 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone
I want to go to the Austrian Ski Welt in January (for the miles and miles of piste and to be able to ski to a different village every day) so I was wondering if anyone knows the cheapest resort there (that's still worth staying at). I am in America at the moment and it would be cheapest to go to Tahoe or Salt Lake City but the lure of Austria and the massive choice of pistes in the Ski Welt is too much.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Durham Red
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Westendorf
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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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Durham Red, personally I would go for SLC but I guess you would manage to find somewhere cheap wherever you are on SKi Welt, depends what your "cheap is". Surely it works out cheaper to go to SLC if you are concerned about expense.
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I really want to compare the cheapest resort in SLC with the cheapest in the Ski Welt. I went to Squaw Valley USA last year and was rather disappointed with the American piste system/resort.
I kind of like the Alpine charm better too. So I'm after a place in the Ski Welt with cheapest ski rental and accommodation (or a good accommodation website  )
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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 guess the grass is always greener, but it seems odd to see someone able to nip to SLC desperate to sample the modest delights of Ski Welt.
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Durham Red, are you sure your post isn't some kind of wind-up? What you are proposing is like cheating on Keira Knightley with Nora Batty!
Converting $ to euros means nothing is going to be cheap in Europe, but even at the same price you really should be giving SLC a go. I've not been to Squaw so can't comment on that, but have skied the Ski Welt and every Utah resort except Brian Head and Powder Mountain. For apres and atmosphere nothing beats Austria but if you are a serious skier, you need to try Utah
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Durham Red, Ski Welt is a fantastic area - brilliant for Mile Munchers, beautiful mountain scenary and outstanding character and mountain restaurants. and those Austrians - so friendly, but just don't accept an invite to tour the cellar 
It's all pretty cheap but Soll and Ellmau are defintely the most touristy and therefore expensive... Personally I like Scheffau and it's Gondola is well placed to get you right up into the heart of the Welt pronto. BUT it get's mobbed with Munich plated AutoBahnStormers at the weekend...
Are you guys party animals? Scheffau is quiet...
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Durham Red, First of all you need to understand a bit of the geography of the resorts. There is a main road that run through the valley of the Ski Welt. Soll and Sheffau are on the wrong side of the main road which means that to get to the main up-hill transport you need to take the ski-bus (inc, ski pass price). However Ellmau and Going are on the right side of the road and closer to the available uphill transport. Ellmau is the most convenient and I would have thought there are many cheap guest houses available and bookable via internet website.
Unless you stay in smart hotels generally this area offers affordable accommodation in most of the resorts, but having stayed there a couple of times I would recommend Ellmau.
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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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| Plake wrote: |
Durham Red, are you sure your post isn't some kind of wind-up? What you are proposing is like cheating on Keira Knightley with Nora Batty!
Converting $ to euros means nothing is going to be cheap in Europe, but even at the same price you really should be giving SLC a go. I've not been to Squaw so can't comment on that, but have skied the Ski Welt and every Utah resort except Brian Head and Powder Mountain. For apres and atmosphere nothing beats Austria but if you are a serious skier, you need to try Utah |
I found that damn funny! And luckily I'm only on a long vaccation in America so my money is already in pounds and I don't have to worry about the exchange rates.
I've been to Soll and Kitzbuhel before when I was an amateur skier (I've only just got comfortable on Black runs) and prefer Euro resorts to American ones.
Soll was fine but I don't want to go to the same resort again. SLC or Tahoe would be cheaper but I was disappointed by US runs in the past and the vast slope choice of the Ski Welt gets my appetite whetted. Also it seems a shame to buy/rent gear in the US again when my own clothing etc is sat there waiting for me in England.
Thanks for info on Going and Ellmau, they are now the frontrunners. We are not party animals but we do like one or maybe two nights on the pop during the week.
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Durham Red I remain confused but if thats what you want to do, go for it and enjoy it! I have friends that love Ellmau, can't give you many details other than they keep going back. Understand it's quite quiet though. You should run a search and see if there are any previous threads on the above-I'd imagine there will be-and you'll probably get loadsa info.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ellmau looks ideal on the web but £450 ($1000) each is quite a sum these days. SLC or Tahoe would be much cheaper, since we're already here but we leave the US early December and can't be guaranteed snow then - I may be wrong!?.
The thing that really winds me up about the US slopes is that Squaw Valley USA says it has around 140 runs but from top to bottom there are really only about ten different unique runs.
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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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Durham Red, I personally would go for Westendorf. They have some great value accommodation,beers and food not to expensive and not to busy/not to quiet town. Should have the new gondola and new run down this season to link direct to Brixen so will give more piste to ski without catching a ski bus. We ski'd over to Kitz' last season using the Ki-West link which was very good. 
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Have only stayed in Soll. Found it very good value. Kept boots and skis in locker room at Gondola station. Walk from village is fine in normal shoes with no ski gear. We skied to a different village each day for lunch. Fantastic ski area.
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You know it makes sense.
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| richmond wrote: |
| I guess the grass is always greener, but it seems odd to see someone able to nip to SLC desperate to sample the modest delights of Ski Welt. |
Not to me. SLC is Dullsville, USA - a collection of linked shopping malls. It is designed around the car( or streets wide enough for a couple of ox wagons and 15 wives walking along side by side).
