Any one skiied in Garmisch?

A snowHead

Looking at combining a business trip in Munich with a couple of days skiing late Jan/early Feb so looking for any comments from those that has skiied there.

Many thanks

A snowHead

I've skied there a couple of times, I think. It's ideal for a weekend or even a day trip from Munich; you can go directly there by train, and at least for a day trip, buy a combined train and lift ticket.

It's not a huge area, but well worth a visit. It's fairly low, although there is a higher glacier area up the Zugpitze, separate from the rest, but you shouldn't have problems in Jan/Feb. There are a couple of cable cars up the mountain from stations on a train that leaves Garmisch and heads for Zugspitze, IIRC, or of course you can drive to the cable cars. The lift system seems perfectly adequate except on high days and holidays, when the cable cars become pretty congested.

There is a separate, lower, hill, hilariously called W a n k, but I'm told that that the lift(s?) no longer function.

The town is pleasant, unremarkable really, with some old fashioned Bavarian restaurants and one or two slightly more modern joints. We stayed in a B&B which we found through the Tourist Office.

Having said what a jolly place it is, I usually head a bit further to Kitzbuhel if I have a couple of days free in Munich. It's not much further by road, and is obviously a different propostion from Garmisch. Still, Garmisch is definitely worth a visit.

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SHello, I have but it was quite a while ago, every year from 1990-93. I was in the RAF based in Germany and my unit used to go there a couple of times a year. Many happy and drunken nights there. Great nightlife, great skiing (the WC downhill run being my favourite run of all time) and even better, close by is the amusingly named town of "W A N K" Shocked

with the "WANKBAHN" wink

cable car.

Definately worth a visit.

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richmond, stocky, thanks

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I am also in the lucky position of taking a short break to Munich around 10th December for three or four days. Is skiing in Garmisch possible around then or can anyone recommend anywhere to go for a day's skiing, preferably by train from Munich? Be good to sneak in an extra day like that this season snowHead

I know it's never possible to guarantee snow but at least I can keep an eye on the situation nearer the time.

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snowshine, If you head to the Zugspitze then you might be in luck.

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

snowshine, if Garmisch is nbg, Kitzbuhel is possible if you can either fit in an o/n stay there or are prepared to get up early (it's less than 2 hours from Munich by car; train would be too slow for a day, probably OK for a weekend). Don't know how good Kitzbuhel would be in early Dec, though; I should think that Pass Thurn at least would be well on the go.

After all it is free

snowshine, Zugspitze on 10th Dec might be a bit dodgy. Only the glacier itself will be open and that is a flat and small area. OK for absolute beginners, but nothing else. Having said that when the Zugspitze has a couple of meters of snow then it is a great big powder bowl. One of my favourite haunts. Usually gets that way from mid Jan onwards lasting into May.

Garmisch itself is a bit underrated. Only problem is that it has great stuff for beginners and for advanced but can get a bit boring for intermediates. Meaning that they have some wide open flat stuff for the beginners, and they have some really great variants coming down off piste from the top (Alpspitzbahn), but not much for good skiers who don't want to risk their lives off piste!
Unfortunately W@nk is no longer open in winter Sad

Kitz is about 1h30 by car if you get on the autobahn early, so it's an easy day trip from Munich, but 10th Dec is also early for Kitz. Alternatively head to Hintertux, which is about 2-2h30 depending on the traffic up the Tuxertal.

stocky, richmond, Mike Lawrie, thanks for that, a great help. I guess nowhere on 10th Dec would be snowsure in any case, but I might consider Kitz or Hintertux.

Shame about Garmisch as I am an "aspiring intermediate" (this will be my third season) so that (a) I'm a bit better than beginner but (b) I'm definitely nowhere near good enough to risk my life off piste! And a real shame about W@nk...

Whilst I'm asking, has anyone ever heard of Brauneck? Mention is made elsewhere that this is the closest ski area to Munich but I presume that, unless there is a glacier, snow for mid-Dec would be dodgy.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowshine, yes, Brauneck is in Lenggries, about 40-50 mins from Munich. It's really OK for a day. I quite often go there with colleagues from work, and some of them have even been known to spend the morning skiing on Brauneck and come in to work in the afternoon

You can get there direct from Munich by train.
Only problem with it is that it gets overrun at weekends because half of Munich heads down there! Same goes for Garmisch by the way. And yes 10th Dec is probably too early.

