 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
My girlfriend and I are thinking of boking a week in Kitzbuhel for the week of the 4th of april. Having read the two entries in the alphabetised resort section, one was great one said the skiing was dull. What's the general opinion out there? Our fave resort in terms of skiing so far is Serre Chevalier just to give you an idea, we love resorts that haven't been too groomed, not all wide uniform slopes. I was under the impression that Kitz was pretty good. Can you all enlighten me please. Thank you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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MJS, we were there in January. Pistes were well groomed throughout whole week and there are plenty wide open ones too. I didn't find it challenging. Suited me because I am a lazy, on-piste kind of guy. Went to Serre Chevalier years ago and have fond memories of skiing through trees. Not much of that at Kitz either from what I saw. Hannenkahm was closed when we were there for the race the following week. I wouldn't describe any skiing as "dull" but none of the runs stick out in my mind......
Hope this helps.
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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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MJS, is that a bit late for Kitzbuhel - quite a few of the slopes are pretty low?
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Pretty much as Lorenzo says; nothing too challenging in the way of pistes. There is a 35deg slope (Diretissima IIRC), but that's easy enough unless it's icy. Much, but not all by any means, is below the treeline, often very pretty, and lots of piste side pubs. The Hahnenkamm is easy (dull, really), except for the 'itinerary' parts which are a bit nasty but easily avoided.
April is late for Kitzbuhel.
I'm off there this evening, BTW, for a sneaky long weekend.Z
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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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Most slopes are well groomed in Kitz except for a couple of blacks and the designated ski 'routes', i.e. not pistes of which the Hahnenkamm race route is one...
The worst black is Diretissima as mentioned above. I didn't like that one at all but the others were fine. There's plenty of variety and all the runs from the top of the Hahnenkamm bubble lift upwards tend to have reasonable snow. When I went last season there was no snow at resort level and only patchy artificial snow on the lower runs...
April might be pushing it for the lower slopes although Kitz has had a great season this far, but the upper slopes should keep you occupied...
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Even in April you can ski in Kitzbühel. I certainly plan to do so. However, you might not be able to ski down into the valley. Depending on the weather, you may have spring snow but there have quite often been snowfalls around that time in the past few years.
The pistes are much as others have described and are well prepared. There aren't many off-piste couloirs of the sort you might find in some resorts but you can find more challenging skiing if you look for it and the conditions are right, e.g. directly under the Steinbergkogel or Zweitausender lifts. There is always plenty unprepared snow beside the Hochsaukaser piste.
I enjoy the skiing there but am not often looking for extreme slopes.
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I've just spent very pleasant day on the slopes in Kitzbuhel. Lovely weather, good snow, bit soft in the afternoon, but thyat's Kitzbuhel. Unusually, the pistes are not bashed to within an inch of their lives, most unusual (although I saw a best driving up a busyish piste at 3.15pm), plenty of bumps, mostly smallish but the bottom of Diretissima has some fairly frisky specimens (I had my uphill ski at approx ear level and my other waving about in fresh air at one poinr, but that's because I'm cr@p).
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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 had my uphill ski at approx ear level and my other waving about in fresh air at one poinr, but that's because I'm cr@p
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I do that quite frequently. I'm cr@p too. 
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Normal service resumed; everything I've skied this a.m. smooth as a baby's bum, including Diretissima. Perhaps they let it get bumpy for the locals on Sat and flatten it for the Englader pig dogs on Sun, although I haven't noticed that before.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Surely smooth groomed pistes is a good thing...?
Most people can't cope with moguls and leave all that stuff to the off-piste brigade...
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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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I like a bit of both. I certainly don't want every run wall to wall moguls, but smooth motorways bore me after a while (I'm not a brilliant skier or an adrenalin junky, BTW, I ski very conservatively and rarely venture off piste). I'm enjoying myself today, although there's a bit of cloud coming up, which is a bit much, but I'd like a few more bumps. Off to see if Hochsaukaser will provide them.
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Skied Kitzbuhel during half term.
Steinbergkogel definitely has some steep off piste couloirs (mid 40+ degrees) and sections which were great. Barenbodkogel has some steep off piste gladed skiing (40+ degrees) to the right of the lift. Zweitsaunder has some huge off piste bowls, but are not very steep (30-35 degrees). The couloir at the very top of the Hahnenkamm Bahn liftline is gnarly as hell and is barely skied: 50+ degree straightline to either the woods or back under the lift, with many different entries into the couloir (5-10 foot leap into 50+ degrees straightline to the couloir, which also must be straightlined-- I did see tracks!), straight under the lift which is 45-50 degrees, leaping off some rocks for good hucking (height depending on location of jump).
Concluding, there is definitely some challenge.
As far as pistes go, they are not too challenging. There are no real easy slopes, with lots of uphill/flat/low angle, but some good steepish skiing can be found. Upper Diressitima is 75% above the tree line and is mostly on the mid 20 degrees, but can be steeper. The lower part is amazing, and has a 70% grade sign at the top (35 degrees) and is pretty consistently steep. IMO, it was probably 30-32 degrees at its steepest, as 35 degrees was an exaggeration I felt. And when a meter fell and they didn't groom Diressitima and I was about the 10th person on it, you just can't get better. Face shots every turn.
But is there going to snow on the mountain on the 4th of April? I mean like, Kitzbuhel is generally pretty low elevation.
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You know it makes sense.
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| skiking4 wrote: |
| But is there going to snow on the mountain on the 4th of April? I mean like, Kitzbuhel is generally pretty low elevation. |
Yes 
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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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| espri wrote: |
| skiking4 wrote: |
| But is there going to snow on the mountain on the 4th of April? I mean like, Kitzbuhel is generally pretty low elevation. |
Yes |
Probably no snow in the village then?
