 Poster: A snowHead
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First off, yes I’ve used the search function and read everything in there. I just have a few questions to help expand my knowledge somewhat.
I’ll be travelling to Bad Gastein over Christmas (19 to 28 Dec.) with my girlfriend, and my father will be joining us from the US up until the 25th.
I’m confident on blacks and mostly enjoy getting off the groomers. Having grown up skiing in the US, this has been done inbounds and I therefore have no avi training or equipment. I’d obviously like to not end up dead. My father is content to spend the daily (slowly) skiing intermediate groomers. My girlfriend is a Nordic skier who will at most spend half a day on the bunny slope. Otherwise she’ll be on skinny skis for the week (as will I for a day or two).
So where will I find the best next to piste skiing? Sportgastein if the weather is nice? Graukögl for steeps? The Dorfgastein area shows a few ski routes on the piste map. Are these any good? For my father, it looks like the main area is perfect for what he likes. There also seem to be nordic trails all over the valley. Are any more recommendable than the others? Sportgastein obviously has the altitude. The Kötschachtal trail looks awfully nice as well.
How about apres recommendations. What is there on piste or at the base? Otherwise the Silver Bullet looks like the main place, right? Where is the best food on mountain for lunch? In town restaurant recommendations? My girlfriend and I are staying in a flat on Paracelsusstr. Not very far from the train station. My father will be at the Salzburger Hof, again not far from the station. We’ll cook most nights, but a night or two in a restaurant would be nice, too.
Will shops be closed on Sunday, several days over Christmas and early on Saturday? Or do they stay open so us tourists are actually able to buy groceries?
Is there anywhere I can get wireless internet access (free is always best, but … ).
What about Christmas Eve? Does anything special happen in town? If we wanted to eat out that night, I’m guessing that reservations would need to be made well in advance. Any ideas on what would be nice?
And if anyone has any other useful tips to pass along, I’d appreciate it. Now we just need it to actually snow.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Went there on my first ski holiday c.1990, and we spent most of our time skiing around Sportgastein. Uncrowded slopes at Sportgastein but can't really remember too much else about the skiing - sorry. Quite a grand town with casinos etc, so not pretty village, but not ugly. Fantastic outdoor swimming/spa complex, which I think has been upgraded since I was there. I would be highly surprised if you could not get wifi. Would imagine like most Austrian resorts that they will have a fantastic firework display or torchlit procession.
A lot of the hotels are 'cure hotels', where most of the guests are there for health reasons - healthy food, spas etc.
Sorry I can't be more specific
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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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Crikey ... these are some question. Let's see how I do. 
Sportgastein is great for piste skiing - nice wide, rolling and normally great conditions. Like you say, when the weather's bad in the town, it's normally shut but I spent quite a few days there last year in brilliant sunshine! Graukogel is nice and steep with some good blacks. Nice hut at the top too. I've only ever skiied at Dorfgastein once so I don't know much about the place i'm afraid. The Stubnerkogel - Angertal - Schlossalm ski area is also great and load of varying terrain. A must if the 12km H1/H2 run off Hohe Scharte above Hofgastein - it's superb skiing.
As for off piste, there are loads of routes which aren't marked on the map, especially at Sport Gastein and around the back of Stubnerkogel. When you get there, you'll see the tracks where others have gone. One of the best runs is off the top of Sportgastein heading down towards the Heilstollen. I can give you some more details if you want.
Nordic skiing - Sportgastein again! My wife did loads fo nordic skiing there last year and she really enjoyed it. Other than the one in Kötschachtal, the others were closed when we were there - not enough snow.
Apres - Silver Bullet is the usual hang out but there other places too. They're within about 2 mins walk of the bullet so you'll soon find them. Apres on the piste; the Bellevue Alm on the the home run is prety good as is the Bergstadl and Ahornhutte. I've only ever been there during the day and not normally at the end for the party. Above Hofgastein - go to the Aeroplanstadl or Pyrkerhohe but most are pretty good. You can always bus back to Bad Gastein once you've had a few. 
There are loads of really good restuarants really, far too many to mention. Personal favourites are Bergstadl, Weitmosser, Hirchenhutte, Haitzingalm (quite small) & Stubneralm.
Shops are closed on a Sunday, including the Eurospar supermarket near where your staying.
Free Wifi - 24 hours at the Bad Gastein tourist office.
Christmas Eve .. i'm not sure if anything special happens but i'd expect there will be a firework display. Last year some friends of mine went for New Year and the firework display was AMAZING! I would book the Jagerhausl in the centre of town for food. You normally need to book for the weekend so i'd give them a call asap.
Ami, if you send me your e-mail, I will send you the guide we send to our guests which has loads of other info about the town etc like phone numbers for the restaurants.
Hope you have a great time!!!
Cheers
Kersh
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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From what I can remember...you can track pretty well straight under the top lift at Sportstein until you get to the Avi barriers, you are never too far from home..and you can do the trees all the way down to the bottom station as they are quite widely spaced..for the most part. The upper slopes are quite barren and they are subject to wind-blown.
The other area we spent time on was off the back of Hohe Scharte and into Klien Scharte.. My map is showing a run but if they have pisted it, it will be crimnal..alternatively follow the liftdown the face by heading left..and keeping the lift in sight
...you may have to ski the line under the chair at the bottom but this is all usual stuff you can scope from the lifts. Not so sure about skiing it alone though... as you can be quite a way from passing traffic
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the tips, everyone.
Markus, thanks for that report. It looks great. I obviously wouldn't attempt anything like that on my own. I'm considering a guide, but its just so uneconomical as a single. Another question. I read Alpinforum from time to time, why is it that everyone on there is so obsessed with ski lifts and ski lift mechanics. I get the feeling that the skiing is actually secondary for a lot of these people.
JT, thanks for that advice. I'll certainly check those out on the map.
Kersh, email coming shortly. Really helpful info there.
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FAQ
Criminal ... maybe. A recommended run ... definitely! 