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Is Garmisch the town which has defribillators in tghe high street, because of the average age of the residents?

snow reports

Bob, you're thinking of Frinton.

Bob, can't say I've ever seen any defibrillators around Garmisch, nor have I ever seen anyone in need of a defib. Can't say that the average age is any higher than any other European town of 90,000 inhabitants.
The American forces recreational center is there though, so I've occasionally seen some Americans in need of a stomach pump after one of the Garmischer beerfests:-D

You know it makes sense.

Appreciate these are very old posts, but had anybody been to Garnisch lately?

Any views on cost ( family of five) and suitability for kids skiing?

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Hi Mark

We (me, wife, teenage son) have been to Garmisch the last two seasons. We went in late season, at the beginning of April, so the only skiing was up on the Zugspitze glacier area. During the winter proper there are two other ski areas in Garmisch itself, Hausberg and Kreuzeck/Alpspitze, and several more, including Lermoos and Ehrwalder Alm, in the Zugspitze Arena in Austria, a free 30 minute train ride away. The Top Snow Card covers all these resorts, and has family discounts.

I only have experience of the glacier area. This is suitable for beginners and early intermediates; there is nothing difficult or steep. From the description of the other ski areas there is plenty of skiing for a family in the area. The Zugspitze is reached by a funicular railway from the main station, or the railway and a cable car. There is also a cable car from the Austrian side.

See http://www.zugspitze.de/en/winter/index.htm for Garmisch skiing, and http://www.zugspitzbahn.at/ehrwalderalmbahn/en/anlagen-pisten-aktuell.html for the Zugspitze Arena.

Garmisch is a normal German town with skiing nearby. We stayed in a hostel (Hostel2962) near the railway station. I can wholeheartedly recommend the hostel for any size of party; they have family rooms and apartments at very reasonable prices. You can book it at booking.com The town has many reasonably priced restaurants.

I am returning to Garmisch in 2013 at the end of March; I hope the lower ski areas will have enough snow, but if not the Zugspitze is sure to be open.

There is a direct train to Garmisch from Muenchen Hbf every hour during the day, taking about 90 minutes.

A snowHead

Thanks Nigelg. We're going Thursday. Will post a trip review when we get back.

A snowHead

Ladybirdlounge, would really like to know what its like, we are going in first week in Feb and stopping at the Hotel Garmischer Hof.

Anyone got any advice on ski rental, thinking the Sport 2000 shop in the center of Garmisch, anyone used them?
Also whats the general advice of getting to the lifts on the morning ??

Thanks!

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lconnor1976, There are two main entry points to the classic ski area in Garmisch itself, one is more or less in the center of Garmisch at Hausberg, the other is at the far end of town at Kreuzeck. Probably the easiest thing to do is get the train from the central station to either Hausberg or Kreuzeck. That's the Zugspitzbahn, which you can also take all the way up the Zugspitzglacier ( changing at Eibsee ). I'm sure the people in the Hotel will be able to give you better advice on the best way to get to the station from the Hotel. Doesn't look too far to walk.

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Thanks Stelhang, would it be better to rent the ski's out of Garmisch central or from Zugspitzplatt?
Do they have lockers at Hausberg / Haltestelle lift, just thinking if we need to carry on the train or easier to leave them elsewhere.

Thanks
Lee

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

lconnor1976, there's a ski rental place right beside the Hausbergbahn as well as at Kreuzeck. I used the one at Kreuzeck to get some chidren's skis for a friend of my son a couple of days ago. No problem at all. I do believe they have a ski depot there as well, so you could probably rent & store at the same place. This is the website http://skischule-gap.de/en/depot.html

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Thats great, yes they have a depot that you can leave the ski's and boots as well, looks like standard prices to.
Many thanks for your help !!

Thanks
Lee

Help!!

Any one skiied in Garmisch?

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