 Poster: A snowHead
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I have have heard good things about Obertauern, what's the real story? I am thinking of going with a bunch of friends, all of which have young children and we are a mixed bag of skiers in terms of ability, so your opinons are welcomed.
Thanks
Phil
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Phil n Snoop, I'm taking my family on Sunday, so shall let you know my thoughts when I get back. In the meantime, I shall watch with interest at what others say 
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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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Ray Zorro, Thanks will be very interested in hearing from you when you return. enjoy!
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I was out there 17th-24th March,I think it's an excellent resort.
It's high so snow sure and there's plenty of skiing for a week (approx 100km). Pistes are wide and appeared wll maintained 9mind you - it snowed all week for us so it's difficult to tell).
There's nothing hugely challenging (Garmsleitn 2 has some wicked moguls on it though) but great for cruising round.
Strangely, for a snow-sure resort, most of the pistes are south-facing, but on arrival, despite previous warm weather, the snow seemed pretty good.
Be aware that most of the resort is open 'till then 23/4 I think, then only north-facing slopes open for the next week (which isn't a huge amount) - all allowing for snow conditions I guess, but there's plenty there at the moment so would take extreme conditions to change it.
There's lot's of apres-ski available if that's your thing, plus lots of very nice mountain restaurants. Prices seemed a bit higher than other places I've been to, but I could be wrong.
we went with Ryanair and used the taxi-service advertised on the web-site. £50 airfare plus 40 Euro taxi I think was a bargain (early Sat out and late Sat back) but don't know if you can still get prices like that. Taxi was waiting for us at the airport, 1hr transfer - brilliant! Could have skied from 12am first day if I wasn't so knackered from getting up at 2am to get the flight.
Taxi back was just as prompt - 6.30pm pick up from the hotel so got a full days skiing in.
I'd be happy to go back so I guess that's as good a recommendations as I could give.
Hamish
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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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I think I should have added - it appears to be reasonably child-friendly. Most of the ski-school seem to offer a reasonably child-friendly service (I saw quite a few ski-school groups of small childer). I think you can get to any point in the resort with a maximum of 3 lifts (most in 2 ), so it's easy to meet for lunch etc.
Hamish
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Hamish, Sounds promising, thanks
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Phil n Snoop,
I too am interseted in Obertauern.
I have skied in a Livigno, Italy which is supposed to have 115km of pistes, so similar in size to Obertauern (95Km) and I thought there was plenty to go at.
Has anybody skied both resorts? If so how do they compare? What style is the village?
Thanks
Jon
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Phil n Snoop,
In the resort report above there are reports on Obertauer. I also did one last year which is probably floating around somewhere with a search but I forgot to submit it to above.
Anyway we went with children who loved it and the skiing is interesting and varied for most, though relatively compact.
The only slight downside is that there is not a lot of protection from bad weather. A car is useful to visit other more tree lined resorts if wind or low cloud arrive.
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Phil n Snoop, We went 24th Feb - 3rd March, there was a thread on Obertauern in snow reports around that time, so you might want to check that out by doing a search on the topic. We thought the resort was fantastic, (we went to Hinterglemm year before) 4 of us went this time, all different skiing levels, the snow was good when we arrived and it continued snowing all week, so no sunbathing, but perfect conditions, whilst the rest of the Alps had grass! We did the trip DIY, booked direct with the hotel and arranged transfer via the Salzburg airport website. There's a coach that's run by Obertauern itself, but it didn’t coincide with our flight times, and we didn’t want to be dropped off 3 hours before the homeward flight, but if you use it, its costs 39 eur. The Obertauern website is in English so booking is easy.
The resort is purpose built, but don’t let that put you off, it has a charm of its own and is nothing like the purpose built French monstrosities. Access to the slopes is easy to get to in the main part of town, and there is another area of lifts further down the road, (which you can access via the mountain or by road) There are two designated routes called the Tauernrunde, one green, one pink, which take you in circular system all round the mountain ranges, both these circuits include blue and red runs, and although one is meant to be easier than the other, there isn’t much in it. The pistes outside of this system are a mixture of more blues and reds, some nicer than the ones included in the circuit, but don’t always link up quite so well. The resort is split really into 2 different types of runs, linked via the lift system; tree lined ones in the main town part, (where the nursery lifts are), and wide open cruising motorways in a huge open bowl.
There are only 2 downsides to this resort that we can see. (1) The crazy, frustrating piste markings/map (as in 'lack of'). The map only lists the name of the actual lifts, not the runs, there are no run numbers whatsoever, so as you come off the lifts, there is usually a very confusing notice board, that bears no resemblance to your map, with arrows on it that don’t make sense, and only the names of the other lifts in the area! The poles at the side of the pistes are all red, no matter what colour run you are on. If you’re lucky, you might see the odd post with the piste gradient on it, but always after you have committed to it!
To avoid getting stranded on runs that you’d rather not be on, you really need to study the lift system before setting out, and keep a map with you at all times! (2) There should be a ski bus running up and down the valley, so that you can link into the part of the system that you like, without having to ski to it. If you come down to the road from the open bowl area, but don’t want to go up the opposite side of the valley to continue the circuit to get back to the hotels, you have to catch a taxi back up the road. It’s a minor inconvenience but it cries out for a ski bus! It shows bus stops on the map, but we never saw one all week!
