 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone, name's Jay and I'm from Chicago, redirected here from epicski.com.
I'm planning to ski at St. Anton right after new years and I've got a few questions regarding this first ski trip to Europe.
I've skiied at Alta, Utah and also at the Banff resorts (Lake Louise and Sunshine) and I can pretty much ski most of the terrain (double blacks, trees, etc), except for steep chutes. I decided on St. Anton after reading that it's more geared towards upper intermediate/advanced skiers and has lots and lots of exciting terrain. Plus, it says somewhere that snow cover is usually pretty good. Can anyone confirm that, especially for early Jan? I read somewhere that Switzerland and France would be slightly more expensive, so that's also a reason for selecting Austria. 
I know it also offers an active apres-ski and while that's not my priority, it's certainly a plus. I've read the slopes are really crowded. How true is that for the time that i'll be going there (Jan 3 - 10)? Is it less crowded off-piste? I'll probably be there more than the groomers. 
Regarding accomodation, are there any hostels in St. Anton? I don't need a private room or private bath, I'm pretty low maintenance. Just need a warm bed and somewhere safe for the skis and it looks like most places would be walking distance to the lifts.
Regarding lift passes, does everyone just offer the same St. Anton ski pass, that gives me access to the whole area, or is it a special lift pass?
And if you're interested, I'll be flying in through Milan, spending a day there and then taking a train to Innsbruck, via Verona and then connecting to St. Anton. I know it's shorter if I fly in through Munich, but I've always wanted to see Italy and I figured Austria and Southern Germany should be pretty similar, culturally. Plus, I hope the train ride across the Alps is interesting... Also, the Munich flight would have to be on Delta and I'd rather fly Alitalia to Milan. Do you guys think Alitalia is a decent airline? I've heard it's in the doldrums of late. 
Thanx in advance. I'm really excited. 
Me at the frozen Lake Louise this past Jan
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to  JamminSki, I can't help you with St Anton but I bet someone will be along shortly who can.
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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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JamminSki, welcome to slushnuts - we will be snowHeads - once the temperature drops !
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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A couple of answers.
There are not usually discounted lift tickets in Europe like you get in Salt Lake City.
Jan 3rd will be low season so not crowded. Anyway, the only really crowded run in St Anton is the one back to town .
I have been to St Anton three times. It is more expensive than the average Austrian resort because it is a world class destination. I do not know about really cheap lodging though.
The only other worry is early in the season there may not have been too many big snow dumps. If you could hold off on accomodation until it snows you could switch to a glacier resort if snow is poor.
If you are going off piste you would be well-advised to go with a guide. Certainly do not venture there on your own.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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At that time of year you wont have any problems with it being busy - the same goes for all the European resorts at that time. It is quite early in the season, but if its anything like past years the snow cover should be alright. I would advise on getting the area lift pass (might be the only option, i dont know) as i have heard that the off piste can be fantastic at Lech and Zurs as most people head off to St Anton and therefore it can get tracked fairly quickly.
Welcome to
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| Latchigo wrote: |
| If you are going off piste you would be well-advised to go with a guide. Certainly do not venture there on your own. |
Seconded. If this is your first trip to Europe then there is a fundamental difference between here and the US that you need to remember and that is that as soon as you are on the other side of the piste markers you are "off-piste" and on your own. We don't have "in-bounds" and "out of bounds" - it's either on piste or not. Only areas with a significant impact on the pistes are avalanche controlled (and then you still get avy's hitting pistes) and beyond that is entirely at your own risk and responsiblity. OTOH European ski resorts (from what I've heard) tend to be much larger.
Oh and welcome to !
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Latchigo, yup I've read that there's no discounted passes. Just checked online and saw that 5 day pass was $149, or maybe it was Euros.
Can you tell me which are the glacier resorts. I'll be in Europe 4 days before my skiing starts, so I should be able to check on the weather/snow reports.
Certainly I will use a guide to introduce me to the off piste areas.
