 Poster: A snowHead
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Resort: Soll
Country: Austria
Domain: Skiwelt
Author: Rookiemark
Date: 16-23 January 2010
Our holiday: I am an upper intermediate skier happy on all reds and easier blacks travelling with my lower intermediate partner
Basics : Soll is in the Austrian Tirol about 1hr from Innsbruck airport 1 and1/2 from Saltzburg and 1hr 45 from Munich.
Lift system : By and large modern lift system providing good connections to the whole area
The terrain : Mainly cruising intermediate pistes but a few steeper reds and blacks and off piste opertunities to provide a few challenges for Advanced skiiers.
The snow : Mainly hard pack but the pistes were refreshed a few times during the week with a few cms providing some softer stuff. The snow was fantasticly well maintained by the staff and the use of cannons
Off-piste : only do small forrays of the sde of the piste myself but i think there would be quite a few good off piste areas given more snow than we had.
The resort : Pretty Austrian village with an ample choice of apre bars many with frequent quality live music and a very lively atmosphere they really go for the Apre in Austria Our favourites were the Salven stadl the first pub you come to when you enter Soll from the slopes and Rossiniswhich is a slightly less lively pace further on connected to an italian restauraunt. Soll also had a great choice of good restauraunts. We had good meals with out exeption throughout the hol.
Food : Would particularly reccomend Soll Stuben locally known as Harrys, for quality and good value homecooked food. Venitzia for pizza and pasta, and Auf der Mhule above the Whisky Mhule pub for Steaks.
Accommodation : Stayed at the pension Edinger which was clean and warm with friendly staff and good breakfasts andyou could ski to within 200m of hotel 5min walk in morning to lower ski garage to take the poma lift to the gondola
Costs: We got a last minute package with first choice booked 2 wks before departure for £275 for flights transfers & B&B flying Manchester to Innsbruck. lift pass isnt bad value at £165 for 6 days prebooked through TO when you consider the amount of skiing on offer. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised How good value it was. It knocks France into a cocked hat in terms of value for money, and athough more expensive than buget places like Bulgaria the quality of food drink and service made us feel that we were getting very good value. Large beers 3 - 4€ Per 1/2 litre but mainly we were paying 3.20€ for good quality wiess bier. Pizzas and pasta 6-8€ austrian trad dishes from 3.5€ for good goulash soup to about 12€ for a very large Wienershnitsel with chips etc. Steaks 15-18€ all portions seem very large. The price of food and drink on the mountain was broadly the same as in the town.
Conclusion: Overall:- had a great weeks skiing and enjoyed it lots it was only hindered by an ACL' Injury sustained by my other half on her first days skiing which put a bit of a downer on the hol as she had to sit the days out reading while I enjoyed the mountain without that I would say It was the best weeks skiing I have had so far, in my brief experience. It may however not provide enough challenges for more advanced skiiers than I.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been to Soll a few times and always liked it. Your review ties in well with my own experience. Friendly, good value, good service, reasonably extensive area with quality mountain bar/restaurants - always liked the self-service at Rigi for lunch and the tiny Frankalm for mid-morning coffee (and schnapps!). Certainly not for an advanced skier looking a challenge but plenty to entertain beginners and intermediates. Have only been there in mid-March and the lower slopes were beginning to suffer badly - homerun was a hoot. would go back again but not in late season.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you're going to the SkiWelt Westendorf has by far the best skiing in the area, and is a gorgeous village too.
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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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murdocgj, Although I didn't use it I'm pretty sure there is still a 4 person gondola there.
clarky999, I skied over to Westendorf one day right to the Ki west lift and I must say I agree, athough I also enjoyed many of the runs above Brixen and Hopfgarden also.
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What's the opinion on the runs down to Brixen? From memory the runs to Scheffau and Soell were quite unpleasant - is this the same with Brixen? I'm sitting on my couch with a piste map and planning routes for next week. Given the above opinions on Westendorf I'm working out what's the best way to get over.
:S
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slipper, It will depend on the conditions and time of year.
The runs down to Brixen (from the Hohe Salve side, not the Westendorf side) are all on the South facing side of the hill, so on warm sunny days, are likely to be quite soft (as they were last March when I tried it).
But the runs appear to be quite pleasant runs if conditions are good - which means generally cold. I think I would have enjoyed the run down last year if not for the fact that the last kilometre or so was like skiing through porridge.
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There used to be a really cool offpiste route form Westendorf to Brixen (100m walk across the valley at the bottom), but I think they may have turned this into a piste now? I hope not, you could always guarantee fresh tracks down there. You can also get a bus between Brixen and Westendorf, it's free and takes around 10 mins.
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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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What are snow conditions likely to be like on 20th March in Soll. Does it suffer towards the end of the season?