The area might be a little confined for someone who likes to eat up the miles from 9am to 4pm, but there’s a large area called Lungau, about 30 mins away by bus, that opens up another 200 km on 3 other mountains. You can buy a lift pass that covers this and Obertauern.
Aprè is very good, usual umbrella bars, home run huts, and one very, very large wooden 2 story building in the resort that is packed to the roof, and of course that euro music we all love to hate. A lot of the hotels can be skied to as they seem to have a policy of leaving skiable tracks everywhere.
Food everywhere is good, due to the predominance of the German cliental.
To sum up: Though it isn’t as pretty or as vast a ski area as Hinterglemm/Saalbach, we preferred it because the runs allowed for easier progression for less able skiers, and you are sure of snow. No matter how good a ski resort is for klms of runs, if half of it is lost to grass, slush, or ice, then the holiday is not what you have paid for.
We loved this place so much, we re-booked the minute we got home, (this was our 6th resort) and the party has now grown from 4 to 16!! So I guess that says it all, but don’t leave it too late to book, all the high altitude resorts are experiencing early bookings, and their prices are going up!!
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Phil n Snoop, is there anything in particular you would like me to find out while I am here?
So far, we are having a fantastic time. The snow is great, the hotel the best... so I shall be coming back with a very high opinion of the place
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ray Zorro, where are you staying?
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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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sharon1953, staying at the hotel Schneider, right by lift 7. 
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Ray Zorro, we were in Gamsleiten, just near you, we could ski to the ski room door! 19 of us now going back next year
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You know it makes sense.
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im going back on the 15th of april.. and will going there again either half term or easter next year..
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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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CANV CANVINGTON, Lucky you! We go on the 9th Feb 08, had to fall in with kids half term next year, but as we are doing it DIY didn't have to pay the ridiculous hyped up brochure prices. Going that early at least leaves us with plenty of time to perhaps return later in March… !!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think ill do easter there next year as its in march.. try soemthing new in austria next year ..
Ray Zorro, what did you reckon .. any good?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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 CANV CANVINGTON, thanks for all your advice/suggestions .
It was the best family holiday we've had. We all loved every bit of it. I particularly like the fact that the skiing is not all up and down the same slope and the way you can make your way around the whole circuit. We found plenty of good skiing to suit all abilities. Considering that it was one of the busiest weeks of the season, the queues were really not too bad at all, maybe 10 mins max at one or two busy times/locations. But often no queues at all.
We had particularly good weather, with clear blue skies for most of the time and some fresh overnight snow as well. So that helped our enjoyment too.
Hotel Schneider was the best hotel I've stayed in. Brilliant access to the slopes, amazing food, great pool and other facilities.
Travel/transfer was the easiest. We used the shuttle linked on the resort web-page at €39.90 return and they met us as we landed, leaving straight away and then picked us up from the hotel and dropped us off in plenty of time for the return flight. 1 hour each way from Salzburg. Perfect.
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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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I just discovered that 30 mins down the road by bus, is an area called Lungau, which opens up another 200 klm of skiing on 3 mountains, and 3 very pretty villages to stay in should you wish, the joint lift pass for this area only seems to be about 10 eur more. So anyone who is worried about the area being small could easily travel further afield without too much hassle - but shouldn't we be keeping this place a secret so it doesn't get too crowded with brits ??? 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sharon1953, i reckon the secrets out.. will be mobbed with brits in 5 years time make hay while the sun shines!
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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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Ray Zorro, did you get into any of the bars up the slopes?
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CANV CANVINGTON, no, we only went to die Turm(sp?) and the hotel bar. We'll have to go back and do some others another time.
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Ray Zorro, night sking?
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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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A report with a lot of pictures on yesterday skiing from a German site.
All the pistes are are open, it looks perfect in the middle of April.
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sharon1953, The Lungau area is actually 3 small areas - Grosseck-Speireck, Katschberg and Fanningberg.
Katschberg is the biggest of the 3 and is a bit like a small version of Obertatuern, but not as high - ie it's purpose built.
Fanningberg is the smallest and consists of a 6 person chairlift and a couple of drag lifts.
Grosseck top lift is actually higher than Obertauern so conditions allowing you can ski from 1000 to 2400 metres
They're all very nice but I think Katschberg had the most interesting area.
Unless you've got a car I think only Grosseck-Speireck (Mauterndorf) is easy to get to, I don't think think there's a direct bus to Katschberg or Fanningberg so you have to wait for connections. I seem to recall checking on the OEBB site and it seems you might spend up to 1.5 getting there (but I could be wrong), but if you're feeling flush there's always taxis 
If you fancy doing non-skiing stuff though, Mauterndorf is a very pretty little town and has a castle with quite an interesting history.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
CANV CANVINGTON, thanks for all your advice/suggestions .
