 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all
Thanks to the snowfalls I think this might be the year to try Austria.
Some advice has already pointed me to Soll in the Skiwelt and it looks like that is the best bet for a cheap holiday as it seems like lots of travel ops go there (would like a halfboard/catered place with flight for <£400) I know independent is probably better but its more expensive and I'm trying to save up for my skiing honeymoon next year!!!
Can experts help with following questions...
1. As a beginner snowboarder, is Soll the best place to locate in Skiwelt? Previous posts suggest that its got a nightmare blue back at the end of the day?
Also that the best runs are over in Scheffau rather than Soll, so would it be better to be staying in one of the other villages like Scheffau, Ellmau or Westendorf
2. How much of a nightmare is it to get the gondola in the morning - sounds like its a very long walk from the village or the bus which can get really full. Are there lockers by the gondola or do you have to always carry your gear?
3. What kind of prices are we talking for mountain lunches and beers? Is there lots of variety on the mountain or do you have to head back to the villages for a good lunch that won't break the bank?
4. Having never been to Austria - what are ski schools like? Will lessons be in english? Is it like France - do you tend to have one monopoly outfit?
Other suggestions have been Zell and Kitzbuhel. I've discounted them because Zell - seems to rate poorly on its disjointed ski area and Kitzbuhel seems to be £50-£100 more expensive - am I wrong to have discounted them?
Looking forward to your opinions...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I can give partial answers to your questions based on my experience of Westendorf and one day ski=ing in the rest of SkiWelt
1. Westendorf is not lift linked to Ski Welt - there is a short ski bus ride to Brixen im tal for the gondola up into Ski Welt.
2. Don't know!
3. The mountain food we have had in Westendorf is the best I'm had and certainly not at Swiss prices. There are a number of characterful places to eat and I don't think I was ever dissappointed. Can't remember any precise costs I'm afraid.
4. There does seem to be a main ski school, certainly in Westendorf. Our lessons were in English and they seemed to make more of a point of dividing by language than they did in my very limited experience of France (Val Cenis) and Switzerland (Saas Fee).
Westendorf currently has more snow 100/200cm (bottom/top) than any of my other 'watchpoints'!! The Ski Welt area is relatively low lying though (tops out at about 1800m).
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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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Thanks Ian! The snow looks good this year - hence opportunity to try it and do other higher resorts in future years!
Now must go and do some work rather than hover over this thread waiting for replies!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mountain mad, I'm not familar with the SKi Welt, but Austria's my favourite skiing destination, and I typically go there about twice a year..
Mountain Prices - The more famous/glamour resorts like Kitzbuhel or St Anton can be slightly more expensive, but my in general you pay English pub prices, and the mountain premium is relatively small. I'd expect to pay €5 for a 0.5l beer on a mountain and about €6-8 for a large spag bol.
Ski schools - most of Austria is deregulated, so you get a number of different ski schools. There is no ESF-style monopoly (e.g. Saalbach has 8 different ski-schools). Most instructors are speak fluent english and the quality of teaching is genearlly very good.
I'd strongly recommend going independely to Austria. Ryanair does regular (now 3 times a day) flights to Salzburg. From there Zell am See, Saalbach, Kitz, Flachau etc are all only < 2 hours away, and many on good train/bus links. In most resorts you can find B&B in a privately owned hotel with en-suite rooms and near the pistes for €40pppn. In Jan I got 20 people to Saalbach (which I'd highly recommend) for £370 for flights, transfer, hotel AND a 7 day ski-pass.
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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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Hi
I stayed in soll a year or so again and really enjoyed it but I thought it looked a bit crap for complete beginniers, then again i was loking at it from a skiers point of view. As for the walk from the town to the bottom of the gondola it only took 5 mins and almost all the runs seemed quite quite all day.
Thinking about going back I enjoyed it so much but if your still not sure check out the photos and a video of what its like here http://www.theteuchterlads.co.uk
mapchee
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I spent 3 to 4 days in SKi Welt in Christmas 2004 while staying at Ellmau. Mrs Saikee is crazy about Austrian crystals and Swaroski Watten factory is just down the road so my stay in Ski Welt was very expensive but I managed to visit Kitzbuhel, Alpach and St Johann in that week too.
Soll is popular with the British skiers but Scheffau has a better chairlift system at the bottom and possibly a wider terrain at the top as it can go to Soll in the forward direction or Ellamu in the backward direction. Sideway wise one can ski to Brixen and Hopgarten too. Unless one pay the top dollars Ski Welt isn't a ski-in ski-out resort as the accommodations are away from the pistes.
