 Poster: A snowHead
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We're skiiers/creatures of habit and have been bouncing between Zell am See and Mayrhofen for the past 10ish years for our family trips. But the time has come to try something different and Soll is in the frame this New Year week.
Never been before, or indeed to any of the other Skiwelt resorts, so can I ask the experts on here:
1) Best mountain restaurants for a good, filling, and generally rustic lunch. No need for posh nosh - pasta, gulaschsuppe, kaiserschmarren and the like is good for us!
2) best mountain bars for a bit of a bop and a beer before descending. For those that know it, Schnapps Hans Alm in Zell is a good benchmark!
3) best in town apres - thinking beer, jager and foot stomping to the usual cheesy stuff. Again, for those that know it, the Ice Bar at the bottom of the Penken in Mayrhofen is a good benchmark!
4) Best place to hang out at New Year's Eve - we will be half board so just later drinks etc. in case we need to book.
As with last year, we are a group of mixed ability boarders/skiiers, young or young in spirit! Any tips or suggestions are welcome!
Thanks
RC
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Yes, that looks like a good start 
ah... except that it is neither on the mountain, nor in Soll itself!
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@ratechaser, Söll has something for everyone, but is dependent on what you like.
1. Alms - just about anywhere will be good, but especially the Holzalm on the Brixen side, Filzalm on the way there from Hohe Salve, Rigi above Itter, Stocklalm at Hochsoll, and much further afield you'll be spoiled for choice.
2. Mountain beers before descent is possible at Hochsoll, where there are a couple of options, but many people ski the home run and then drop into the Moonlight Bar at the bottom instead.
3. In town apres - either Moonlight as above or more likely to your tastes would be Hexenzeit at the bottom of the hill below the gondola. In good conditions you can ski down to it. It's a brolly bar on the end of a small building, so not quite the Mayrhofen Eisbär experience but that's where the cheesy music is found now. In the evening, the choice for active places is either the Mill for an Irish/British vibe in a room with no windows and live music every night, or S'Austria which is basically a hotel bar with music several nights per week.
4. New Year - as above. The days of Söll having a choice of 6 bars are sadly gone, so if it was me I'd book a meal at Auf Da Muhle then head downstairs to the Mill for the rest of the year.
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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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@ousekjarr, many thanks I'll take a look at these suggestions. We have half board at our hotel so no meal needed on NYE, just a decent bar - assuming there will be the standard street firework carnage?
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@ratechaser, no it is not in Soll obviously but on the other side of the mountain and in the same domain and ski pass, only 20 min easy drive by car if you will wish to try smth different during your week.
Anyway, I am sure you'll enjoy your stay.
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@ratechaser, which hotel?
No idea about fireworks etc for new year as I've never been at that time, but I'd expect something to be happening.
Once you've got your head around the piste map, it is possible for good skiers/boarders to cover every valley run in the SkiWelt in a day, but it's a push and needs an early start and late finish as well as good conditions.
What will be key for you on most days is knowing how to get back to Söll from below Hohe Salve, either from the top of the Kalbersalvenbahn out of Brixen down towards Hopfgarten and then either up Salvenbahn 2 to the top and down the ridge, or there is a way to contour around the west side of the hill and return to Söll at a lower level, or by going back down the Kalbersalvenbahn piste and then turning left around Hohe Salve to contour around the east side and drop down to Silleralmbahn which then gets you high enough to take a long blue down through the trees to emerge at the bottom of the Keatbahn.
If all else fails, head down on the Scheffau/Ellmau side and take a bus back. Do not, like an Irish group I met several years ago, make the mistake of heading down the Brixen talabfahrt at 5pm thinking that was the way to Söll as you'll be looking at several buses or an expensive taxi to get back...
