 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi all, heading to Austria with my partner for a week and we’re going to be spending a few days in Salzburg (10th-13th Dec). We’ve got access to a car and plan on going skiing for a day, but interested in hearing your knowledgeable thoughts on where might be best for us to go please…
My partner has never skied on a mountain before, this will be her first time, all she knows is the inside of a snowdome (Castleford) where she’s been taught. She’s perfectly happy on the main slope there, has gone through all their lessons and then we’ve done plenty of extra practice working on building up her ability (I’m a qualified instructor with plenty of ski/teach experience so have been able to teach her).
Ability wise she now has effectively 2 full days of time on snow (all inside the fridge) and is happy doing basic parallel skiing, turning parallel, controlling a steady speed and direction by making skiddy parrallel turns. I’d class her as a low intermediate.
I’m looking for advice on which resort to take her to where we can start off with some nice gentle blue runs, build her confidence, getting her used to ski etiquette on the mountain, how to use a chair lift properly etc and in general just have a good day skiing easy. Somewhere with easy parking as we’ll be driving and nice scenery is a bonus. I need to get her hooked!  
So far I’ve got these options researched…
Zell am See - Blues from the Schmittenhohe look nice and easy. Pretty resort with the lake. Good views being up top and some tree skiing. Just over an hours drive.
Saalbach - Seen an article suggesting blue runs around Bernkogel lift are good to start with (run 146) and then possibly moving onto Kohlmaiskopf for some blues there. Just over an hours drive.
Obertauren - Some of the blues around Edelweiss seem a good start. Just over an hours drive. Seems plenty of parking in resort.
Schladming - I’ve seen mentioned the Rohrmoos area mentioned on here after a search that has some easy blues. Tree lined runs. Just over an hours drive.
What would be your thoughts on where might suit us best? Any suggestions I might have missed? Even better would be an idea of possible progression of slopes for those resorts?
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I couldn't find much on the Schmittenhohe when I had some low intermediates with me.
Around Hinterglemm wasn't much better, the blues off the Zwolferkogel weren't good progressors, I didn't try Saalbach.
Maria Alm had a longish easy blue at the base, but not much beyond that.
Looking at places that are a bit closer to Salzburg...
Up on the alm at Lofer looks promising on the map...but I've not been there.
https://www.bergfex.com/lofer/panorama/
Maybe St Johann-Alpendorf at one end of the Ski Amade circuit?
https://www.bergfex.com/sankt-johann-alpendorf/panorama/
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| luigi wrote: |
I couldn't find much on the Schmittenhohe when I had some low intermediates with me.
Around Hinterglemm wasn't much better, the blues off the Zwolferkogel weren't good progressors, I didn't try Saalbach.
Maria Alm had a longish easy blue at the base, but not much beyond that.
Looking at places that are a bit closer to Salzburg...
Up on the alm at Lofer looks promising on the map...but I've not been there.
https://www.bergfex.com/lofer/panorama/
Maybe St Johann-Alpendorf at one end of the Ski Amade circuit?
https://www.bergfex.com/sankt-johann-alpendorf/panorama/ |
Thanks, very helpful. I like the look of Almenwelt Lofer, should be nice and quiet with it being small and it's closer than the other resorts. I'll look at that as a possible option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@ashore, Saalbach but start at Kohlmais (first the bottom chair, then gondola to mid-station, then only if all good gondola to the top).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| clarky999 wrote: |
| @ashore, Saalbach but start at Kohlmais (first the bottom chair, then gondola to mid-station, then only if all good gondola to the top). |
Thanks, super helpful. Good to have an idea of a basic progression of a few pistes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@ashore, agree with the suggestion of Lofer.
We took my sister there for three days in Jan 2023 and it sounds like she was about the same level as your partner and she really enjoyed it. Maybe consider downloading as the run down is in part on a narrow and potentially icy track.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@ashore, Saalbach is perfect as @clarky99 says you can start at the Turm 6er lift at the Kohlmais, it’s a small beginners slope with a quick chair lift up, I would leave my wife pottering around there when she first started to build her confidence, I would shoot up the top or mid station and be back with her in no time.
Then she would go up to mid station and there is a gentle blue track back and/or a few blue slope options aswell.
If you go right to the top station at Kohlmais there is just a very short red gradient to start that can be a little intimidating for a nervous skiier, but my wife managed it so anyone can!
Also an option is to walk 2 mins from the Kohlmais across the road to the Bernkogel gondola and from the top ski down 50 yards to the chair lift and then from the top you have the most gentle blue (would be a green in France ) back to the top station or chair lift. Your partner can download on the gondola and race you back as you do the blue home which gets very mogully after lunch !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steinplatte. It's just a few miles down the road and is ample for a day, more than ample for a beginner. We loved it and went back for a spare day in preference to skiing Kitz.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Riccardo wrote: |
| Steinplatte. It's just a few miles down the road and is ample for a day, more than ample for a beginner. We loved it and went back for a spare day in preference to skiing Kitz. |
Long blues at Waidring Steinplatte https://www.bergfex.com/waidring-steinplatte/
Steinplatte has the meaning flagstone, stone slab or plateau, it's an inclined layer of ancient limestone coral reef sea bed, with some steeper drop-offs if you want a bit of challenge. Looks ideal for what the OP wants. Some of the linked ski area crosses the border into Germany.
I remember driving past the big lift station at Waidring on my way to Salzburg, wondering what it was like up on the plateau above.
