 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi,
Daft question (I hope), can you ski between these 2 in both directions? Piste map isn't very clear, thought I'd better check before we book. Any views on Grossarl as a base for a mixed group (1-15 weeks exp.)?
Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
kdr1066, welcome to Snowheads!
The answer is yes. It's not obvious from the piste map but you can ski over from one valley to the next.
Although i've got an apartment in Bad Gastein, i've only ever skied in Dorfgastein once and never ventured over to Grossarl. I've heard it's really nice though. The Dorfgastein side of the lift network there is great. Lots of tree lined skiing with some nice restuarants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Yes, both ways without problem. I only had lunch there so can't tell you what it is really like to stay in. The DorfG-Grossarl area is a fairly mixed bag so should suit everyone, but probably won't be big enough for a full week for the better skiers. Your advanced skiers should get themselves to the Graukogel area, but it is not easy from Grossarl:- you'll have to ski over to DorfG, and get the bus, change in Bad HofG and get another bus (I think). Some good off-piste at SportGastein but that is even further away. We found getting a cab is easier than the buses if going from one end of the Gastein valley to the other.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Thanks, I would have been surprised if you couldn't, but better to check. The online maps do show getting over from Grossarl, but the way back looks like a dotted line, which I presume means it's not pisted? Is there definitely a piste back? Looks like there is, but the map implies you'd need to hike uphill to get to it, which is probably just the map. Thanks again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Yes, 80Km doesn't sound much. We'll be driving down (easier/cheaper than flying with young children) so getting to other areas is a possibility, assuming they can be reached by road?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
The Grossarl/Dorfgastein link is fine in both directions and there's some lovely skiing there. It is about 3 years since I have done it but I don't remember anything unpisted or inconveniently flat or anything??
If you have a car, I would get the whole Amade liftpass, and then you will have hundreds of kms at your disposal. Nearest to Grossarl by car are Kleinarl/St Johann/Alpendorf, and then along the next valley you can access the extensives sopes of Wagrain/Flachau etc. There's just stacks of skiing in the area so plenty of variety for a mixed group. A bit more difficult if anyone is having a week of lessons though as your non lesson people might want to be travelling around to different stations whereas ski schools will stay in one area on the whole.
If you want to ski Bad Gastein, I would honestly drive around and ski from there. There's plenty there for a full day and you risk spending a lot of time faffing around on buses if you try to ski to DG, bus to BHG and then BG etc.
Happy sliding 
D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deliaskis, you have to get the Amade lift pass dont you? I dont think there is a choice...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
oasis13, you can only buy a day pass for the individual resorts. More than a day and you automatically get an Amade pass.
Cheers
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
If you want to ski Bad Gastein, I would honestly drive around and ski from there
|
Depends which area you want. That may be an option for Graukogel or SportG, but the main area (Stubnerkogel/Angertal/Schlossalm) is just one bus ride away:- DorfG to the Bad HofG funicular. Easy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the ice perv, I know it's just one bus to BHG, but I still think that for a mixed group, getting lifts from Grossarl, skiing to Dorf, bus to BHG funicular, funicular plus higher lifts up, to start skiing, to get over to Stubnerkogel, to try and spend some time skiing there and then the whole process in reverse making sure you get a bus back in time to get the DorfG lift over to Grossarl etc. is a tall order.
What I meant is that if you want to spend a day enjoying BG (say Stubnerkogel), then you might get more enjoying done by starting off and finishing there!
Just my opinion, but with a mixed group I don't think you'd get much time on Stubnerkogel if you skied over.
Happy sliding
D
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Sorry Deliaskis, I think that's bad advice:- driving from Grossarl to Bad Gastein and getting parked would take an hour or so, even in good traffic. Getting from DorfG to Bad HofG, only 10 mins on the bus. Maybe another 10 mins waiting for the bus, the rest of the time spent skiing or riding lifts, which is why we go to the alps isn't it? Besides, why would a mixed group skiing together want to bypass the Schlossalm in favour of the Stubnerkogel?  Apart from one black down to Angertal, the Stubnerkogel hasn't got anything the Schlossalm hasn't. And that black can be reached by riding just one chairlift up from Angertal and taking an easy red.
Save the car trips for the other Gastein areas or (much nearer) Alpendorf/Wagrain kdr1066. Enjoy, it's a good area with loads of nice, relatively cheap mountain huts for lunch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I have to agree, it's a long drive from Grossarl to the Gastein valley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OK, looks like I've been over-ruled  .
I agree though that the Schlossalm sector has just as much to offer as Stubnerkogel, and personally I actually prefer the 'atmosphere' of Schlossalm to be honest. I was only trying to make the point (very badly!) that if you want to ski Stubnerkogel and spend a decent amount of time there, I think you would get more time there by driving around.
I s'pose I'm thinking about the way our groups often ski, which is often a pattern of day 1 ski local hill to death, day 2 hop over local hill quickly to get to next hill, day 3 hop over local hill and next hill quickly to get to the next one, etc. (OK not always in that order, it's not a military strategy type thing or anything!) ...and by that point we're getting to the stage where you don't really spend much time on the further away hills, because you spend the time getting there and back, which might be fine, but if you specifically want to explore one of the further away ones, then the way to do that and arrive with fresh legs and plenty of time to explore, is sometimes to take the car, so I still feel that if you want to get anything out of Stubnerkogel for example, then from Grossarl, I would still drive around. if you just want to get there and ski back then yes it's perfectly do-able.