It was the best family holiday we've had....... Perfect. |
Don't tell everyone or the place will get over run by Brits
Let's just keep this gem of a resort OUR little secret!
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cathy, Mrs Z doesn't ski fast and doesn't do steep, so we were kept amused trying to keep it simple. Others know the resort far better than me but I thought the blacks were reasonably testing and there are any number of alternate ways down on the steeper routes for a bit of variety. I can get bored quite easily, but I didn't get bored here.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks Ray!
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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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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
| I thought the blacks were reasonably testing and there are any number of alternate ways down on the steeper routes for a bit of variety. I can get bored quite easily, but I didn't get bored here. |
The FIS run with the heated chair lift is the business! That's a genuine black run, that come down with any style you need to concentrate. There is also the Heustadl at the bottom which I thought was the best on piste restaurant in the area - Dirkin Alm was just so unfriendly! Gamsleiten 2 offers the other challenging runs with off piste opportunities, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. If when you're onm the lift you look down to the fsar right - that beat me.... I'm going back to get the better of it.
Love Obertauern - I'm going back too.
Really loved the apres ski in the Gruber Stadl, it's so kitsch it's world class!
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Poster: A snowHead
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We are booked for Feb 08 again too
Olny downside to the place is there is a lack of sheltered runs when the weather is bad
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Garfield wrote: |
| Only downside to the place is there is a lack of sheltered runs when the weather is bad |
This may be true. This week the mayor of Untertauern announced that they start a new project to build a link between Obertauern and Untertauern. They plan to build 4-5 new lifts and about 9 'sheltered' runs between Untertauern and Seekareck in Obertauern. The project is estimated to cost about 50 million Euros. According to the plans the project is completed in two years.
Details in German:
http://www.salzburg.com/nwas/index.php?article=DText/0xgko09hv13a3rju8_rv6&img=&text=&mode=§ion=pongau&channel=salzburg
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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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WoW!
Not a lot of snow in Untertauern last week - I think it's about 600-700metres lower than Obertauern. In fact if you drove 100 yards out of Obertauern towards Untertauern, there was no snow. Still they must know what they're doing and it would make the Obertauern skiing area huge.
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Hywel, I think it would be a good option most of the time
This year was probably the poorest conditions for snow low down in the area that I have seen for about ten years.
They seem to have invested a lot in the lift system round Obertauern in the last few years and this could be a continuation
It is aparently to ski between the two with a guide when snow permits
We better watch what we say about Obertauern or it will end up as the Austrian La Rosière! 
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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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Garfield, that's the week we go too, 19 of us so far. We've never been skiing that early in Feb, so fingers crossed it starts snowing from November onwards so there is a good base! Our hotel has put the price up 5 euro per night, probably due to demand! I'm hoping to see more of the resort next time, as my knee gave up after the 1st 2 days so, didn't want to venture too far from the hotel. Now I'm on a 20 week waiting list to have a torn cartilage sorted - but at least it will be all over and done by the time we go. Hamish, thanks for the info.
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| sharon1953 wrote: |
| - but shouldn't we be keeping this place a secret so it doesn't get too crowded with brits ??? |
sharon1953, With 19 of you going you have probably about doubled the number of brits that are there at the start of Feb. Best of luck trying to get them all organised.
I wouldn’t worry about the snow though even this year with the poor weather the place was open in November It can be very cold and windy at times though. The Lungau area or Radstatt may be worth a visit if the weather is really bad.
We noticed that there was a lot of rooms booked u quickly this year which is why we are already booked as well. Still plenty available but they tend to be the plusher rooms that come at a premium.
Hope the knee op goes well and you are fighting fit for Feb. Gamslighten 2 would be the run to test it but on the last day rather than the first. (we have always chickened out of attempting it so far )
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Garfield, Oh we started organising the day we got back! So all hotel deposits are now paid, just waiting for the flights to start being released. Part of the party are our 2 sons, adults now but very slow to do anything, so in order to get them on the move, we paid the deposit and they paid us back, didn't want to risk leaving it up to them. it all seems to far away, watching the webcams the snow is disappearing fast and it looks so strange - but in November the Chillfactore opens in Manchester, and we are almost within walking distance, so that's something to look forward to.
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based on the good reviews here I thinking I might pencil this resort in for next year
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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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Anyone got any experience of the ski schools for kids (aged 4 and upwards)? You know usual things like English speaking etc?
Certainly looks worth a place on the 2008 shortlist!
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SteveKirby, This was the email response I got from our hotel when I asked the same question " The ski schools are ski school TOP and ski school KRALLINGER. Both have good ski instructors who speak English very well but every year instructors are changing in the schools, so we don´t know which instructors are there next winter. But you also can email them directly at info@ski-top.at (www.ski-top.at) or info@krallinger.at (www.krallinger.at/skischule.html)" So in other words, it rather depends on who is teaching next year. There are also non sking kindergardens, but they aren't advertising on the website yet http://www.obertauern.com/ contact the tourist office, they are very helpful. If the snow fall is as good as this year, it will be great. Not as picture-post-card as Saalbach/Hinterglemm and Zell am See, but it's much higher!!
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FAQ
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