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You can't say until nearer the time, it really depends on the season. The SkiWelt isn't particularly high though, so it's not what you'd call guaranteed snow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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slipper, You can ski right down to the gondola in Brixen, conditions were very good when we were there.and get the 8 man gondola (Marked lift 11 on the piste map) to link to the Westendof area. There is also a red run down to Brixen from the Westendorf side although there is a short rope tow to connect to the Brixen 6 man gondola (marked lifts 12 and 1) respectively on the piste map.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 28-01-10 13:57; edited 1 time in total
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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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The run below the funicular to Ellmau is a great run, the 8man chair on the back of Hohe Salve toward Westendorf is great, the run down to Itter is good too. These all have a good variation of terrain, nothing scarey, but very enjoyable. 
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clarky999, They have put a new gondola (last season) in from Brixen up to the top of the Choralp on the Westendorf side, and a piste back down to connect to it.
There is no longer any need to use the bus from Brixen to Westendorf - I don't know if it still runs.
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You know it makes sense.
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clarky999, Now the new Gondola has gone in, the Bus goes about once every hour. As I found out last year when I missed the run down to the second new gondola, and the group I was with did not fancy going back up and finding the new run to said gondola, or paying about £4 each to get a cab.
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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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I haven't been for two years now, aparrently there's been a lot of change! Has the new piste to Brixen ruined the offpiste route? And has the new gondola form the 111 run ruined that (made it busier etc)?
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Poster: A snowHead
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clarky999, I'm not sure but I think the answer is yes. You had better check out the new piste map http://www.skiwelt.at/en/the-ski-resort-skiwelt-wilder-kaiser-brixental.html The run down to gondola 112 is a Nightmare, I have never seen so many people on a piste that wide from start to finish, although it was half term when I did it. It's a bit like the Soll home run at 4pm but with more people.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Is that the 111 run then? It used to always be really quiet (and has some fun offpiste alternative lines too) as you had to get a bus at the end.
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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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clarky999, Looking at the map again I don't think it is but if 111 is the red to old gondola, then that was busy and a couple of turn off's on the left shut.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Is the trip out to Kirchberg(spell?) worth the effort? There was a youtube clip that looked to be on the 117red. I've covered most of the skiwelt and thought the trip from Soll to Going wasn't worth the effort although enjoyed all other areas. 
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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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Can anyone tell me how you get back to the runs above Soll (where we are staying) once you have skied down to Westendorf, as looking at the map it looks as though 6 man 110 + 111 gondolas shoot off to the right taking you towards Talkaser? To come up on 112, which looks like the correct way to go, you have to get to Burghof; am I right or missing something? I'm sure it will be clear when we get there, but just in case!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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sharon1953, The easiest way from Westendorf would be to take the gondola 110/111 up to the mid station, then ski down from there to the new 112 gondola (blue to start, then branch off onto the red ), take that gondola to the top and ski down to Brixen from there.
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clarky999, Yes, I believe the runs down to the 112 gondola are the what you are talking of.
It wasn't busy when I was there, but that was 10th of January, with visibility poor at best, down to virtually non-existent at times that day.
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| Quote: |
Looking at the map again I don't think it is but if 111 is the red to old gondola
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No - there wasn't a gondola at the end, you had to get a bus.
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Is the trip out to Kirchberg(spell?) worth the effort?
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Yeah, even if you don't go all the way to Kirchberg (the last section is a bus) the KiWest run is fun, and is one of the longer ones. Very fast run out too!
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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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clarky999, Yes you have to get the bus from run 111 . the idea for the new gondola was that you Did Not have to take the Bus.
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MhicEasmuint, I was there twice around St Paddys day and it did get warm and conditions did suffer. Still plenty to ski tho and was fine in the mornings. Not sure I would go back again after mid march - could be fine but good chance it wont be.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for the responses on how to get around - much easier to get this straight befor I get out there as the piste map has a lot going on and is tricky to follow.
:S
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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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| eithnem wrote: |
| MhicEasmuint, I was there twice around St Paddys day and it did get warm and conditions did suffer. Still plenty to ski tho and was fine in the mornings. Not sure I would go back again after mid march - could be fine but good chance it wont be. |
Cheers, will maybe give it a miss then and stick to somewhere high.
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| skid & slide wrote: |
| clarky999, Yes you have to get the bus from run 111 . the idea for the new gondola was that you Did Not have to take the Bus. |
And the new gondola does indeed mean you don't have to take a bus.
I don't think there are any piste runs left in Westendorf that don't finish close to a lift station.
There is an itinerary marked on the piste map which takes you down to Schrandlhof where you would then need the bus to get to Burghof or back down to Westendorf itself, but that is not run 111. It is listed as Skiroute Schrandl.
Run 111 (Skiabfahrt Windau) is the blue which runs down to the right (on the piste map) of the new gondola, and finshes at said gondola. There is also a linking ski route which basically cuts off a large corner of run 111.
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You know it makes sense.
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Yeah I was wondering if the new gondola would ruin the run by attracting shedloads of people. It used to be very quiet, so you could hoon the whole thing without worrying about people traversing across the whole slope. The bus wasn't really much of a hardship/problem either, I'd rather they hadn't changed it.
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FAQ