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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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| Quote: |
| Only areas with a significant impact on the pistes are avalanche controlled (and then you still get avy's hitting pistes) and beyond that is entirely at your own risk and responsiblity. |
hmmm, I might have to get myself an Avalache kit. I already always ski with a helmet, small emergency light, space (aluminum) blanket, food and water purification tablets (maybe excessibe, but always worth it to be prepared). I think all I need is a beacon and a shovel. Oh and a big set of brass balls 
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JamminSki, In Austria Hintertux and Stubai are glacier resorts. Stubai is only half an hour from Innsbruck, where your train arrives.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JamminSki, in the western Tirol between Innsbruck and StA you've got Solden, Pitztal and Kaunertal glacier areas. Stubai is south of Innsbruck and you can get there on public transport. Hintertux is in the opposite direction to StA (from Innsbruck) so that would be an unnecessary diversion. I wouldn't worry tho, StA should be fine in early Jan.
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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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JamminSki,
I would seriously advise you NOT to go off-piste on YOUR OWN especially that you are unfamiliar with the area. Avalanches do occur frequently within The Arlberg Ski area.
The pre-xmas week two seasons ago 2 americans died in an Avalanche just 2 metres of the side of the marked piste in Lech. 
This year is a bit tricky with the high season. The New Year high season week doesnt finish until 6th Jan. However, after New Years day alot of German clearout of town so Accomodation shouldnt be a problem. Its possibe to find single rooms with a shower on the floor for as little as €20 per nigh inc breakfast. There are some of these house still left in St Anton however you maybe end up out of town a bit but theres a free bus service (during the ski day) serving these places.
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JamminSki,
Welcome to Snowheads.
Simple cheap rooms (with shared shower and toilet) go for ca 30-35 Euro's a night
see this thread for guides .....
(have also used PistetoPowder many times in the past and rate them.)
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=427534&highlight=#427534
You may have a problem getting a room until the 7/8th as it's peak holiday period, owners don't like renting out part weeks or midweek to midweek. Finding a room from 7th to 14th will be much easier if you can push things back a few days.
If you do stay out of town try and get as close to a bus stop as possible. They all say they are just round the corner or 5 mins from a bus stop - best to look at a St Anton street plan.
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You know it makes sense.
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JamminSki, don't know if it's changed in recent times, but the best value-for-money (and pretty good) meals were those at the railway station. They were at Austrian railway station prices, rather than top Austrian skiing resort prices.
Have a great time.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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The neighbouring village of Nasserrein is a bit quieter and cheaper than staying in the town centre and it has it's own gondola. It's only a 10 minute walk into town in the evenings as well so you don't have to miss out on the bright lights.
my preferred spot is
http://www.arlberg.com/pension.frieda/
although you'll find loads of similar places on here http://cms.stantonamarlberg.com/ViewPage.asp?Site=STANTON&Lang=201&PageID=11
(hit 'list of rooms' and then 'St Anton')
St Jacob is the next village along and is even cheaper .. you need to get the free bus to get to the lifts which is ok in the day but can be a pain when you're staggering around at 9pm in your ski boots (which you will be !!) wondering whether to get a shower or just kick on for the night.
I think the near(ish) resort of Ischgl is worth considering as well ... the powder tends to last longer there as there are less powder hounds tracking everything out by lunchtime which can be a problem in St Anton. The off piste is less renowned but still pretty good IMO. You can get a bus there from Landeck train station but there tend to be less cheaper places to stay .. the apres is worth it on it's own though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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JamminSki,
Personal opinion is that you ar ehighly unlikely to need a glacier resort in Europe in Jan and glaciers can be very cold in Jan. However that does not mean that everywhere will have good snow your best chance of good snow is to leave ita s late as possible before deciding where to go. Having said that St A has a better snow record than most and would normally be good then.
You can certainly ski reasonably cheaply in France by using organisations like UCPA I believe where food and accommodation is cheap.
If you are planning off piste in St A guides are expensive but higher classes in the ski school will spend most of their time off piste.
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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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DB, yup. Lots of the ski bums used to hang out there to eat. Not been there since it moved. Had been thinking of going to St Anton next season - but a skiing MOT with easiski in January, and the MSB and EOSB have put paid to that. Now, perhaps the following MSB could be at St Anton .....