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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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@ratechaser, personally would have suggested a couple of other places, Saalbach Hinterglemm or Flachau perhaps. Söll has been trying to shake off the Club 18 - 30 reputation it got a good few years back, as noted above many fewer drinking spots than there used to be. The big issue with the skiing is how reliable to snow is (not very). Depending on your skiing preference you might better off heading over towards either Scheffau or Brixen, if anyone wants vaguely challenging there are a few blacks and a little off piste from the top of the Hohe Salve but nothing too frightening. What is really good is the toboggan track (floodlit too). It runs down from Hohe Söll to the main gondola, last time I was there it was an additional ticket for the evening but you can go as many times as you wish. Hire toboggans at the sport shop in the lift station
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ratechaser, personally would have suggested a couple of other places, Saalbach Hinterglemm or Flachau perhaps. Söll has been trying to shake off the Club 18 - 30 reputation it got a good few years back, as noted above many fewer drinking spots than there used to be. The big issue with the skiing is how reliable the snow is (not very). Depending on your skiing preference you might better off heading over towards either Scheffau or Brixen, if anyone wants vaguely challenging there are a few blacks and a little off piste from the top of the Hohe Salve but nothing too frightening. What is really good is the toboggan track (floodlit too). It runs down from Hohe Söll to the main gondola, last time I was there it was an additional ticket for the evening but you can go as many times as you wish. Hire toboggans at the sport shop in the lift station
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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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@ratechaser, Gansleit is a little way out of the main part of town, but a good family-run hotel. Say hi to Steve, an English guy who married into the family something like 30 years ago, and who now runs it with his wife now their kids are adults and off elsewhere. He can provide lots of tips for the ski area, and knows a lot of the regulars.
It's a good compromise between being near the lifts and being in the centre of town. It's in a quiet satellite area, but still easily walkable to the centre in 10 minutes.
Given you'll likely start each day in Söll unless you are adventurous, there are lockers underneath the gondola station for kit storage which you may want to use. Starting from Söll and heading straight for Brixen/Westendorf/Ki-West it is also possible to ski Kitzbuhel, but not for long before you have to head for home.
If you _are_ adventurous and have transport, driving round to Westendorf or Brixen or even to Kirchberg opens up the possibility of skiing the Kitzbuhel area as an out and back day trip with more coverage, if you buy the wider area pass. Or for the very adventurous a day trip to Alpbach, St Johann, Steinplatte or even Fieberbrunn or Leogang are possible on the Salzburg Superski pass.
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@munich_irish, honestly, if we were going to do Saalbach, we'd have done Zell, because we love the town, the lake fireworks, and of course it connects - one way - to Saalbach anyway without a bus. Flachau I will have to make a note of, but we're well used to the vagaries of low level Austria resorts. If it's cannon snow with green fields around, it won't be the first time...
Also, I saw the Anglo Saxon connection with the hotel - to be honest it wasn't a factor as we've always been lucky with warm Austrian hospitality. It does suggest that skiing back to the hotel may be possible but I'm guessing you have to be very lucky with the conditions! Anyway, lockers at the gondola would have been our default position, too much effort otherwise!
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You know it makes sense.
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@ratechaser, snow conditions vary everywhere, and while @munich_irish always has a downer on the SkiWelt I've generally had positive experiences except when conditions have been poor everywhere, including several good pre-Christmas trips, mid January, and February half term for about 15 trips in total.
The Brixen valley run is the exception - typically very soft, mounded and bare and definitely to be avoided - but even that has days when it is exceptionally good and highly recommended. If it has been snowy and cold, it might be worth a try, but if conditions elsewhere are marginal or if it has been sunny for a few days, skip it and stay on the Söll-Scheffau-Ellmau side where many slopes are north facing.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@ousekjarr, Not quite true, Söll & Scheffau are the nearest reasonable sized areas to my front door and I have been lots over the years. The skiing is better in Scheffau than it is in Söll but the toboggan run in Söll has provided some memorable trips with friends & family (ideal to keep those who dont ski entertained). It is ideal for beginners and those who want plenty of easy skiing. The downside is the quality and amount of snow. Snow making has improved things but even so the lower slopes are often in poor condition. Even worse is the valley run in Brixen which is not to be recommended to to any less than confident skiers, as you say even when everywhere else has perfect conditions. I am sure I will be back for the odd day as it is so easy for me to get to (less than an hour, traffic permitting) and Hansi has started renting out my favourite skis (Stöckli Montero's - though whether really justified in SkiWelt is another matter). However I would continue to be dubious about whether it is a sensible choice for those booking a holiday months in advance especially early season.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@munich_irish, fair enough, it has a similar snow record to Flachau (which I've also visited regularly) and is better than Kitzbuhel. Strangely none of these are in danger of closing down due to persistent lack of snow, so while I wouldn't recommend anywhere in the SkiWelt for Easter or even for a trip in early March, January and February are usually no problem.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Personally I think you roll the dice pretty much anywhere at that time of year (glaciers excepted, although who knows what longevity they have...) - we did Passo Tonale out of necessity a few years back and despite the altitude, there were still a lot of closed runs due to lack of snow. Ponte di Legno was very slushy in bits as well...