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Poster: A snowHead
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No, probably no snow in the village (though it sometimes snows in April too). However, I've always found I can ski around Kitzbühel at that time, though sometimes I take the gondola back down to the valley.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kitz usually gets snow late in the season, so I don't think there will be a problem. You might not be able to ski down to the town though.
I'm glad to see skiking4, report that there IS some challenging skiing in Kitz. I've been saying that for years, but for some reason it has the reputation of being a beginners resort.
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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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| Steilhang wrote: |
Kitz usually gets snow late in the season, so I don't think there will be a problem. You might not be able to ski down to the town though.
I'm glad to see skiking4, report that there IS some challenging skiing in Kitz. I've been saying that for years, but for some reason it has the reputation of being a beginners resort. |
That's because I'm guessing 80% of the people here never ski off piste and out of the 20% off piste skiers, none have been to Kitzbuhel.
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My comments are about the pistes only; I've heard that the off piste is reasonable, but I hvae no experience of it. There is, or was, a cat running up Bichalm to access some off piste, but there is confusion (among those I've spoken to) about if, when and under what circs it's running.
It was a bit wet and murky up there today, if you care.
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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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The possibilities on the Bichlalm are described on the Kitzbühel lift company's web site but only in the German version: http://www.bergbahn-kitzbuehel.at/de/bichlalm-200809.html. It seems that the cat transport is still available when you have a qualified guide (you can also climb up on skis, via the South Piste). Contact for cat via Alpin Experts: Tel. 0043 664 8502703 (that's a mobile number).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for all the help so far. An option of going to Le Corbier has come up. It's higher and ski straight back to resort, snow looks pretty good too. Apparantley off piste is pretty good and a pretty big area. Any opinions? (there musr be some if you loy read this as much as I do)!
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MJS,
Never been to either and wouldn't offer an opinion between the two but I would not compare two resorts as far apart as Le Corbier and Kitzbuhel just on height. Resorts as far west as Le Corbier may well be significantly warmer at comparable altitudes then Kitz which is a fair bit further North and East . At this time of the year the direction the slopes face is almost as significant factor as altitude.
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good points, my head is completely fried from trawlling the web for hols and trying to work out the best deal!
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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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Never been to Le Corbier, but the daughter has and found it a bit dull. I guess that for scenery and piste side pubs, Kitzbuhel will win, and I'm sure that K is a prettier town, assuming that your idea of pretty is typical Austrian. From what the daughter said about the skiing, I'd go for Kitzbuhel, but it's a poorly informed guess. You can ski back to resort in K, akthough probably not when you're going, or take the gondola down into the town (my preferred option anyway rather than a rather tedious, busy road which is rarely in great nick lower down).
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I'm heading to Val D'Isere for easters. Great late season skiing supposedly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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richmond, glad to hear you had a good time over the weekend! Are you still there or back now?
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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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Wouldn't go to Kitz in April. All the south facing stuff will probably be bare and the lower runs either closed or in poor condition. There's quite a bit of skiing up the hill but generally there are far better Austrian resorts to visit in April... Obergurgl, Obertauern. Solden, St Anton, Ischgl, Lech, Zurs.... etc etc
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cathy, I'm back. I arrived Friday evening, skied in brilliant sunshine on good snow Sat and Sun, in poor vis and falling snow on Mon morning, then train and plane 'home. Annoyingly, the Maierl II chair (the middle of the 3 up from Kirchberg up to the top of the Fleckalmbahn) ist kaput, and they don't seem to have thought of the 'fixing it' option. I found this out as I breezed up to it having done an excellent run down 43, and I had to ski all the way down to the bottom of the Fleckalmbahn; the snow was OK, but I didn't happen to want to do that. It would have been handy on Mon morn as well, as vis was better lower down but it was raining at the bottom. Still, an excellent weekend.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm going to be teaching in Kitzbuhel 4-11 April. Don't know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by this thread 
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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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richmond, good weekend! Yup, we found that out about the Maierl II lift the hard way - ended up at the Fleckalmbahn at about 10.45 on Sunday morning....now, that was a long queue! But as it was the first time we'd actually been able to ski down to the valleys, all a good experience!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| richmond wrote: |
| Annoyingly, the Maierl II chair (the middle of the 3 up from Kirchberg up to the top of the Fleckalmbahn) ist kaput, and they don't seem to have thought of the 'fixing it' option. |
The trouble is with the foundations of one of the pylons, I believe, and seemingly it cannot be repaired until the summer (not sure exactly why, maybe frozen ground or something like that?). Originally I had suspected that they weren't making the repair because the Maierl chain is scheduled to be superseded by the replacement for the Fleckalmbahn. However, I don't think that is coming this year, so I think the Maierl lifts will survive another season.
P.S. Be encouraged, ccl 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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espri, thanks for that. ccl, I'm sure you'll have a good time. It's a pleasant place, and if the skiing isn't brilliant when you're there, I'm sure that there'll be some good stuff. How come you're only teaching for a week (not that it's any of my business)?
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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 remember the Maierl II lift from last season. A rickety old thing and definitely due replacement. However it did have a mini magic carpet when you get on it. Weird...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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queen bodecia, quite a few old non detachables in Kitzbuhel and elsewhere have been made more back of the leg friendly by having a magic carpet added to reduce the relative speed of the chair and the botl.
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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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| richmond wrote: |
| How come you're only teaching for a week (not that it's any of my business)? |
It's just a hobby so I just do the odd week in a season.
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