003 and settling in Saalbach).
You would certainly not be the first to be put off a resort or area by one bad week. I remember that there were a series of unusually poor seasons during the 1990s, resulting in some chalet companies going bust (e.g. Ski-Tal, Strawberry Ski Company). During that era, I would not have considered organising a chalet party before late January. Thankfully times have changed. I have experienced heavy snowfall and waist-deep powder in early January.
I would be interested to know what conditions were like in other Austrian resorts, and generally across the Alps, at the time of your dismal experience in Leogang? In my experience, the kind of snow drought conditions you describe are not confined to a particular resort, and are often replicated across an entire region, or country, or generally across the Alps.
The implication of what you say is that you decided that the snow conditions in Lech were more reliable than in Leogang. Perhaps so - I have no way of knowing. However perhaps you would have had an equally disappointing holiday if you had chosen to go to Lech in 1986; and perhaps there have been seasons in which during your chosen week the conditions in Leogang were better than in Lech. Again I have no way of knowing.
All I can say is that, during the last 15 years, you would generally have found reliable snow and good skiing in Leogang between mid-December and early April - except in a very few seasons, when natural snowfall (generally across the region, or the country, or the Alps) was delayed for a few weeks. That all-important first major dump of the season can, in my experience, arrive any time between late November and late December. Hence the comfort and assurance provided in the early season by snowmaking.
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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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@tatmanstours, 1986 clearly was a good year!
Of course you're right; every winter there is a general snowfall trend for all ski resorts in either the Northern, and the Southern Alps.
But within that trend there also are serious regional differences in snow quantity.
In Lech, the average seasonal maximum snow depth reaches 161 cm (valley!).
But in 1991, Lech reached 'only' 80 cm.
Source, see page 22: https://www.zukunft-skisport.at/site/assets/files/1019/studie_lech-zurs-warth-schroecken_wintertemperaturen_schnee_g-aigner_2019_v2.pdf
In that same year, almost all of the Glemmvalley was brown most of the season, up till the summits in February. With some artificial snow only on Kohlmais and Zwölfer, remaining from the WM-1991....
On top of being the ultimate 'Schneeloch', Lech-village is at 1450 m, and its pistes are mainly east-facing. And no less important: not so many fellow Dutchies.... 
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You know it makes sense.
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@Meltus, I’m a teacher. Before moving I was stuck with skiing during school holidays. Surprisingly, half term skiing in Austria isn’t too bad. It’s a bit busier, but you don’t often get stuck in queues.
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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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| Quote: |
Surprisingly, half term skiing in Austria isn’t too bad. It’s a bit busier, but you don’t often get stuck in queues.
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Because at least two thirds of skiers in Austria are from a variety of other countries (i.e. other than Austria), which have half terms in different weeks throughout February, as do the various regions of Austria. Frequently the U.K. half-term doesn’t clash with say Salzburgerland, or Tirol, or Vienna, or Bavaria, or the Netherlands.
Incidentally, 75% of skiers in France are French.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| tatmanstours wrote: |
| Quote: |
Surprisingly, half term skiing in Austria isn’t too bad. It’s a bit busier, but you don’t often get stuck in queues.
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Because at least two thirds of skiers in Austria are from a variety of other countries (i.e. other than Austria), which have half terms in different weeks throughout February, as do the various regions of Austria. Frequently the U.K. half-term doesn’t clash with say Salzburgerland, or Tirol, or Vienna, or Bavaria, or the Netherlands.
Incidentally, 75% of skiers in France are French. |
That’s the point I was making without the added detail!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Meltus wrote: |
Evening,
I realise there's a very similar question posted recently but we have different requirements so worth a different thread I thought...
I'm looking for recommendation for an Austrian resort for the week 2-9 Jan next year please? I am aware its a roll of the dice snow-wise but the higher the better for snow surety would be great.
