 Poster: A snowHead
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Been looking at Alpbach, brochure says very pretty and good for beginners and intermediates. Anyone been and what are your thoughts? which hotels are good?
Thx
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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 planning on going but the size of the ski area put us off in the end. However, it does look very pretty and i dont doubt it will be great for beginners. The piste map shows that it is mostly red runs, but i can imagine that these will probably be fairly easy.
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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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Have walked there in the summer - haven't visited in Winter - Ski area seems a little small - probably ok for beginners but I got the impression that the easier runs were higher up the mountain - Also got the impression that you may have to use the shuttle bus service as well as the lift system to get around - but as I said never actually skied there
We stayed in the Hotel Post - and it was as Austrian as it gets which we thought was really cool, it was basic though - Even had "Stamm" tables in the bar which were tables reserved for the locals
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Learned in nearby Niederau. The whole Wildschonau area is very beautiful as the name suggests - but definitely best geared towards beginners and lower intermediates.
Busses run between Alpbach, Niederau and Oberau - but Alpbach is the highest/largest single area. I imagine the area could suffer in poor snow due to lowish altitude.
Basically go if you are learning, with kids - or just wanting an all round low-key and pretty winter holiday and not too concerned about the skiing. I would imagine there are other low key, pretty ski areas that offer the above and more though - although this area may be cheaper?
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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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Ski there in a day trip from Ski Welt. From the record I kept it has 40 km piste. It has two areas. The main arae has about 10 lifts and the small one has 4 to 5. Didn't go the the samall one which is not linked. It is a quiet little place in its own and not flooded by the foreign visitors. It is on the same motorway A12 to Zillertal which has 350km piste. Coming from Munich Alpbachtal juction is the one before Zillertal. I guess most local German and Austrian skiers would turn off at the Zillertal juction or the earlier one to Ski Welt (access to Kitzbuhel also).
My ski map shows 1900m maximum altitude. Could remember the place seems to be fairly popular with boarders. It is a nice quiet surrounding. The photos I took were marked Alpbach/Wattens so I must have visited the Watten Swarovski crystal factory after skiing in Alpbach. Couldn't think of anything bad there except the main lift was a bit dated by the Austria standard as their equipment are always immaculately maintained. Couldn't think of any outstanding feature either except it was a relaxing place to ski.
The other small places I have been are Geilo (28 km piste) in Norway, Hemsedal (42 km) in Norway and Le Houches (55km) in Chamonix alley in France. Quiet small resorts can be attractive for those don't want to put up with crowds.
I would say Alpbach could be alright for early beginners as the runs are long and good for confidence building. More experienced skiers may want more piste variety from the resort if staying for the full week. My piste map shows 14 runs; 2 blue, 9 Red and 3 black. The lowest altitude is 600m. Alpbach is close enough to do skiing day trips to Zillertal (Zell am Ziller, Mayrhofen, Hintertux...) or Ski Welt (Soll, Hopfgarten, Ellmau, Scheffau, Brixental...) as even with taxi would not be too expensive. Wattens is a nice visiting place for the ladies and Innsbruck city is also within easy reach by the public transport.
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Alpbach is very pretty, and very small, cows in byres in the village, etc. there is a nursery slope in the village but you need to use the (good) bus service to get to the main slopes. I was there some years ago, and had good ski lessons with an instructor who spoke impeccable English. The snow was not good. Another member of our ski class had been going there for years, and said it was the best she had seen!
I don't actually think it is a very good place for complete beginners - my brother in law did a few days on the village nursery slope and was very bored, but found the transition to the other slopes quite difficult, and although I don't remember the ski-ing at all well (you know, you just follow the instructor around and don't pay attention!) some of the blues were roads and quite narrow. I also remember one steep and quite difficult T-bar, but maybe that's gone now. The place has a fanatical and devoted British following - I think there's a club of some kind - people go back year after year. We stayed in an Ingham's chalet, but because the kitchen was not ready had to eat in the restaurant of the hotel over the road, where food was not up to much. The chalet was owned by the hotel's proprietors (sorry, can't remember name of hotel, which is a bit useless) and when four of our party got stuck when the lift broke down, at 2am my son went to wake the owner to get them out. She sent him away with a flea in his ear "Don't you know it's 2 o'clock in the morning?". He speaks German, and got the fire brigade out. Overall I was less than thrilled with the place, though we enjoyed our holiday. I had chosen it because we had one complete non skier and one very reluctant one, and it was billed as good for non-skiers. But it isn't really, once they have had a walk round and admired the pretty buildings. There's nothing else and they can't easily join skiers for lunch etc.
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Was in Alpbach in early March for 3 days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though I'm an experienced skier I found found there was enough to do (without ever being challenged). It is a good place for beginners, the nursery slope is at the top of the gondola and served by a T-bar, and I'd have said perfectly suited to total beginners. Most other t-bars gone (1 other remains) and lifts generally of good quality.
As far as the rest of the mountain goes, there's an couple of blacks in the 40km, with the best skiing for advanced/intermediates on the left side of the piste map as you look at the mountain, also number 8 into the valley from the top is quite fun if you ski it all at once, top to bottom.
As some of the others have said, it's so English it's practically part of the commonwealth, and the ski schools are geared to teaching brit beginners. You have a hard time dodging them if its foggy and you're trying to ski with any passion!
Overall I'd say it was good for beginners/families, not exactly for night owls athough there is some live music on in the town and a lively atmosphere in the Post hotel. Would also echo comments about it being poor for non-skiers (Innsbruck is an hours drive and a good day trip but can hardly be cited as a resort attraction. I stayed in Inneralpbach just up the road, nearer the new gondola at the Moserhausl b&b for a bargainous €14 a night including breakfast through www.tiscali.at
Any other questions please ask I have friends who have instructed there in the past.
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