 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm going to Austria for a couple of months (Jan-Feb). I am trying to decide on the best place to go and I am looking for some advice. I am an expert skier who wants good snow above everything else. I will probably not have money to hire a guide often so I am looking for places with easy access to off piste( btw the trails etc.) I am thinking of styaing one place for a month than traveling around for a month. (I will be going to Vienna, Saltzburg, Bratislava for a little bit the second month) Then I'd like to travel around and try a few different places. . Here are my choices that I've come up with so far:
1) Obviously St. Anton. I went there last year but only skied one day. It was awesome but it seemed really difficult to find a place to stay and it was pretty expensive and also crowded. Also it was a scene and I am much more into staying at a farm haus in a quiet alpine village.
2) Getting the Kitzbuehl pass. Kitzbuel and ski welt look boring but there are a few resorts around there that I heard were good.
Does anybody have any info on Fieberbrunn?
3) Innsbruck: It seems like staying in a real town an not a resort would be better. Also there would be things to do
on days there isnt much snow. Is there a pass that includes all of the innsbruck area ski areas?
4) My last idea is to get the Salzburger super ski pass which includes all of the Salzburg state resorts and Zillertal and Kitz. That way, I could try a few areas like those and gastein. I went to obertauern last year for a couple of days and that is one of my favorite places anywhere. The other places in the Amade look boring i.e. Schladming, Flachau etc.
If only Obertauern was included in the amade Id buy that no prob but all the other choices makes it really hard
Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this long and rambling post.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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first 4 options look good
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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j, Saalbach?? Not exactly an experts paradise, but seems to be a well liked place. Am going for the first time in Jan
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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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3) Innsbruck: It seems like staying in a real town an not a resort would be better. Also there would be things to do
on days there isnt much snow. Is there a pass that includes all of the innsbruck area ski areas?
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You can get a ski pass covering around 7/8 resorts. This definitely includes the Stubai glacier which has great snow throughout the season and also includes (i think) Kuhtai which is also very snow sure though I never been there. I take it you'll have your own wheels? in your own car getting somewhere like the Stubai glacier from Innsbruck will take around 30-40 mins. there is a bus but it will take longer.
The glacier itself IMO is superior to Solden (one big glacier rather than two smaller ones but not so convenient if staying nearby) and far superior to Kaprun. I'm no expert but there were more steep slopes than you might normally expect from a glacier area and plenty of off-piste in between the marked runs - how this compares to what you're used to though I've no idea.
As far as Innsbruck goes it makes a great base if you're prepared to travel a bit further to the slopes. much bigger than normal resort towns and will have cheaper accommodation. an austrian friend really rates the skiing very close to the city though these aren't particularly large.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When we were in St Anton last Jan we met aguy from Argentina who came over each winter for Jan and Feb to ski the Arlberg region. He had been coming for 15 years or so and said that he always stayed in Landeck cos it was really cheap compared to St Anton and Lech etc but great to get to everywhere as the buses and trains from there took no time at all and were never busy. Not sure if it appears on the piste map but we got a 6pm train back to St Anton after missing some buses and took about 10 mins.Might be worth a thought
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You might want to try Ischgl but it may be expensive to stay there...as per St Anton. If you get as far as St Anton you might want to cross over into Switzerland. Alternatively Obergurgl just up from Solden is high and has some nice pitches which you can see and get to if you know what you are looking for...
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As per loatie's post, you could stay in Landeck (not a resort), and ski St Anton, Lech/Zurs, Ischgl and the Montafon valley from there, as well as Obergurgl/Soelden at a push. I don't think they're all on one pass though but you could probably split it between two passes for a week at a time...
I love Innsbruck as a place to stay but a lot of the areas around there are on their own quite small, but might suit your purposes well.
With a few exceptions (Obertauern and Gastein), the further east you go, the less challenging skiing you are likely to find - most of Austria's steep and deep is in the west of the country (most not all!). I love skiing the Salzburg region myself but I think if you think Kitz and Schladming look boring then the same could be said for lots of the skiing in that region.
Happy sliding 
D
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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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loatie, good tip, 21 minutes from Landeck to St Anton on the train
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I've been to the Gastein valley. While I am certainly not an off-piste expert, there should be plenty of runs around there to make it worth your while to check it out j. Apart from the St Anton/Arlberg area, it is reputed to have just as much advanced terrain as anywhere else in Austria. You will need a guide to seek out the best stuff tho, as some of the itineraries marked on the piste map are very difficult to find! An advanced friend of mine rates Kitzbuhl for off-piste when the snow is good.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Landeck is a great place to stay. It is WAY cheaper than staying in the resorts.Lively city in the winter.
You can buy a Monthly rail ticket to get you St Anton (only 15min on the train) if you get bus included you can get up to SilvrettaTal resorts Ischgl,Galtur,See,Kappl. Also it not so far for Serfaus & over to St Moritz in Switzerland.
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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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Landeck sounds like a good idea for St Anton & the Silvretta Tal resorts although i don't know if you can get a linked pass.
For St Anton, staying in in St Jacob is much cheaper and much quieter ... you can get the free ski bus and chill out in a nice little B&B for 20-30€ a night.
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THanks for all the great advice! Its funny, when I first started planning I thought that Landeck would be a great base but when I posted on another forum everyone thought that Landeck would be too far. 20 min doesnt sound too bad! Now I still have to decide between Obertauern/Gastein and St. Anton. Does anybody know a chep place to stay in Landeck?
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