The trouble with a lot of Austrian resorts is that the mountains are pyramidal and the valleys v-shaped and steep. You get a nursery slope on the valley floor, but the steepness above doesn't always lend itself to gentle progressor terrain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brilliant help so far. Thanks very much all. It's helping me get an idea for the details on resorts and suggestions for alternatives which is exactly what I was after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
@ashore, also look at Flachau and the connected area - 45 minutes from Salzburg, and lots of options across the area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@ousekjarr, with the roadworks on the A10 I wouldn't risk it for a day trip
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@holidayloverxx, not even to Wagrain via St Johann on the 159? Google Maps is aware of the road works, and shows it as 65 minutes currently from the centre of Salzburg. Clearly a day trip on Saturday would be a bad idea, but driving at 7:30 on a Tuesday is a different matter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Thanks again all. Currently seems like a toss up between Saalbach, Steinplatte and Lofer. All seem good options. Steinplatte and Lofer are a bit closer which is good and also I'd expect them to be slightly quieter than Saalbach, we'll be heading there on a weekday anyway so can't imagine any being particularly busy midweek and this early in the season. May see what the weather is like the day before and then go with the one that looks to have the best conditions.
One thing that caught my eye looking at the piste map for Steinplatte, we'd be heading up from the Waidring side on the cable car. On the map it looks like this brings you up to a very short red section (start of red 5) before you're able to get to the blue runs. I can't work out if this is just a small cat track type connection / walkable area at the top of the gondola which they've just labelled red on the map or if it's actually a short red run that could be a slight challenge first of. Any one have any idea?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| ashore wrote: |
Thanks again all. Currently seems like a toss up between Saalbach, Steinplatte and Lofer. All seem good options. Steinplatte and Lofer are a bit closer which is good and also I'd expect them to be slightly quieter than Saalbach, we'll be heading there on a weekday anyway so can't imagine any being particularly busy midweek and this early in the season. May see what the weather is like the day before and then go with the one that looks to have the best conditions.
One thing that caught my eye looking at the piste map for Steinplatte, we'd be heading up from the Waidring side on the cable car. On the map it looks like this brings you up to a very short red section (start of red 5) before you're able to get to the blue runs. I can't work out if this is just a small cat track type connection / walkable area at the top of the gondola which they've just labelled red on the map or if it's actually a short red run that could be a slight challenge first of. Any one have any idea? |
Looking on google maps the blue run no.12 goes from the top of the Gondola.
It looks pretty flat around there on this pic...gondola from Waidring comes up middle left, looks flattish across to where the two chairs come up, no.12 drops over to the Kapellenbahn chair in middle of image.
https://cdn.alpinforum.com/imageproxy/?enc=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FibG9hZC5kZS9pbWcvZHNjbjM4NjFpZGp0eS5qcGciLCAiZGF0ZSI6MTcwMTU5MDY3N30=&sig=7bbe4a66805074c57a507cf5513ef8a4aa984f6bf8ea440eddc09aa596961416
Lots of labelled photos of the ski area on this report on Alpinforum:
https://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62952
Our German friends are so fastidious at producing these reports, it's a great resource if you want to take a closer look at many resorts across the Alps, just use the search facility...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| ousekjarr wrote: |
| @holidayloverxx, not even to Wagrain via St Johann on the 159? Google Maps is aware of the road works, and shows it as 65 minutes currently from the centre of Salzburg. Clearly a day trip on Saturday would be a bad idea, but driving at 7:30 on a Tuesday is a different matter. |
Yes maybe , but it just takes one accident. If going via St Jo they might as well go there, especially as they want gentle blues, of which there aren't really any in Flachau
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 3-12-23 13:14; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Had a day in Waidring a few years ago. As best as I can recall, the bottom German bit of Steinplatte would be excellent for a Snowdome learner. Those blues are wide and flat. Although they might be a bit bleak in bad weather. Getting to it will be more challenging, but doable. Coming up the Gondola from Germany would a lot less intimidating.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
what about Werfenweng?
werfen is approx 45mins from salzburg, and if you are a fan of "where eagles dare", it is where the castle used in the film, and other scenes were filmed. i stayed there over 20 years ago, it was a lovely town.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For a days skiing I'd look to go to a small pretty resort, leave the bigger areas for when you have a week
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For a days skiing I'd look to go to a small pretty resort, leave the bigger areas for when you have a week
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| ashore wrote: |
Thanks again all. Currently seems like a toss up between Saalbach, Steinplatte and Lofer. All seem good options. Steinplatte and Lofer are a bit closer which is good and also I'd expect them to be slightly quieter than Saalbach, we'll be heading there on a weekday anyway so can't imagine any being particularly busy midweek and this early in the season. May see what the weather is like the day before and then go with the one that looks to have the best conditions.
One thing that caught my eye looking at the piste map for Steinplatte, we'd be heading up from the Waidring side on the cable car. On the map it looks like this brings you up to a very short red section (start of red 5) before you're able to get to the blue runs. I can't work out if this is just a small cat track type connection / walkable area at the top of the gondola which they've just labelled red on the map or if it's actually a short red run that could be a slight challenge first of. Any one have any idea? |
My memory is that if you hug the left as you exit the gondola it's less of a pitch than if you go straight on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
If you go up the waidring side of Steinplatte it’s really easy - as someone says there is a way of making the short steep slope shallow by turning left and doing a V round it - it’s obvious when you get there. We took my nervous husband and he was fine with every blue. In my opinion it’s easier and nicer that St Johann (although I love it there). The pistes are much wider it’s really scenic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Lofer without a shadow of doubt. Nearer than the others, avoids autobahns and vignettes, and has an abundance of nursery slopes and blue runs. It’s also a relatively quiet ski area. Monday and Tuesday likely to be less busy than the weekend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all for the help. The plan is currently to head to Steinplatte from the Waidring side on Mon/Tue. Had a quick scout through YouTube to get a feel for some of the terrain and it looks very good. Then depending on weather in various valleys the backup is Saalbach or Lofer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
