 Poster: A snowHead
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Booked a week in Hoch Soelden next March (8th) with Mrs Skitech. What have we got to look forward to? We are proficient piste skiers who like to cover miles, and don't mind doing a favourite piste a few consecutive time. Love Kitzbuhel and Ischgl, didn't like Mayrhofen or Obergurgl for comparisons.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Might help if you give more details about why you did/didn't like about the other places you listed.
As a town, Soelden is not Kitzbuhel, or even Ischgl. It's basically a strip mall along the main road. Which I guess you could say about Ischgl as well, but Soelden just doesn't have the same character to me, and Ischgl at least is not just all along a main road. What you've seen of Soelden passing through to Obergurgl is what you get.
There is plenty of piste skiing, but mostly of a pretty tame variety. Especially in the glacier area, where everything is very flat. It has some of the best off piste descents you can find anywhere, but for piste skiing, I would look elsewhere. Especially for those that like to "cover miles". At Soelden, you basically work your way to a dead end and back out.
Sorry, I know this probably isn't what you want to hear after already booking. On the plus side, if you are a connoisseur of strip clubs, you have lots to look forward to! 
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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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A very detailed and precise answer above.
I have been to all the resorts the OP mentioned and I am trying to understand what you didn't enjoy in Obergurgl and Mayrhofen so we can advise accordingly.
I imagine you already dipped your toe there when you previously skied in Obergurgl.
Hoch Soelden has a few advantages over Soelden:
Being higher above, the view is nice and the Austrian HB is good.
It feels refreshing to start your morning skiing out French style.
And the resort has an impressive continuous vertical descent of 2000 m from Tiefenbachkogl to one of the two base stations for their gondolas.
BTW, it is easy to disregard the night clubs, even if the accommodation is in the village.
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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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Thanks for the replies @drporat @TOLOCOMAN
We aren't fussed about night life, just happy for a few drinks in the hotel bar. so its all about the skiing.
I found Obergurgl a bit bland and limited, bar a small area skiing between the trees at the far end of the resort. Didn't help with boiler plate conditions after a very cold period. Mayrhofen, I may have been a bit blinkered by the uplift at Finkenberg (where we stayed), a busy gondola up to a second gondola to the top, virtually continuous snow, and breaking/badly bruising a rib on the first day. but I didn't feel any love for the area.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@skitech, so it seems like the main advantage of Hoch Soelden for you might be the staying on the mountain with the initial ski out.
But you will still need to take the Giggijoch gondola a few minutes after that, in order to reach the skiing area.
Just like in the Austrian resort of Ober Lech vs Lech, one basically pays more in order to feel upscale but the skiing is the same.
Mid March will theoretically have less of a chance of continuous snow falling but you may encounter boiler plate pistes in the upper part of the domain.
In bad weather aka snowy days with limited visibility, Solden was nicer compared to Obergurl and Hochgurgl which were rather bleak and dull.
Still it's nice they're on the same pass and easily connected by a free ski bus.
You might wish to consider a ski in ski out resort in France for a future ski trip.
Plenty of them in the Tarentaise, with tree lined pistes nearby.
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| TOLOCOMAN wrote: |
| ... As a town, Soelden is not Kitzbuhel, or even Ischgl. It's basically a strip mall along the main road. Which I guess you could say about Ischgl as well, but Soelden just doesn't have the same character to me, and Ischgl at least is not just all along a main road. What you've seen of Soelden passing through to Obergurgl is what you get. ... |
Not really - you're looking at Sölden from the road perspective, and if you don't like roads, you won't like that. I've always driven there, but the through road isn't really relevant once there, to me. The buses are good and it's an easy way to find the lifts. There are some excellent hotels just off that road. Plus if you simply walk away from it, across the river, the road is irrelevant. It's not twee or particularly synthetic, just a functional ski town, like most places.
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I really like Sölden ski area. Been three or four times, for short visits of a few days. An extensive snow-sure ski area, with great views from the glaciers. Have to say, IMO it fits the bill for lovely cruising runs and, overall, didn't feel any flatter than say Ischgl.
A great variety of bars and restaurants in Sölden itself, though as others have referenced, it's a functional rather than aesthetically pleasing town. Being some way above Sölden, Hochsölden is an entirely different kettle of fish. Small in nature, with a lot of ski in/out accommodation. Are you staying in a half board hotel @skitech?
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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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@mountainaddict, yes its a half board hotel. It sounds like it has good skiing and snow sure, which is my main criteria.
@drporat, we love La Plagne, Three Valleys and Tignes for the skiing (in our younger care free days  ), and will go back, but the standard of accommodation and cleanliness of Austria wins mrs Skitech over
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