At least snow making in Austria tends to be very effective. Not much you can do about the bottom of valley runs though, the end of the one in Zell that comes out at the CityXpress lift gets notoriously crowded, bare and lumpy, surprising there aren't more injuries...
But we've also had years where there has been several metres of snow, so fingers crossed...
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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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@ratechaser, I suspect if what you want is beer, pig and some fireworks on New Year's Eve then most of the Austrian areas will work. I would have pointed you elsewhere but I am sure Söll will be fine, with a gemütlich hotel even if it is white lines in green fields for skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Beer, pig, fireworks. Nice summary of the core requirements 
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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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There is (or maybe was) a really nice little bar that was perfect for a beer when heading back to the village on the blue home piste, it's marked as Jausenstation Oberhausberg on Google maps but I suspect the piste may have been moved in recent years (unsurprisingly as it was hella flat)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Drinks on the mountain at the end of the day tends to be in the umbrella bar at mid-station by the Grundlalm. I doubt there will be dancing there. Then ski down to Moonlight or the other umbrella by the roundabout for a bit more Austrian style apres.
For food on the mountain Stockalm does really good chicken and the other place that's always good is the Rubezahl on the blue down to Ellmau. Someone mentioned Filzalm and that's also a nice spot to eat. Holzalm is good for the views / drinks as is the little bar on the Sudhang (near top of Scheffau) which may occasionally have a band during the day.
For skiing, make sure you make the effort to get right to the back of Westendorf which not everybody manages to do and then Ellmau and Scheffau tend to have decent conditions to the valley whereas Brixental and Hopfgarten might not. The snow has always been good enough which I can't say for places such as Courchevel. The valley runs to Soll are usually a bit of a state by home time.
In the village, Auf Da Muhle, Schindlhaus and Dorf Stubn are a good start for food. You would be well advised to book during that week. For drinks / in village apres the mill and s'austria - get on facebook and see what's on at times to suit you.
Pay to store your skis at the gondola even if you rent from somewhere else or bring your own.
To get cash, the machines that don't charge are the one inside Spar and the one outside the Erdinger branch next to mpreis.
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last time i done soll was a couple of years ago, the mountain restaurants were ok, unless you are a non smoker, we never found one restaurant that didnt stink of cigarette smoke, we finally found one with a space outside, it was self service, but when i got to the check out the very old check out woman blew smoke all over my meal, i just left it there and walked out, i get sick when i smell nicotine, i have been reliably informed that the smoking rules in austria have now changed, but it spoiled the whole holiday, on the good side side though, the runs from the top down through the woods to the valley stations are lovely.
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@philusher76, Smoking inside was banned a few years back
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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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@philusher76, ive not seen anyone smoking in bars/restaurants for several years now
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“Beer, pig, fireworks. Nice summary of the core requirements Very Happy”
Thank you for that insight into why some people choose Zell am See over the higher, bigger and more ski convenient Ski Circus. Obviously you don’t find any of the above in Saalbach.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes but Zell has the lake and the fireworks on NYE... it's a big reason we have kept coming back. And then there is Schnapps Hans Alm... anyone that has seen him waxing lyrical over the microphone and then opening a bottle with his sword will understand the appeal
Anyway, it looks like Söll may have got pulled at the last minute by Mrs RC for not being 'party' enough any more. St Anton is in the frame (assuming I can remortgage my house) otherwise Les Deux Alpes looks like a cheap and cheerful place, even with its own Austrian style bar. I suspect sophistication will be thin on the ground, but at least it won't break the bank.
Really being sent round the houses here... thank you to everyone that has taken the time to respond, and I'll let you know where this ends up...
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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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@ratechaser, Not sure St Anton is quite as "party" as it used to be, costs a good deal more than it used to too. For party Ischgl is a good alternative but again dont expect cheap. Sölden?Mayrhofen?
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@ratechaser, doesn’t every self-respecting major ski resort (at least in Austria) turn into a mammoth firework display on NYE? Saalbach certainly does - the official one on the nursery slopes early evening, and the unofficial one encompassing the entire village at midnight. It’s actually quite renowned, although granted there isn’t a big lake.
The guy you mention sounds quite a character, but don’t expect anything resembling or anywhere approaching the kind of après-ski you enjoy in Les Deux Alpes (unless it’s changed radically since I was last there).
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You know it makes sense.