Does the new station not do great value food any more?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| achilles wrote: |
Does the new station not do great value food any more? |
Nah, there's just a little bar/cafe with a few stools serving beer & coffee ... I very much doubt they do proper food.
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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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RichA, great shame. You used to be able a really good, hot, plated meal for not a lot. hey ho. There goes my decent cheap eating out, if I ever get back there again.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wow, thank you all sooo much for the great info. Such a friendly place...
Good to know about the Glacier resorts and I guess I'll wait till end Dec to decide where to go. I'll be getting a EuroRail pass (visiting friends in Brussels and Karlsruhe and then Venice), so I have flexible transportation. I did read that the low season only starts on the 6th. But I do have to leave on the 11th, since I got some $400 free Delta Dollars (compensation) that expires that day (this trip will be as cheap as going to Colorado for me, hehe).
stanton, so you're saying it'd be easy for me to arrive in StA and be able to find cheap accomodation. Should I try to book anything in advance? Perhaps, if I can get your contact number, I could give you a call once I arrive in Europe (New Years Eve) and see what cheap accomodation is available... and I hear you about going off-piste without a guide. Warning duly noted.
No problem being out of town a bit, as long as there's a bus.
achilles, bug about the cheap railway food. I'd have definitely done that.
RichA, I had read about the small towns outside of StA. I guess I got tonnes more research to do.
T Bar, I read you can take an off-piste class that would be similar to what a guide would be doing, right, but obviously with more people. But, hey, if I can pick up a few pointers, all the better. Does somone know the prices of the classes?
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| achilles wrote: |
| Now, perhaps the following MSB could be at St Anton ..... |
Now there's a thought.....
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We recently had a question about St Anton Guides and off piste in St Anton you might look through.
Some guides, like Graham Austick (Piste to Powder), run groups of a particular standard which you can join at much less cost than a private booking.
Early season has got a bit less sure for early snow in Europe than it used to (the season seems to start later and often end later), but St Anton is a good bet.
The cheaper places I had hoped to book when I looked two months ago were alrerady gone, but you may get some late deals - stanton will know if anyone here does. Certainly if you are prepared to bus in from further down the valley you will find the cheaper deals. Try here for the St Anton website.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Sat 7-10-06 11:07; edited 2 times in total
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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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I do not know why folks even consider Off-Piste so early in the season > Off Piste is an activity when a sufficient snowbase has accrued i.e after January ?
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stanton, would it be worth it to come there just for the on-piste stuff in early Jan, then?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Of course however I would wait till the end of November to see if theres any sign of early season snow before you book.
Its never been a prob with snow at that time.
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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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| achilles wrote: |
| RichA, great shame. You used to be able a really good, hot, plated meal for not a lot. hey ho. There goes my decent cheap eating out, if I ever get back there again. |
The Pizza place called "Pomodoro" just down the high street is pretty cheap and convenient.
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| stanton wrote: |
| I do not know why folks even consider Off-Piste so early in the season > Off Piste is an activity when a sufficient snowbase has accrued i.e after January ? |
don't where you were in December last year then but it obviously wasn't where I was (Mayrhofen and Saalbach) ... we were in it up to our waists half the time (& the rest of the time I was up to my neck trying to find my skis!!)
| snowball wrote: |
Early season has got a bit less sure for early snow in Europe than it used to (the season seems to start later and often end later), but St Anton is a good bet.
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not sure I'd agree with that from my experience .. i'd say the last 5 or 6 seasons have been way better (particuarly early on) than when i started in the late eighties/ early nineties (in Austria anyway)
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You know it makes sense.
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| RichA wrote: |
| not sure I'd agree with that from my experience .. i'd say the last 5 or 6 seasons have been way better (particuarly early on) than when i started in the late eighties/ early nineties (in Austria anyway) |
That's good to hear
Regarding lodging, most of the guest houses listed here: http://www.arlberg.com/index.php?id=73&L=1 seem to be in St. Jakob and they say they are 10 mins walking from St. Anton. How far is St. Jakob in reality to the actual lift lines?