If you can get an accommdotion near Scheffau it would require less walk because Soll villeage is quite a walking distance from the chairlifts. I stayed in a flat far away from Ellamu but I drove to the chairlifts. I once escorted the wife to Soll (she had enough and retired early) and skied back to Ellmau to pick up the car and drove back to Soll for her. I spent an evening in Soll and had afternoon tea there too.
For beginner snowboarder Ski Welt is definitely better than Zell am See and Kitzbuhel, both of which I visited in the same 2-week trip. Zell is much smaller even you add Kapun to it. I did Zell, Saalbach and Badgastein in the first week. Kitzbuhel is more advance as skiers go there because of the slope challenge. It is only a half hour drive from Ellamu. Ski Welt on the other hand is big, low altitude and easy for intermediates.
Can't offer information on ski schools as I haven't used them.
Austrian is very nice. It can match the French in size and offer Swiss quality and standard. Price is surprisingly competitive too. It has the best snow at the moment. My brother and his family is going to Westendorf tomorrow but I couldn't join him this year.
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Totally agree about doing Austria independently, as it's so cheap. Don't write off Zell am See - it's got hardly any dependence on T-bars compared to most Austrian resorts, although I do prefer Saalbach. Zell doesn't have a "disjointed ski area" either, maybe you mean Zell am Ziller?
Basically as a beginner boarder you should be looking for wide runs which aren't too flat, served by gondolas or chairlifts. I've been to Soll/Elmau but can't remember what it's like for easy boarding, but suggest you examine the piste map very carefully for traps where you can only make progress by going on a T-bar!
Of all the resorts I've been to I would still recommend Courchevel, Alpe d'Huez and Cervinia for outstanding wide easy gondola served runs though.
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Agree with saikee about Scheffau for wide runs etc. However, Soll has more nightlife etc than the other villages in the ski welt. The walk to the Gondola takes 5 mins from the centre of the village and there are lockers at the main gondola station. The home run at the end of the day in Soll is a red and can get very crowded so just take the gondola instead. The immediate area above Soll is served by chairlifts, no flat areas and the runs are wide. Over towards Hopfgarten and Brixen there are also some wide runs and I don't remember any flat parts (at least lengthy ones) or t-bars.
The ski schools are very good and are mainly local operators, which is common accross all Austrian resorts. I have never had a problem in any of the Austrian resorts language wise.
Beer and food in Soll is fairly reasonable, cheaper than here (UK).
I also endorse the DIY route. You can get to Salzburg from Birmingham.
Other resorts, although not as cheap are Saalbach - very wide runs and a good beginner area. Mayrhofen is a bit cheaper and is meant to be geared up to snowboarders.
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I found the main ski school excellent in Soll. There are quite a few english instructors, but my instuctor was a local lad who spoke better english that I do!
Don't worry about the runs back to the village. If you don't fancy battling with the 4:30 crowds you can simply get the gondola back down. Many do.
It was last year I went, but generally food on piste wasn't too bad. Spit roasted chicken and chips with a drink (Gluwein) or 2 generally sets you back about 10 euros.
There are lockers near the main gondola, which isn't as far away from the town as people seem to make out. I walked it everyday from the opposite side of the village and it wasn't a problem. In fact ot was a good warm up!
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I have stayed in Soll (once) and in Westendorf (3 times) .. would highly recommend Westendorf.
It has ski convenience, great apres ski, plenty of skiing for beginners/intermediates, lovely alpine charm, and I found the ski school there was just what I wanted .. plenty of craic, plenty of skiing, and good instruction. and some really charming Mountain Restaurants with spectacular views.
Price wise its reasonable .. cheaper than Irish prices for eating out/drinking.
Soll was good fun too .. but was busier on the slopes, and not quite as convenient ski wise ... the gondola is a bit of a hike from the village centre. But then again, I do not know any village that is more convenient for skiing, shops, apres, accommodations than Westendorf.
As a beginner I would definitely recommend Westendorf ... but I can't give a snowboarding perspective.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ooh thankyou everybody so far - have got me very excited now that it will be a good place!
If any others have views and opinions please keep them coming - the tip about Westendorf sounds good. I guess as beginner boarders we'll be sat on our bums and not really needing a huge area. Will probably spend a day middle of the week back on my 2 planks so could always use that day to check out the bigger linked area.
Right time to do some searching for a holiday. Will take a look at independent options following the advice... (p.s. anyone got good links on figuring out how I get from Salzburg by public transport to a ski resort - the main Osterreich Bahn page that i've found with google wasn't very user friendly for a non german speaker?)
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