 Poster: A snowHead
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An(other) appeal to the SnowHeads hive mind.
We are looking to go to the Ski Amadé region for two weeks in March (5-19). We plan to drive from the UK. The first week we plan to stay in a lovely apartment in Zauchensee and are wondering where to base ourselves for the second week…. We plan to spend the week exploring the slopes in Zauchensee, Flachauwinkel and Alternmarkt, and the second week heading “further afield”.
A bit of background on us. A couple, 44 and 53, both decent piste skiers and keen to cover lots of km’s. Have own skis and boots.
Don’t mind driving to / from the slopes if we have to, but would rather use public transport.
Budget is not a huge issue, but would like to keep it in the region of <750 B&B / sc or <1100 HB. If sc / B&B would like not to be too remote so can access bars / restaurants if we don’t feel like cooking!
So far our thoughts are Radstadt, or maybe Schladming (a bit dearer). Where else should we be looking?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@KNoceros, Radstadt is the other side of the Altenmarkt hill so you have already done it.
I would go for Schladming every time for that second week - you could stay in the valley at Schaldming, Hauser Kaibling, Reiteralm - they all link and there is a bus if you end up at the other end of the valley at the end of the day.
Alternatively Flachau/Wagrain or Maria Alm
I have a place in Flachau and to be honest in a week we cover everything you mention and more - if you cover lots of Kms you will want more than Zauch/FW/Alt/Rad in a week unless you are happy to the same runs lots of times.
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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, that’s super helpful - thank you!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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By “lots of km’s” our average ski day is about 40 downhill-km. We’re not averse to re-running one piste for the whole morning, but it’s nice to see an area too…
Just back from a fortnight in the Zillertal. Didn’t ski it all, and haven’t got bored with any given run!
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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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@KNoceros, the Ski Amade region is a good choice, as one lift pass covers a very large area. Zauchensee is one end of the Snow Space part of it, so if you work hard at it you can reach the other end and get back in a day, but it's a real challenge - see https://www.12peakstrophy.com/en/ for details. We were in Flachau last week, and completed the run out and back from Zauchensee in a day, but that was a real push of 7.5 hours of skiing, 39 miles downhill, and 13000m vertical.
The Altenmarkt/Radstadt slopes are very limited in terms of total distance. For that reason we've never bothered with that hill, but I believe there is still good skiing to be found there.
For the second week, I'd choose Schladming, Hochkonig, or the Gasteinertal in that order. Alternatively, if you want to go further afield then the Salzburg Superski card covers a huge area and Saalbach or Zell am See/Kaprun become possible for a small extra cost, but accommodation prices will likely be higher for those.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@ousekjarr, we were also considering “wk2” in the Skicircus area. How hard is it to get to Zell / Sallbach from the Zauchensee/ Alternmarkt area?
Do you think the snow (and ski busses) would hold up in March?
Not heard of Hockkönigig and hadn’t considered Gasteinertal…. Will have to get my Google on!
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@KNoceros, it's relatively simple to get from Altenmarkt to Saalbach - it's about 90 minutes on low-lying roads which will typically be clear. Not motorways, but outside of peak weeks the traffic usually flows reasonably well even on changeover Saturdays though you'd be advised to use a satnav or Google Maps/Waze to plan the best route. The buses run to the end of the season, but you won't need them. The snow is also good until then, though some sensible choices have to be made in March to avoid south-facing slopes, the same as anywhere else.
Hochkonig is the region which runs from Maria Alm to Muhlbach, which offers a good option for a couple of days or a day trip, and if you are happy to lap the same piste then it would be fine for you for a week. It has a "Kings tour" from one end to the other, again a push to complete an out and back route in a day, but we've done it with pre-teens on a couple of occasions.
The Gasteinertal is something of an oddity - it's spread out and not well connected, but there are a number of options for accommodation and the slopes are generally good once you're on them. Some of the lifts were a bit dated when I last visited, but it may have had some upgrades since then. The Sportgastein area is high and usually snowsure well into April.
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Schladming would be my recommendation for the second week. As well as being a lovely town, there are plenty of north facing slopes, but also opportunities to ski in the sun. Loads of skiing on your doorstep, with the possibility of going further afield. I’d be tempted to add in Flachau and Wagrain to your first week’s skiing. Also, a day in Obertauern either week, but you may need the Salzburg SuperSki pass rather than the Ski Amade pass for that. The former includes the Ski Amade region plus about 20 other regions, but isa little bit more expensive.
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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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@Austrian Seagull, yes you need the superski pass for obertauern
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I'd go the other way. If you intend to ski for 13 days then the Ski Amade season pass is the best lift pass option (just!). From Zauchensee you can ski all the way across to Alpendorf, so forget Flachau/Wagrain/St Johann for week two. Do Schladming on a day trip week one. Then I'd suggest you go to Bad Gastein. Great area to base yourselves and from there you can nip down to Dorfgastein and ski over to Grossarl. Then do the day trip up to Hochkonig for some variety.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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So a quick update.
Our first week is now booked and paid for as originally planned, and we have bought 13 day Ski Amadé lift passes (on line). Yes, there will be at least one day (the middle Saturday) that doesn’t get used, but it was way cheaper than 2x6 days.
We are now mainly looking at the Gasteintal for the second week. Probably using Bad- or Badhof- Gastein as our base.
Thank you everyone again for your input.
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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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“Buttons have been pressed”. Wk 2 is ex- Bad Hofgastein. All booked. All except ski passes, refundable is CoVID plays silly-whatsits.
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@KNoceros, if you fancy an hour or 2 off skis and it is still open, Radstadt has a cracking sledge run. You can ski to it from Altenmarkt then ski back afterwards, or drive through the towns if you can’t face skiing with a backpack. IIRC you collect/drop off the sledge from the lower station of the gondola. Gondola up and turn left. You’d just need to carry normal boots. Way scarier than skiing…
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You know it makes sense.
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@KNoceros, Radstadt/ Altenmarlt hill is 12mins on the free bus from Zauchnsee. Get on the 1st bus one day and have an awesome half or full day there. They are all great runs, Have lunch and bus back to Zauchnesee. There is now a lift from Kleinarl/Flachauwinkle (some great skiing here) opening up the Flacha/Wagrain area.
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