Saalbach with newbie snowboarder

A snowHead

So me and my partner are thinking Saalbach for Christmas or New Year. I'm a boarder but not been for 8 yeas. My wife has never been. We want a festive vibe, fun on the slopes, decent apres. Thinking of 7 days at some point between December 17th to Jan 11th. My instinct says go out on 4th January but not sure. Any thoughts - does this trip make sense based on our situation and needs? Which time would be best pre, during or post Christmas. Any hotel recommendations? Thank you people of Earth.

A snowHead

@Jeremiah_Moonbeam, what’s the balance you’re looking for between cost and festive vibe?

I’d hazard a guess that overall cost for going over Xmas/New Year could be double compared with 4 Jan. Obviously you wouldn’t get such a festive vibe early Jan but Saalbach apres would still be lively enough for most tastes I should think.

The other big benefit for beginner / lapsed boarders of going 4 Jan would be much quieter slopes. Especially important for the beginner. That would be the clincher for me.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Jeremiah_Moonbeam, as for hotel recommendations, any clues on what standard you’d be looking for? Facilities? Food included or not? Proximity to centre, key lifts? Open to self catering apartments or not?

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Not to be negative (I loooove Saalbach) but I wouldnt recommend it as a good place for starter snowboarders. Unless there are strong reasons for choosing it over other resorts, the progression of slopes is (IMHO) steep and busy. Ballsy personalities may find that motivating, but I think it is an uneccesary hindrance to most. If you want to be close by then the beginner area in hinterglemm seems better/bigger/quieter, but there is still quite a jump when you head up the mountain.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

And you are going to need lessons and many good ski schools will now be pretty fully booked for the very busy Christmas and New Year weeks (and so will accommodation).

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@Jeremiah_Moonbeam, welcome to SH's.

Stayed in this place in Feb. I really liked it. Simple, but very nice. It's in Hinterglemm though, although it's only 2 mins up the road on the bus from Saalbach, or about €10 in a cab. It's right next door to a beginner slope, 1 min walk away. From the lift that serves that slope you can link to the other slopes, or 5 min walk to the bigger learner slopes.

https://www.hotel-wolfgang.at/en/

Also, there's a big thread on Saalbach here:

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=169959

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@gilo, wrote: “ Not to be negative (I loooove Saalbach) but I wouldnt recommend it as a good place for starter snowboarders. Unless there are strong reasons for choosing it over other resorts, the progression of slopes is (IMHO) steep and busy.”

Unless you opt for the many under-used, and sometimes empty, pistes - the hoi polloi tending to stick to the main thoroughfares that take them around the Ski Circus. Pistes 157 and 168 immediately spring to mind.

And the best gentle piste in the area for learning is at the top of the Bernkogel in Saalbach. It’s big, wide, served by a modern, beginner-friendly, six-seater chair lift (none of those infernal drags), and two good restaurants (with southerly aspects and beautiful views and deck chairs next to the bottom station of that chair lift.

@Jeremiah_Moonbeam, Contact Kris Dragoshinov at Penhab Ski and Snowboard School - highly recommended. (And I can also help with reasonably-priced, ski-in ski-out accommodation at Christmas - when the resort tends to be at 60% capacity.)

And the transfer to the resort from Salzburg Airport costs €16 on the public bus, which leaves regularly from outside the airport terminal and gets you there in just under two hours.

After all it is free

@Jeremiah_Moonbeam, Welcome. I can't comment directly on Saalbach but I'd go on 4 Jan and use the money you save for private lessons for your wife. You'll both have a great time and also have a week to lift the January blues.

@Jeremiah_Moonbeam, if you're still on earth, my 2 cents.

We went in 2012 and we were just getting good at snowboarding. Being adventurous and up for apres saalbach was perfect. The one beginner did struggle a bit and we often lost him. We even got lost ourselves and had to walk back through town which was a long way off. Also we stayed at the bottom of town, great hotel but again involved a fair walk to the lifts. It's a great resort but would consider these points firstly. tatmanstours, is your man for the low down and book 4th Jan onwards for better value.

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@Gainz, wrote: “ tatmanstours, is your man for the low down and book 4th Jan onwards for better value.”

Thanks for that vote of confidence. Not sure about early January being necessarily “better value”. Christmas week is usually fairly idyllic, with the resort being only about 60% full (in contrast with the following manic week). I suppose some accommodation providers might wallop you with the price at Christmas (although I don’t). But there should be some good deals around, as most people prefer to go skiing after Christmas, or later in the season.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Get her some lessons in a dome before she goes, Tatmanstours is your man for Saalbach knowledge and the Bernkogel would be great for lapping, always the Turn lift too albeit that's a tiny nursery slope

snow reports

@kb36, what may be “tiny” to you may look huge to a debutante.

Thanks all. Very useful and much food for thought. My wife is now thinking it would be nice to celebrate something while away such as New Year (I get it - staying at home is pretty dull but New Year in the snow sounds fun). Maybe fly out day before NYE. I'm going to do some digging around for prices tomorrow.

Help!!

Saalbach with newbie snowboarder

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