We are reasonably strong skiers who have been living in Chamonix for the past several years. The reason we're wedded to this week, and that we've moved back to the UK is my GF has started teacher training at Edinburgh Uni. I have already calmly explained that I will not be skiing during Feb half term at any point and will be going away without her again in March
We will be a group of 6-10 decent skiers looking for good off-piste if possible - we'll probably hire a guide at least one day and can take touring kit if needed. As this will be our first actual ski holiday in quite some time we've decided on Austria as its somewhere we've skied very little and fancy a bit of traditional austrian apres if its possible by Jan. We were recommended Alagna/Champoluc in Italy as a destination to drive from Chamonix via this forum previously for which covid stopped play unfortunately but that's still on the list for years to come!
Mayrhofen and Obergurgl seem strong candidates? Is St Manton worth a risk that early? (no one's got a crystal ball etc etc) |
I skied Obergurgl that week in 2020, and conditions were excellent, likewise Solden (now on the same lift pass and only 20mins on bus).
Alternative that I have also skied that week is Ischgl, probably almost as much skiing as Obergurgl and Solden combined. But can be -25°C...
As for apres - Obergurgl very quiet after the slopes close, Ischgl and your Mayrhofen have reputations for boisterous apres, as does Saalbach, where although lower should be fine in January as Austrian snow making excellent. Also, the resorts you mention all have excellent lift systems, Saalbach and Ischgl surely the best anywhere?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 29-09-21 14:52; edited 1 time in total
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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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| hammerite wrote: |
| tatmanstours wrote: |
| Quote: |
Surprisingly, half term skiing in Austria isn’t too bad. It’s a bit busier, but you don’t often get stuck in queues.
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Because at least two thirds of skiers in Austria are from a variety of other countries (i.e. other than Austria), which have half terms in different weeks throughout February, as do the various regions of Austria. Frequently the U.K. half-term doesn’t clash with say Salzburgerland, or Tirol, or Vienna, or Bavaria, or the Netherlands.
Incidentally, 75% of skiers in France are French. |
That’s the point I was making without the added detail! |
Best week to avoid in February is possibly Fasching week. And the country of foreign tourists (i.e. non Austrian) whose half term is best avoided is probably the Netherlands
I've skied Saalbach twice in UK half term and it's been fine - a few queues, but nothing bad
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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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@buchanan101, I’ve skied Schladming when U.K. half term (and I believe a few others) clashed with Fasching and I was surprised at how easy it was to avoid queues even then.
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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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It’s quite typical…Brits thinking their ‘half-term’ is the busiest week of the season.
Splendid Isolation etc….
Darlings, the days of Brits discovering St.Moritz are long gone. Among other things. Welcome to 2021!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
It’s quite typical…Brits thinking their ‘half-term’ is the busiest week of the season.
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To be fair, it probably is when passing through Gatwick
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It is if you ski in a lot of the French resorts and Obergurgl
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@Meltus, aaargh you moved back! sorry for your loss 
Only skied St Anton / Arlberg in Austria but think you’d like it.
Here’s an old TR of our trip. With good snow you don’t really need touring gear but it opens up some nice additional options.
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=74877
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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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| Quote: |
It is if you ski in a lot of the French resorts
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Indeed. Half a million British skiers visit French ski resorts every year, and they greatly outnumber all other nationalities, except of course the French.
By contrast, although Austria welcomes more foreign guests than any other skiing country, the British are a relatively small minority, being greatly outnumbered by other nationalities, especially the Germans and the Dutch.
Consequently, when the U.K. half term happens to fall in a different week from the German and Dutch half terms, there will be a delightful lack of crowds and queues in Austrian ski resorts, whereas the French resorts that are popular with the British contingent will be rammed.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
It’s quite typical…Brits thinking their ‘half-term’ is the busiest week of the season.
Splendid Isolation etc….
Darlings, the days of Brits discovering St.Moritz are long gone. Among other things. Welcome to 2021! |
No, not at all. We tend to pay attention to this… https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=4739608
U.K. half term coinciding with Paris half term = carnage in France.
Quite often not so bad in Austria, however last year, if the season happened, would quite possibly have been a bit messy as most of northern and Central Europe seemed to have half term at the same time.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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