They mention a free skibus, is this constantly running, or on a half an hour schedule of the sorts?
Also, do these guest houses fill up quickly? How late can I probably wait before finding a room for early Jan in the 40 euro range per night? I guess I'll still wait till end Nov before making a booking to get an understanding of the snow to come.
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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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JamminSki, St Jacob is kind of strung out along the valley a bit so although some of it might only be a 10 min walk (i doubt any of it is to tell the truth) but most of it is not walkable.
The ski bus runs to a timetable ... can't remember how often - between every 15-30 minutes at peak times i think .
If you're budget is as much as €40 a night I would have thought you could get definitely get something in Nasserrein which is far more convenient .. certainly from the 6th anyway which is when low season kicks in (I presume). I would have thought there would be good availability then so no need to book ages in advance. Earlier in the week might be a different matter as it'll still be New Year week.
I'm sure Frau Frieda would be able to fit you in then for that sort of money
http://www.arlberg.com/pension.frieda/ .... there's a Englsih version as well
... I've stayed there for as little as €30 a night in the past.
Might be worth contacting her now and explaining your situation ... she doesn't usually take a deposit so you could always cancel if you decide the snow's not up to it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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RichA, I actually saw some guest houses for 30 Euros and less, but 40 would be tops after seeing so many in the 30 range. Sounds like a good idea to contact them now. How good is the English of the private guest house owners?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| JamminSki wrote: |
| How good is the English of the private guest house owners? |
Varies quite a bit. Some speak excellent English whereas some speak none - especially out in St Jacob!
Start the conversation with 'Gruss Gott. Sprechen Sie Englisch?' and see how you get on. If you get a 'Nein' in reply then you're in trouble!
I think a lot of them have email addresses, no? That might be a bit easier. This will get you going and you can use Google language to translate the reply .. it'll give you an idea of how many have availability anyway.
Gruss Gott
Haben Sie Zimmer frei fur ? Personn(en) fur ? Nacht(en) von 0?.01.2007 bis
0?.01.2007 ??
mit freundlichen Grüßen
(your name)
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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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RichA, don't mean to be picky but...
Person(en) (only 1 n)
and
Nacht (if singular), Nächte (if plural)
Sorry! eng
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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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| JamminSki wrote: |
| seem to be in St. Jakob and they say they are 10 mins walking from St. Anton. How far is St. Jakob in reality to the actual lift lines? |
A map of St Anton and nearest villages is here . Click on "General" then "city maps" Then Click on St Anton village map download.
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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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| eng_ch wrote: |
RichA, don't mean to be picky but...
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eng_ch, feel free - my German o'level was a long time ago !! ..... I will correct my standard email I use for Austrian trips !!
What do you think of the 'Gruss Gott' ... too colloquial in an email ?? I always imagine it will endear me to the locals but maybe they think I'm the village idiot !!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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RichA, nope, Grüss Gott is perfect for Austria, not colloquial at all, just the normal greeting
Oh and if that was O level German, congratulations!
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theres alot of different words used in Austrain Deutch as opposed to Deutch and they will appreciate that.
So if you want to set yourself apart
http://members.ping.at/markmuhl/diction.htm
Having said that St Anton is International and English is widely & well spoken by the locals (better than the Germans) You will not have a problem.
you can walk from St Jakob its beween 10-20mins (flat walk) depends which end of the village you are. I have done this many times, its something you just get used to.
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stanton, nice link! Nearly as many differences as in Switzerland! I particularly like "arschlings"
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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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"Haben Sie einen Zimmer frei ....." = do you have a room free
"Haben Sie noch einen Zimmer frei ....." = do you have one more/another room free
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Excellent, thanx for the quick crash course in Deutch. I was planning on picking up some German language tapes to help me with the basics. I know it might not be needed, but it might win me some brownie points with the locals plus it adds to the experience. The first 5 CDs of Mandarin made a huge difference on my last business trip to China, but then again, it is very different from the English.
Thanx for the map link snowball. The interactive map was quite good. Gives me a good understanding of the layout of the place and looks like I should aim for Nasserein.
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