You could stay in the accommodation in Alta but it is limited and expensive. Snowbird has the worst aspects of French ski architecture.
Austria has attractive architecture, true Alpine charm and you can get a decent beer without hassle.
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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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| DAVID SNELL wrote: |
Durham Red, First of all you need to understand a bit of the geography of the resorts. There is a main road that run through the valley of the Ski Welt. Soll and Sheffau are on the wrong side of the main road which means that to get to the main up-hill transport you need to take the ski-bus (inc, ski pass price). However Ellmau and Going are on the right side of the road and closer to the available uphill transport. Ellmau is the most convenient and I would have thought there are many cheap guest houses available and bookable via internet website.
Unless you stay in smart hotels generally this area offers affordable accommodation in most of the resorts, but having stayed there a couple of times I would recommend Ellmau. |
We (my brother 25 and I 29) did Soll last year and loved it. We hadn't skiied for 14 years.
We stayed in a hotel on the "far side" of the village and were easily able to walk to the lifts (5- 10 mins max) - we never used the bus at all.
Piste canons and bashers kept plenty of snow up top until very late in the season, although the run to resort was green both sides and very slushy late on.
We will def go again this year and i'd be happy to go back to Soll for price, skiing, nightlife, hotel and people.
I did find it slightly difficult to get to neighbouring parts of the Welt, but that was down to my lack of bottle on the tricky reds and blacks and lack of time!
Pilg.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another vote for Ellmau, really nice village, a few bars though admittedly not exactly kicking. You can do Ellmau easily as a DIY trip, we stayed in a Pension and it was pretty cheap, can do B&B or half board in associated hotel. Think it might have been Pension Claudia we went to which was linked to one of the big hotels in the village centre. Definitely recommend it as long as you don't expect luxury bells and whistles.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh blimey! I kicked something off here I didn't expect. I thought I'd get a couple of suggestions at best.
What with Westerndorf, Ellmau and Going - I have something to think about.
Does anyone know which resort gives the easiest access to ski into the most different villages (or is that Ellmau?)
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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 went to Soll in 2005 (and to Brixen when I was at School, so about 20 yrs ago). Only used the bus occasionally - even with skis, its 10mins walk, mostly flat (you can ski back to the road so practically in the village  ). It is small & pretty but has 2 places for all night debauchery (the Skoll-something IIRC on the way back to the hotel best & the Whiskymuhle somewhere in town, this has sportsbar next door).
Info
Beer is much cheaper than France.
2 gondolas up from Soll is top of mt & can ski into Brixen or Scheffeau.
Going & Ellmau are further past Scheffeau & up in the top corner of the area.
Soll - Scheffeau - Ellmau - Going - Lunchstop - Brixen - Soll is a full days skiing.
The best best mt restaurant is in Ellmau (can't rem where - it was small & everyone was drunk).
Best pistes. 1) take cable car from top of 1st stage gondola from Soll. A red thru trees below the next chair.
2) From top of Scheffeau to base (Black but barely)
3) A blue deep in a forest between Soll & Brixen (it was 4 yrs ago, there was a 6 pack chair with red seats starting with a K?)
Only down side is low alt so constant snow making & lack of steeps - loads of red/blue cruising.Westendorf always gets the best writeups on here but we didn't go there so can't comment.
Best obvious OP is down from top of mt above Soll to the red 1 already mentioned
Neil
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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On a side issue, with all the snow making in the ski welt, is it relatively snow sure even at the low altitude? ( recall they can cover 180km odd of the 250km's of piste !!!)
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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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Mitchell, The temps can get a bit high - that's the danger as the snow cannons won't work and it rains, and what snow there is melts. They had a great early season last year, but a fair bit of rain from mid March onwards.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I guess it's almost guaranteed snow in the Jan/Feb period? I always go first week in Jan as it's so much cheaper.
Went to Soll as an amateur, so wasted the chance to experience the full grandeur of the Ski Welt.
Actually I'm about 100 miles from Aspen at the moment but it's far too early for snow. Grrrr!
Neil: Thanks for the write up, very comprehemsive.
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Was wondering what it would be like over xmas/new year week? Am planning a trip over one of these weeks & will wait until I can 'see' the snow is okay BUT looking around the ( TO's at least) places everywhere are going fast, or it seems that way to me.
Mitch
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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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| Quote: |
I guess it's almost guaranteed snow in the Jan/Feb period?
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Durham Red, nobody with any sense is going to say that anywhere is "almost guaranteed" snow in the first week of January; in the last few years March has generally been snowier than early January across much of the Alps. As pointed out above, snow cannons are no good if it's temperatures, rather than lack of precipitation, whic are the problem. You should be in luck, but it's a very, very, quiet time (as you say) so why not wait a while and book late for a cheaper deal? Unless you are a big group, which is harder.
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skid & slide,
Which is ???
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mitchell, Sheep in the valley
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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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Mitchell, oh well, now we know.  The winter snow forecast silly season is now well and truly underway. Let's hear it for the snails, the rose hips, the marmottes, the peasant's angle of willy droop, etc etc
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pam w, And the Witches
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FAQ
should be Good this year according to wife tale's