 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I have booked to go to Mayrhofen for Christmas week self catering and would like to know where a good place to eat on Christmas day would be? pref a traditional feast lol! Also, what are the easy runs like? I went to Ellmau last year and loved it but found the jump from nursery slope to blue runs was too much too soon so will I be able to find some good green type of runs in this resort? I have been told they have some scenic routes so would these be suitable?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 10-11-08 2:43; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last time I went I was full board so wouldn't know about good restaurants, but as for easy pistes best off going up the Ahorn. The gondola in the town centre goes up the main mountain, the Penken, which always seemed to be dead crowded (I was there at Xmas two years back) but if you go up the new cable car to the Ahorn mountain you'll find some nice quiet wide open runs.
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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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| hopingforsnow wrote: |
| Hi, I have booked to go to Mayrhofen for Christmas week self catering and would like to know where a good place to eat on Christmas day would be? pref a traditional feast lol! Also, what are the easy runs like? I went to Ellmau last year and loved it but found as a beginner the jump from nursery slope to blue runs was too much too soon so will I be able to find some good green type of runs in this resort? I have been told they have some scenic routes so would these be suitable? |
Being Austria, rather than France/Spain/Andorra, you won't find any runs marked green. There are a few reasonably easy blues around, but the majority of the runs are reds. There are probably more good easy runs up at the top end of the Zillertal Arena - Gerlos and Konigsleiten (the Wald side). You can reach that area from mayrhofen using the free ski buses, which are included on the lift pass.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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alex_heney has said it all. There is no green run in Austria or Switzerland. In these countries people ski as though we go out for a walk in UK. If you find a green run, say in Gerlossteinwand, it is for the sledges!
I am not aware of any real beginner friendly area in Zillertal Valley. The Gerlos and Konigsleiten, which is part of Zillertal Area skiing area located at Zell some 6 miles from Mayrhofen, does have the best area for beginners but Gerlos and Konigsleiten are both at its end deep inside the valley. Bus to there may have to via Zell and could take a fair bit of time, remember you have to catch the bus back to Mayrhofen too.
Ahorn is possibly the best option as indicated by huw_jenks.
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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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Thanks for the info so far - now I am rather concerned. I am not a beginner but I took a really bad fall 10 years ago off a glacier in France - lost both ski's and sticks and tumbled uncontrollably off piste for along way vertically ripping my clothes to bits but thankfully I lived to tell the tale! It has taken me 10 years to pluck up the courage to return to the slopes but I have no confidence even though I was a red run skier previous to the fall - as soon as I see a drop I feel sick and start to shake but I am determined to over come my fear so I can get back to the level I used to be. I went to Ellmau last year and was fine on the lower slopes but once I went up the funicular I bottled it. Is the Ahorn area wide enough not to be able to see huge drops either side?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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hopingforsnow, just because there are no green runs in these countries does not necessarily mean the runs are harder. It just means what would be classified green in France (i.e. flat) is called blue. Don't panic, find your way to the nursery slopes and maybe get a few lessons.
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| hopingforsnow wrote: |
| It has taken me 10 years to pluck up the courage to return to the slopes but I have no confidence even though I was a red run skier previous to the fall - as soon as I see a drop I feel sick and start to shake but I am determined to over come my fear so I can get back to the level I used to be. |
Good for you, that's very commendable. My advice would be to put more effort into choosing a really good ski school which will probably do more to help rebuild your confidence and develop your control, than in choosing a particular resort which doesn't have terrain which you'll find intimidating. Choosing a resort on the basis of how it grades its runs can be a hit or miss as there are no fixed rules about what constitutes a green run, a blue run, etc. I've not skied in Austria for a long time so can't recommend a particular ski school & resort combination, but maybe if you ask for instructor recommendations you'll have a bit more info to help make your choice? Good luck with it!
