 Poster: A snowHead
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I like the look of Seefeld for our next trip - the town looks nice and it fits our needs in terms of distance from an airport and accommodation. Except one thing. I only learnt to ski last year, and I've never been off green slopes and I don't see a lot of green on the piste map for the Rosshutte ski area (we're a mixed group where others can ski better than me and this area seems best for the rest of us). Every review I read says Seefeld is good for beginners and intermediates so I'm wondering if this is an Austrian thing where they don't use green or something? Any advice would be welcome. Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Seefeld is great for beginners or nervous skiers - it's basically the only place my Mum will ski any more! - and correct Austria doesn't use green runs. However it doesn't have much at all in the way of challenging piste skiing; there's one short black piste and then you have to go off piste for challenges.
It is a bit small if you were planning to ski all day for a week there though.
Two other Austrian areas I would suggest with great relaxed skiing for beginners as well as more variety (for beginners and intermediates to beyond) are Westendorf and particularly Saalbach.
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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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Austria doesn't do green runs, consider blue runs to cover both green and blues. You'll be fine, just ski to your own pace, take your time, and don't feel rushed.
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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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@Flipjango, send me a personal message if you would like me to email you a copy of my own comprehensive guide to Saalbach (which is quite obviously the best resort for you and your group - perfect for intermediates, with great beginners’ facilities).
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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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My kids learnt in Seefeld and it is a nice town, but as clarky says it is a little limited for better skiers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all. My husband snowboards well and the kids ski reasonably well. We'll be there for 4 days. Are they likely to be bored stiff? Saalbach looks lovely but I'd be over twice the price to go there as the accommodation is majorly more expensive so I have to work out whether it'd be worth it (Seefeld has plenty of availability for a shorter trip but Saalback I'm struggling to find anything as we'd planned to go Wed-Sunday).
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piste grades are not only done on steepness. Width is also taken into consideration - you can ski across a slope, you dont need to ski down.
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Seefeld is split over 4? separate sites, which I think are connected by bus. Rosshütte is the biggest/highest, but they could always try Katzenkopf or another station for a day or two.
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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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@Flipjango, wrote: “ Saalback I'm struggling to find anything as we'd planned to go Wed-Sunday).”
Yes, Saalbach is extremely popular, and demand for accommodation frequently exceeds supply. And most accommodation providers operate on a Saturday to Saturday basis, because that seems to be what most tourists want, and flights from some areas can be difficult to find on other days. Your plan to arrive on Wednesday and stay until Sunday means that anyone letting accommodation to you would be left with two incomplete weeks. Hence your difficulty. A Saturday/Sunday to Thursday stay would undoubtedly be better.
Sometimes however you can strike lucky, where somebody has booked part of a week.
If it helps, I’m in contact with a small network of British apartment owners, who let their accommodation. Always happy to make an enquiry to help a fellow Snowhead.
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Seefeld is basically 2 mountains, Rosshutte (medium size) and Gschwandtkopf (small). There is also a beginners area Geigenbühel that has some carpets and a t-bar over the Gschwandtkopf side.
Also there is a tiny kids area at the bottom of Rosshutte with carpets and toys etc.
The 2 mountains should keep the kids occupied OK for a few days. Tell you husband to avoid the flat bit on the Hochegg run if he is boarding (the blue run to the right of the train as you look down the mountain), but there are other ways down.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Flipjango, Yes, I would in fact go further and say Seefeld is ideal for a progressive beginner. I went with my son Feb half term last year for a week and it was perfect for him to start parallel turns. Snow was actually quite good and runs were completely fine for a progressive beginner.
Everyone was very friendly and I didn't really notice any out of control intermediates putting people in danger (I tend to get a bit protective of my son).
We did 6 days without bothering to go beyond the Rosshutte area.
