 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm currently planning a skiing holiday for 12 persons mid or end March (either 14-21 or 21-28 March). It needs to be in a hotel (half pension) because we don't want to organize cooking with such a big group. We don't want to stretch anyone's financial resources so we're on a pretty tight budget (about €70 per person per day for half pension). We ruled out France because it seems to be impossible to find a decent hotel at that price in any of the major skiing areas. We checked Austria but it is also hard to find anything available at that price in a bigger ski resort (I looked at Ischgl, Serfaus, Sankt Anton, Obergurgl,...). I found a nice looking hotel in Saalbach-Hinterglemm at a correct price, but I'm wondering whether this is a good choice for this period. After all the resort is not that high (1000-2100m) and has lots of southfacing runs. I'm pretty sure there will be snow, but if it is slush from top to bottom it's no fun for most people. Anyone any experience with Saalbach at this period? Other suggestions are always welcome of course... It should be a sizeable skiing area (but anything >100 km pistes should be ok) and have some Après-ski.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We ruled out France because it seems to be impossible to find a decent hotel at that price in any of the major skiing areas.
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It should be possible to find a catered chalet, and with a group of 12 you could probably book a whole chalet. It can be a very good formula for a group, especially on a tightish budget, as you can fill up with tea after skiing and get unlimited plonk with your evening meal. You can also normally take your "duty frees" (if you fly to Geneva) and do cheap "aperos" - G & T etc.
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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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It's preferable to be above 1300m in mid-Mar and 1500m in late-Mar.
Lech, St Anton or Ischgl would be a safer choice.
Saalbach is a good resort, provided you can go in late-Dec to early-Mar.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
It's preferable to be above 1300m in mid-Mar and 1500m in late-Mar.
Lech, St Anton or Ischgl would be a safer choice.
Saalbach is a good resort, provided you can go in late-Dec to early-Mar. |
Well I checked the others but impossible to find a hotel in the same price range as in Saalbach (for 12 persons that is)
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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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bart_bdv, not surprised, those are notably expensive resorts (esp Lech and Ischgl) and you really don't have to go so far up market! Whitegold has expensive tastes; I've never been able to afford to go to Lech though I ski regularly till mid April! I don't know Saalbach so can't comment on whether it is too low at that time of year, you might be lucky or unlucky. However, I still think you could get a pleasant catered chalet in France for that sort of money. Start a thread on "catered chalet needed for 12, mid March" and I expect you'll get some really good suggestions. But with that sort of group you're sensible to look at booking now.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang have invested in huge numbers of snow cannons in recent years, so on-piste snow isn't an issue. I went in March '08 and the south facing mountains were brown off-piste, but the pistes were fine in the morning though getting a bit soft by mid afternoon. We also landed lucky with 3.5 days and nights of snow, the skiing during and after this was superb. You also have the option of the glacier at Kaprun if it all goes horribly wrong, it's about 50 mins by bus.
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so on-piste snow isn't an issue.
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sorry, that doesn't entirely compute. If it's getting warm they can't make snow. End of. March 2008 was a super bumper mega snow (as you have noted). Personally, I wouldn't be getting on any 50 minute bus ride to a glacier where everyone else from miles around was headed. I'd rather go for a walk. 
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and if they do make snow because it's cold at night, once the ground is really warming up it doesn't do much good.
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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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Well the thing is that I'm not so sure about the quality of these catered chalets. We will have about 10 women in the group, who will not kill me if the food isn't nice and the rooms not tidy, but who will certainly let me know. So I wanted to play sure and choose a hotel in Austria which tends to have better standards for the same price than France. Off course if anyone knows a catered chalet with good food and clean accomodation...
As for the snow, I'm not that sure that Sankt Anton and Lech will have better conditions in warm weather. After all Sankt Anton is mainly south facing. Ischgl and Obergurgls have higher north facing skiing, but are quite expensive and probably busy. Last year we went to Sölden for certainty but always never made it to the glacier because of wind and cold...
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| pam w wrote: |
| and if they do make snow because it's cold at night, once the ground is really warming up it doesn't do much good. |
true but on the other hand they mainly use the snow canons to get a base. Even if they can't use them in March, the snow still lasts longer, thanks to the remaining artificial snow
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bart_bdv, the chalets I've been to have always been clean, and the food good value for what we paid. Certainly standards can vary but between them Snowheads have a lot of experience of different operators. Chalets can be super-expensive, super-luxury, eye-wateringly expensive or very basic. And all permutations in between. With a group of 12 you should be able to negotiate a good price though for that budget you are obviously not going to get cordon bleu.
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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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bart_bdv, I skiied in Saalbach in Feb half term 2007 and even then the lower slopes were slushy and as pam w, says if it's warm they can't make snow. I'd go for somewhere higher at that time of year.
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The time I went to Saalbach it was the middle of April and they were still managing to keep all the runs open, even down to resort on the sunny side.
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You know it makes sense.
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It's a lottery. Some years April is fantastic, even at lower altitudes, some years it's not. And "keeping all the runs open" can sometimes mean bulldozing increasingly tired stuff around at night to keep those horrible grey ribbons so you can get off the chairlift without running into the grass.
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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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If you're worried about snow conditions at that time of the year, go for Kaprun, nicer village than Saalbach, glacier 10 mins on the bus, if the snow is good try the skiing in Kaprun or take the bus to the Areitbahn (10 mins) and ski Zell am See 
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Poster: A snowHead
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bart_bdv, Go for a catred chalet which is proprietor run. It WILL be clean and tidy, and the food will be good! A TO at the lower mass market will be cheaper but not in the same league at all!
If your group are full of whingers ask them what they want and if the price is an issue and you cant deliver ask them to organise the trip for you! You can find some decent properties in France as pam w, suggested. This year we are looking at a catred chalet instead of using somewhere more familiar. Saying that if you have found a good place in Saalbach, go for it. Mrs RH is going there in February this year with the girls!
Just remember if they still are inclined to give out the the group organiser tell them for next year "to go forth and multiply"!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bart_bdv, My brother in law used to regularly go to Saalbach and it is by all account an excellent resort. He did say though that it did suffer from the sun and he always went early March - just your luck with the conditions I suppose as this year you would have been fine. We tend to stick around St Anton and Lech but you will struggle to find something for your budget. This year we're taking the kids to Stuben, halfway between Lech and St Anton and a fraction of the price of St Anton and certainly Lech. Well linked into the St Anton circuit. We're staying at Hotel Hubertushof but the Hotel Mondschein looks equally as good - comes in at around €90 per day half board including lift pass, plus they have a Tyrolean evening one night a week at their montain hut (which I think will be the Ulmerhutte). Check out the website for prices www.stuben.com Word of warning though Stuben is really quiet, but only 10 mins either way from St Anton or Lech. I had considered Saalbach or Hinterglemm for this years trip but as I'm not going with the boys to St Anton this year I had to get close enough, so I could get my Mooserwirt fix 
Don't know about other comments saying that Kaprun nicer village than Saalbach. Was there last summer and thought Saalbach was nicer, taking into account the surrounding scenery. And as far as the skiing is concerened it looked better too - loads of runs back to village, whereas only a couple for Kaprun.
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