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hopingforsnow,
The vertical drop that can wet the pants of a skiser can be found in Mayrhofen. It is called Harikari and is the steepest "groomed" run in Austria. Ahorn is a separate small resort with its own cable car access. The remaining skiing area in Mayrhofen is fully linked and made up by Penken, Horberg, Finkenberg and Eggalm each has its own access gondola station.
I would say Mayrhofen is similar to Ski Welt but with a couple of famous black runs to attract skiers. The blue runs in Penken, where Harikari can be found, are pretty harmless. SH singled Ahorn out because it has 5 blue, 3 red and no black run. The red runs there are considered not challenging either.
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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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hopingforsnow, I would say the majority of the runs in the Zillertal don't have much in the way of drops off the side of the piste.
There are exceptions, but you shouldn't have any difficulty in finding pistes which are bounded by trees or other pistes. I haven't skied the Ahorn area, and only spent one day in the Penken area, but I really didn't find much in the Penken tat had drops to the side of the piste.
You could also try the "front" area of the Zillertal arena - 10 minutes on the train plus 5 on a bus from Mayrhofen. Mainly red runs, but only run 10 and the skiers right variants of run 9 really have an "edge" with a significant drop. The rest are really in a bowl.
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having been to mayrhofen a couple of times (including when i first learned to ski) over the last few years I would day without doubt that the best place for you to start would be the ahorn.
it is pretty much perfect for beginner type skiers with wide, pretty tame pistes, fast lifts, not too busy - and with no drops either side. there are some easy blues on the penken but some of them are narrower road runs - best bet would be to ski on the ahorn for the first few days and then graduate to the penken once you have your confidence back.
i think a lot of the beginner ski schools have move to the ahorn in the last couple of years. the problem is that the penken and the ahorn are not linked so if you ahev mates with you who are more confidnet skiers they are going to want to be on the penken.
i love mayrhofen though. have a few beers in the ice bar for me 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hopingforsnow, For your Christmas Feast try Manni's Hotel, Hotel Strass or the Nehaus. All of which cater for outside guests and are great places to eat.
Blue runs as before there is tons of stuff at the top of the Ahorn and the 170 person cable car up is quick and comfy.
On penken
Runs 20,2,7a,8 and 6 are really nice cruisy blues and accesed straight from the lifts or the bottom of the last run without having to cross anything to mad. Watch out for the powder hunters coming straight down the side of 20 though  Over in Rastkogel 6,3& 4 are all pretty good to enjoy and PM me if you need anything else have spent alot of time there when I could.
The link for the piste map is below
http://www.mayrhofner-bergbahnen.com/en/100301/100232/interactive_panoramic_map_skiing_snowboard.html
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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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hopingforsnow, we've had lessons with most of the ski schools in the Mayrhofen area over the years, and we've never had a bad experience. The main ones are:
http://www.mayrhofen-total.com/en/index.html
http://www.skischule.mayrhofen3000.at/
http://www.skischule-mayrhofen.at/en-index11.htm
http://www.skischule-finkenberg.at/cms/index.php?lang=en (Penken only)
A private lesson with one of them would be a wise investment to rebuild your confidence, and they can also act as guides at the same time, so you won't get into any position where you are uncomfortable.
As suggested above, the Ahorn is the place to start, as the runs are wide, shallow, shortish, and easy. As you progress, you'll probably move across to Penken or Rastkogel. On Penken, avoid 2 and 20 if you can - they are essentially roads covered in snow, and while there is nothing difficult about them, they are narrow, terraced, and can turn into pipes as the day wears on, so they're not much fun and can get very busy, so just about all that's left is 8, which is good fun, but a bit limited. The new 7a on Gerent is excellent, and if you are feeling confident, red 7 is a simple progression.
As a ski area, I highly recommend the whole valley, and I'm sure you'll have a great time. Work on your confidence, and the area will really open up to you.
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Christmas Eve is completely dead over here, I live above Innsbruck and the place just closes on the 24th after lunch. Then everyone goes skiing on the 25th whilst we are looking to relax - really confusing the first few winters. Most hotels will offer something on the 25th and expect the unexpected.
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