Not a massive ski area but you should be ok for 4 days. There is quite good gentle side piste off the big blue run under the Rosshutte-express lift which might suit your husband on his snowboard. I think they also do night skiing on the easier runs sometimes (worth checking out if you want to fit in a bit more slope time into the 4 days)
I would recommend Appartementhaus Birkenwald for a good basic apartment block about a 10 min walk to Rosshutte (it was very clean and had a little pool and spa area). The main town where the hotels are is a bit further away from the Rosshutte so it would be a longer walk or a bus.
You can rent ski lockers from the Sailer Sports at the foot of the Rosshutte lifts and walk up in comfy shoes.
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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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| Henwc wrote: |
| @Flipjango, Yes, I would in fact go further and say Seefeld is ideal for a progressive beginner. . |
I'm not so worried about me - it looks perfect for me, but I'm a bit concerned it might be a bit small for the rest of the family. Having had a better look at the trail maps, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of it?
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| musher wrote: |
Seefeld is basically 2 mountains, Rosshutte (medium size) and Gschwandtkopf (small). There is also a beginners area Geigenbühel that has some carpets and a t-bar over the Gschwandtkopf side.
Also there is a tiny kids area at the bottom of Rosshutte with carpets and toys etc.
The 2 mountains should keep the kids occupied OK for a few days. Tell you husband to avoid the flat bit on the Hochegg run if he is boarding (the blue run to the right of the train as you look down the mountain), but there are other ways down. |
The kids aren't little - they're 10 and 12, and whilst neither have been skiing for all that long, they seem to be daredevils so I'm a bit concerned about whether it'll be big enough for them. We went to Megeve last year and whilst they had a blast, I think they were getting a little bored after 4 days there. Is there enough for two tween/young teens in Seefeld?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Flipjango wrote: |
| Henwc wrote: |
| @Flipjango, Yes, I would in fact go further and say Seefeld is ideal for a progressive beginner. . |
I'm not so worried about me - it looks perfect for me, but I'm a bit concerned it might be a bit small for the rest of the family. Having had a better look at the trail maps, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of it? |
It is a small ski area that is true but with it being a short trip that would be less of a problem.
I guess it depends on how well your husband and kids board/ski. If they want black runs, steep off piste, moguls and XL park lines then it won't be enough. If they are intermediates carving red runs and exploring a bit of side piste then they should be ok for 4 days.
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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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| Henwc wrote: |
I guess it depends on how well your husband and kids board/ski. If they want black runs, steep off piste, moguls and XL park lines then it won't be enough. If they are intermediates carving red runs and exploring a bit of side piste then they should be ok for 4 days. |
I don't think they want any of that, but they would definitely like variety, so I think its perhaps more to do with how many different runs they can do so it doesn't get too repetitive.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Flipjango wrote: |
| Henwc wrote: |
I guess it depends on how well your husband and kids board/ski. If they want black runs, steep off piste, moguls and XL park lines then it won't be enough. If they are intermediates carving red runs and exploring a bit of side piste then they should be ok for 4 days. |
I don't think they want any of that, but they would definitely like variety, so I think its perhaps more to do with how many different runs they can do so it doesn't get too repetitive. |
You can for sure ski every piste in Seefeld in half a day (btw Rosshütte is the only one of the areas worth skiing unless a complete beginner). It's a nice ski area and one I visit multiple times a season, but only ever for 3-4 hours and that generally lapping the same few runs or off-piste stashes depending on snow. My parents often ski there for a week, but mostly for my Mum's sake. For 4 days you may be ok, but I could definitely see an adventurous 12 year old wanting more to explore by then.
Another near option that could work for you is Schlick2000, staying in Fulpmes. Probably a bit closer to the airport than Seefeld, also lots of ideal beginner slopes, but feels a bit bigger and more varied for the rest of the skiers plus they could easily do a day at Stubaier Glacier from there too (easy free bus up the valley to get there), or Axamer Lizum and Muttereralm are also near by. If you got the Stubai Skipass both Stubai and Schlick would be included; if you got the Ski plus City Pass then Schlick, Stubai, Lizum and Muttereralm would be included plus a bunch of city attractions as well as the Stubay pool complex in Fulpmes: https://www.ski-plus-city.com/en/
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