 Poster: A snowHead
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First of all, I want to thank all of you amazing people for helping me pick a holiday this year. After reading countless posts me and the girlfriend have settled on Saalbach-Hinterglemm this year and I can't bloody wait!
I've been boarding a few years but took about 10 years off. I managed to sneak a trip in just before COVID, to Les Arcs and got the bug again. I can handle most reds and the odd, easy black but I'm happy just cruising blues. The girlfriend is coming up to her second year after a week in Bansko back in January. She can link turns but not confidently and loses all confidence on the "easy blues" (flats). I have to say I have a shared hatred of flat runs.
We'll get her some practice in the UK before we go out but I want to make sure we find some good pistes pretty quickly so she can get her confidence up.
So, that being said - does anyone have any good piste recommendations in Hinterglemm? Looking for some blues with a decent enough gradient and plenty of width and ideally no slow, flat bits!
I'll also take recommendations of where I can sneak off to when she's knackered and I can try something a bit more difficult.
Also recommendations for snowboard instructors in the area would be good. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Gow87, welcome to SnowHeads!
I'm not a boarder, but I know Hinterglemm fairly well. The top half of the Zwolferkogel is used by most of the ski schools for beginners once they graduate from the beginners area, and this should be good for your girlfriend to start with. However, don't venture beyond midstation as that's red to black depending on the line.
The area from the Ubahn down is good, but has some narrower parts.
On the other side of the valley there are good runs down to the top of the Hochalmbahn. Again, don't go lower to begin with.
Later, the long run down from Schattberg West to the Schönleitenbahn is a good option early in the day, and the runs down to Leogang are recommended.
Places to avoid are few - Bernkogel is too flat for boarders, while the lower slopes on Hochalm are usually mogulled, as are the slopes above Turm in Saalbach. Much depends on when you will be visiting.
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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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Thanks @ousekjarr
I might have to claim ignorance about the lower hochalm area as we're staying at the hotel at the bottom! We can always get the bus down from Hinterglemm if she can't handle it.
We're there January 21st for a week, staying at the bottom of the hochalm piste (a little bit out of the way).
Any other tips while we're there?
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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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@Gow87, mid January is an excellent time to visit, with generally good snow conditions and fewer people, so you may not get the mogul experience at all.
Hochalm is a nice run when conditions are good - the only tricky bit is the last 150 meters, and the steepest part can be avoided by keeping to the far right as long as possible. If you are headed to Zwolfernordbahn then it's key to keep some speed up to get there and it becomes a trade-off.
As all of the Hochalm side is south facing, Zwolferkogel and Westgipfel (one narrow section in the top half) are better on sunny days, but a sunny day in January shouldn't be much of a problem anywhere.
Once you are both comfortable on reds a lot more options open up, but boarders struggle on two pistes - the runout from the end of Seekar (a lovely run, but a long T-bar to get there) to the Zehnerbahn which is flat for about 300m, and the return piste from Fieberbrunn which has a long flat section at the bottom. Coming back from Leogang you may also find the optional traverse across to Saalbach a little hard as it's about a mile of fairly flat roadway which ends with a slight uphill. If you can maintain speed then this, like the top half of Bernkogel, is workable.
Finally, don't be tempted to take your girlfriend down Zwolfernord as a direct route home - it was classed as a black until recently and I suspect they changed it to tempt more people to use it. There are two sections which are steeper and which have been marked as short blacks, both with options to cut around, but the top one of these is a long dogleg which is about 8 feet wide, and the lower one is shorter and wider but similar. In January it is likely to be icy, shaded, and should really be black grade all the way.
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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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@Gow87, make sure you follow the “Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Leogang - Fieberbrunn 2021/22 Official Unofficial Thread” , sorry can’t seem to link it, @Tatmantours will no doubt be very soon starting the 2022/23 one more importantly. Great resort you will love it, we are out on 21st, albeit always stop in Saalbach rather than Hinterglemm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Gow87, here's the link to the Saalbach thread, https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=156241&start=1000
You have several options as @ousekjarr, has outlined, you can take the Hochalm cable car up and then the Spieleck 6er chair and there are number of easy blues 50 is probably the easiest, then 56 they will bring you back to the chair and cablecar station, as Ousekajarr has said the bottom half of 50 is more challenging take the bubble down, we do in spring  , the Sonnhof is a nice place to stop , avoid the small hut just above it.
You can also go up the Nordban, Don't come down 40, its a challenging red. You can take 31 it has a learner area at the top, then follow it to the bottom of the Zehner lift, making sure to follow the blue, i love this as a first run. There is also 30 then from the mid station down you can take 37 but keep right, it can be slightly challenging or you can take 38 which is usually less busy and has a couple of good restaurants/coffee stops.
Edited 18 August
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 18-08-22 8:47; edited 1 time in total
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Thanks! 30/38 sounds like a good long run to find her feet!
Got a lesson booked at the local indoor ski slope in a couple of weeks so we'll see how much she progressed from the last holiday.
10 years off did wonders for me - I swear you get better in your sleep?!
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@Gow87, if you do 30 and want a stop at the mid station Genus 12 is a nice stop, the Winkler Alm across the way is nice as well but more traditional and cash only as is the Hintermaisalm on 38, then Xandl Stadl near the bottom fabulous food ( the mushroom risotto) cash only again, though they do have their own cash point machine
I’ve edited my previous post
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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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@radar, not been to Xandl Stadl for some years, but had the best ribs ever in there as recommended by Kev who owned Pension Enzian. Have you tried them, might see if they are still as good this year.
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@ribblevalleyblue, not had it but will add it to my list to try, its also a nice place for dinner, I can recommend the Venison Steak, the Schnitzels good as well
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The problem with taking a ten year gap is forgetting I'm no longer on a shoestring budget and don't have to "borrow" from the morning buffet for lunch!
You're all convincing me more and more that ramming a poorly constructed sandwich inside my jacket isn't the way to go here. The food sounds and looks incredible!
So the first day is sounding like a nice potter down some easy blues, stuffing our faces with nice food followed by a little apres and a quiet night.
If we do fancy a nice bar (we're not into loud music and jager bombs) is there anywhere you recommend?
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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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@Gow87, Hinterglemm isn't blessed with many places for the legendary "quiet drink" of an evening. There are lively places in the main street such as the Knappenstube (part of Tanzhimmel, which I think is still closed for reconstruction after the large fire they had last year), but a couple have closed permanently (the old Fireman's Stube seems to have become yet another hire shop in the last 18 months), so the options are a little limited.
There's always the Goaßstall, but that goes from lively at Apres time (3-6) to a sedate restaurant at 7 and then into a nightclub around 9. Hotel bars are likely to be the best alternative, but I can't recommend any in particular. If you're already committed to a taxi back, a trip into Saalbach might be worth considering, but again the options are limited if you're not looking for loud music.
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@Gow87, I’m not too familiar with Hinterglemm in the evening beyond eating there occasionally, quite drinks options based on lunch/early evening Liemers, Glemtalerhof (interesting art) both are hotels.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gow87, get yourselves over to Eva Alm in Saalbach, if you want a good atmosphere for a drink or two, but no apres music.
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