However, we will obviously have to agree to disagree on this one!! I'm sure that the OP is now bored of reading our little argument !
Happy sliding all
D
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
giving this one a bump. we are still looking for a new resort so was wondering if anyone had any more info on grossarl. sking looks pretty good but was wondering if they normally have good snow conditions in comparison to other austrian resorts? whats the town like, ie is it a pretty traditional type town? what are prices like (beer and food) much night life?. thanks in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
creedgearoid, Very traditional, nice town. they are in the same "snow hole (Schneeloch)" that the St jo/Wagrain/Flachau area is in. so they get good snow and have made a fairly serious investment in snow cannons to ensure the base for a long season. This is true of most Austrian resorts as the farmers who own the pastures we ski over do not want their summer feed ruined by people skiing through the root systems and destrying the top soil layer, as has happened in the past!
It is a fairly cheap place as I remember as it is not catering for vast numbers of Brits Russians or Scandies. What I would call normal prices, i.e the same or slightly cheaper than I pay here in southern Germany.
I often ski in the St Johann/Alpendorf area and see lots of local cars driving on to Großarl. Tends to be the kind of place that DIYers would use if coming from the UK as I don't think it features in any UK tour operators' brochures. My friends in St Jo go there when they do not want to travel far but want to have some fun skiing (ski instructors out of uniform on their days off, that sort of thing).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
that sounds very positive Sue tanks for the quick reply. very little info to be found anywhere re grossarl. went to page number 20!! last night in the 'google search' to no avail. even the available online ski maps are fairly poor in detail. we will be in that area on dec 3rd for a short trip. do you know if the lifts would normally be open that early in the season? conflicting opening times online. anything from 3rd dec to 17th dec is mentioned. not looking too good at the moment for early opening anywhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
creedgearoid, To be honest I doubt if the the lifts will be open, maybe at weekends and then only some. I can ask around if you like and see what I can find out for you. Most of the area has a full opening date as being around Dec 17th.
I'm over that way this weekend so I'll see what I can find out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
we stayed in Grossarl for a short break, and we stood out as being the only English in the village!! Bar staff who served us told us that their brother fitted our skiis, served us a coffee...... But they were so nice and friendly. Not much night life after apres though. (Maybe our German was not good enough to find it)  Excellent pisting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Samerberg Sue, would appreciate that thanks. we would only be sking on the sun and monday so wouldt need much open as long as some local slopes were available. margaret, by any chance do you remember what prices were like in that bar?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
creedgearoid, We were in Bad Gastein last winter and went for a day to Dorfgastein/Grossarl. Lots of good runs there and modern lifts. Half litre beer probably around 3-3.90E on the mountain. Reasonable food prices. Very nice rustic restaurants with amazing food and even some traditional live music.
Brilliant place but I will still base myself in Bad Gastein as it is better for night life and central for other areas.
If you get a good snow and you only there for a weekend it is a great mountain. Hard to say about early season as it looks like as a slow start this year. Place with easier access to Sportgastein could be better I guess.
We did not ski down to the Grossarl village but the whole setting looked a bit more attractive than the Dorfgastein on the other side.
My report from last year:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=73879&highlight=schladming+photo
http://www.bergfex.com/grossarl/
Report with photos from German forum:
http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=33755&hilit=grossarl
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Hello creedgearoid,
Skied the dorfgastein/grossarl area a couple of years ago. Excellent skiing in a lovely area, in our view.
If i remember correctly the grossarl village seemed to be more traditionally "Austrian" and Dorfgastein
seemed strangely "purpose built" for Austria. Not in any hideous french "purpose built" way- just very "new".
Anyway we really enjoyed it apart from having to get one of our party off the grossarl side of the area
with a knackered ACL- this involved an epic journey back to Bad Gastein by train!
Hello the ice perv,
I'm trying to remember the geography around this area and i think, if i've got it right,
that if the OP stayed in Dorfgastein rather than on the Grossarl side then access to the rest of the Gastein valley could be more convenient by car.
I could well have got mixed up with the lay of the land though.
cheers Geoff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
creedgearoid, the Grossarl/Dorfgastein ski area is a cracking place to ski. I can give you some recommendations.
As for the 3rd December, as long as mother nature decides to send some cold weather Austria's way, it should be ok. For the last few years, Dorfgastein has always been the first of the Gastein's ski areas to open (with the possible exception of Sportgastein). I think this is probably due to the amount of snow making they have. However at the moment, there is no snow at all. I'm going there on the 16th Dec and am getting a touch worried.
Let me know if you want anymore info.
Kersh
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
great stuff all. thank you. if we get a bit of the white stuff grossarl it is in dec. will do more research while there for the group trip later on
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
perfect, 3rd of dec is when we arrive there. thanks again
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Hi all
I like the look of the area and have thought about skiing the area before.
How long does it take to get to the resorts on the train from Salzberg, or would you hire a car?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
skid & slide, the ride to St Johann is about 45 to 60 minutes max from the Hauptbahnhof (sometimes quicker if you don't get a train that stops at every station). Then you will need a taxi to Großarl or use the bus.
Personally I always use my car, but then I'm based over here! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Samerberg Sue, Thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