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| tatmanstours wrote: |
@ratechaser, doesn’t every self-respecting major ski resort (at least in Austria) turn into a mammoth firework display on NYE? Saalbach certainly does - the official one on the nursery slopes early evening, and the unofficial one encompassing the entire village at midnight. It’s actually quite renowned, although granted there isn’t a big lake.
The guy you mention sounds quite a character, but don’t expect anything resembling or anywhere approaching the kind of après-ski you enjoy in Les Deux Alpes (unless it’s changed radically since I was last there). |
Well apparently, and I've not been there on NYE before, St Anton has moved towards a laser light show on environmental grounds. Needless to say, there will still be plenty of 'unofficial' fireworks, but it seems like we are all just dinosaurs waiting for the next meteor...
Anyway, I look on this an an opportunity to properly break the mould... L2A seems to be a bit marmite (and that's a quote from another thread here) but if the Pano and Umbrella bars are good for some loud music foot stomping action then that's a good start. I'll leave the debate over how many Km of piste there really is to others.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@ratechaser, actually, after Zell am See, which hereabouts is rated mainly as a summer holiday resort (and not for either its skiing or après-ski), you may not be disappointed with L2A.
Horses for courses, and all that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well of course Mayrhofen was where I started this thread in terms of comparisons, we absolutely love it there but really think a bit of variety is in order. Plus I couldn't find anything decent there (or at least for a decent price) in any case!
But at this rate I'm at risk of analysis paralysis, so we're sticking with L2A and let's see how it works out. Just playing around with alpinresorts discount codes, and even the top hire kit seems very reasonable...
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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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“ munich_irish mentions Mayrhofen, and it's likely suitable, albeit @tatmanstours doesn't rate it vs Saalbach wink Laughing”
Now I wonder why that might be? 
But seriously, in my early days I once spent four weeks in two consecutive years in Mayrhofen and thought it was great…I became an instant convert to Austrian skiing and gemütlichkeit…until I went to another Austrian resort and found that I could book virtual ski-in ski-out, slopeside accommodation, as well as a bigger, much more conveniently-planned, fully-interlinked ski area, with no need to use buses, taxis, and shank’s pony, and choose a variety of routes home…and après-ski up the mountain to my heart’s content, before skiing (sometimes by torchlight) back to the door of my accommodation.
But I admit that it’s been quite a while. I know they’ve upgraded the Penken lift, which may have eliminated the morning and evening scrum to get up and down. And maybe they’re remodelled the terrain and moved a mountain or two to improve connectivity.
But don’t get me wrong…I have nostalgic memories of the Zillertal, and the Zillertaler Schürzenjäger are still on my playlist (still the best yodelling I’ve ever heard - worth a listen).
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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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| tatmanstours wrote: |
“ munich_irish mentions Mayrhofen, and it's likely suitable, albeit @tatmanstours doesn't rate it vs Saalbach wink Laughing”
Now I wonder why that might be?
But seriously, in my early days I once spent four weeks in two consecutive years in Mayrhofen and thought it was great…I became an instant convert to Austrian skiing and gemütlichkeit…until I went to another Austrian resort and found that I could book virtual ski-in ski-out, slopeside accommodation, as well as a bigger, much more conveniently-planned, fully-interlinked ski area, with no need to use buses, taxis, and shank’s pony, and choose a variety of routes home…and après-ski up the mountain to my heart’s content, before skiing (sometimes by torchlight) back to the door of my accommodation.
But I admit that it’s been quite a while. I know they’ve upgraded the Penken lift, which may have eliminated the morning and evening scrum to get up and down. And maybe they’re remodelled the terrain and moved a mountain or two to improve connectivity.
But don’t get me wrong…I have nostalgic memories of the Zillertal, and the Zillertaler Schürzenjäger are still on my playlist (still the best yodelling I’ve ever heard - worth a listen). |
The Penken gondola is definitely less of a bottleneck these days, although the only remodelling I can really think of is that the old ski route down to Eggalm is now a full piste, certainly it was a bit better tended on our last couple of trips.
Anyway... L2A is signed and sealed (well, ok, flights and accommodation all entirely refundable until November in case some other stonking deal turns up...). I shall approach it with a spirit of adventure, and just ensure I give a wide berth to that cheese shop in town that gets universally awful reviews for ripping off customers.
Did I mention that I sometimes over-analyse? Ski hire next, already scouting out the best discount code for alpinresorts... (MONBON123 apparently...)
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