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Scheffau or Niederau?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Looking at a budget trip on 2nd Jan for week's skiing with wife and kids. Have been offered some really good deals at catered chalet type places in Scheffau and Niederau. Having looked at the ski terrain, Scheffau looks the better of the two.
My kids will be 6 9 and 12 when we go and the older two will ski with us. The youngest one has had two weeks of ski school and will probably need another one to be honest.
Ideally wanted to go to Saalbach/Hinterglemm but the deals to Scheffau and Niederaa are so good that I can't ignore them.
Anyone been to both and could comment on the skiing? Not overly fussed about the accommodation as I'm not really expecting too much. Embarassed
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
boabski, Scheffau will almost certainly involve you in getting on the ski bus to get to the lift. Once at the lift, it is a great area but schlepping everyone and all their gear on the bus each way will get a bit wearing. In my view that's the only drawback. Better skiing than Neiderau, more extensive, better lifts.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
boabski, which hotel is it in Scheffau? There's a couple down by the lifts...
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we had this last year I think... In good conditions it is apparently possible to ski down from Scheffau village to the main road and thence a short walk the gondola which dumps you right at the heart of the Ski Welt.

Scheffau is a great resort... and the Ski Welt skiing is fantastic, great for everyone bar real experts
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
boabski, I agree with the others. For anybody but complete beginners, Scheffau has far more skiing available. You have 280Km of Ski Welt, whereas Neiderau has 20Km locally, 70km overall in the Wildschonau, but needs a (free) bus to reach the other areas.

Neiderau is pretty, and friendly, and here are a lot of people who keep going back there - but I think most of the people who go back regularly are making it one of several trips in a year.
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Agree with everyone else wink

I haven't skied Niederau, but from what I've heard it makes a great first time (and possibly second time) trip, but should probably be avoided apart from that. Apart from the annoyance of the bus (and you get that in quite a few resorts), Scheffau is good - just don't be afraid to get the gondola down and don't whatever you do take the red skiroute down to the bottom (if it still exists - no. 61?).
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ChrisWo wrote:
Scheffau is good - just don't be afraid to get the gondola down and don't whatever you do take the red skiroute down to the bottom (if it still exists - no. 61?).


There are two red ski routes down - one from the bottom of lift 77, and a shorter one from the bottom of lift 88 (access from the Hartkaiser area, rather than the Brandstadl, even though it ends up at the bottom of the main red piste (which is 61).

I didn't notice a number on the one I did a couple of times in March, which was the one from lift 88, but if it was numbered, it would have been 61a or similar, because the runs are numbered for the lift they finish at, with a b c etc for the 2nd or more going to the same place.

What was it you didn't like about whichever one you mean?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

What was it you didn't like about whichever one you mean?


Fair point...looking at the current piste map, I think the one I mean was indeed the route running from the bottom of lift 88 (in Hartkaiser area) to the bottom of the Brandstadl. I skied it several times over the course of a season, and never once found it in decent condition (even after fresh snowfall). It was always very icy, particularly at its narrowest, and usually had quite patchy cover. In fact, I think it's still the only time I've seen a ski instructor in uniform stack it and lose skis snowHead

Admittedly that was during a season where the snow wasn't the best (not as good as last year, anyway!), but unless they've widened/cleared it I'd still be wary about going down it unless I fancied a serious challenge Madeye-Smiley
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ChrisWo wrote:
Quote:

What was it you didn't like about whichever one you mean?


Fair point...looking at the current piste map, I think the one I mean was indeed the route running from the bottom of lift 88 (in Hartkaiser area) to the bottom of the Brandstadl. I skied it several times over the course of a season, and never once found it in decent condition (even after fresh snowfall). It was always very icy, particularly at its narrowest, and usually had quite patchy cover. In fact, I think it's still the only time I've seen a ski instructor in uniform stack it and lose skis snowHead

Admittedly that was during a season where the snow wasn't the best (not as good as last year, anyway!), but unless they've widened/cleared it I'd still be wary about going down it unless I fancied a serious challenge Madeye-Smiley


There was plenty of snow on it this year Smile

I went down it once with the Neilson rep, and then on the final day of the trip by myself - when I had the biggest fall of the week as I came out fast from the trees into bright sunshine and soft snow (last week of March, about 3PM).

There is one section of it which is quite narrow and moderately steep, but even that bit had more than enough snow this year.
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Thanks folks - that's probably what I was thinking. Chalet Heidi is the place that we've been offered a good deal onMichelle, Looks like it's a British couple that run it
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
boabski we went to Niederau in February this year and was totally underwhelmed with it. went with kids 13. 9 and 8 and althogh the snow was good at the time, I was not that impresssed. the skiing is extremly limited. at the time we went was school hols so the gondola queue was half an hour wait and by the time we got up top, we had time to do a couple of runs before we had to pick the kids up from ski school.

I know people have mentioned how good the ski school is in Niederau but to be honest I was not that impressed. A few times I passed my kids who were sitting at the top of the lift throwing snow with other children and other children were pushing them and generally messing on, with no adult supervision as the adult was at the bottom of the lift waiting for the stragglers. they also were put in the gondola on their own with no adult and my oldest said one boy was jumpuing up and down inthe gondola and trying to shake it and my boys were petrified. the tuition was good, but the supervision and general safety and well being seemed to let them down.

we didnt bother getting the ski bus as i didnt fancy having to lug myself hubby and 3 kids ona ski bus whilst trying to hold their hand and make sure they dont wander off. It depends what you are looking for. If you want to stay in a small resort and have limited skiing (depending on your ability) then Niederau would be the place. otherwise I would pay a liitle bit extra and go somewhere that has a decent amount of runs.

I have been to ski welt (soll) many moons ago twice and remember it fondly with great and varied runs being able to ski all over the place. (althouh make sure you know what times the lift turns off otherwise you could find yourself stuck in a valley) lol The only pain was that it was a bus ride away, and when you have kids, you know you end up having to carry their skis (because you know they are just going to poke someones eyes out Lol) whilst making sure they are ok.
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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.
well I think that kids should be able to carry their own skis by the time they're 8. And I wouldn't let them have sticks until they could carry the lot! If they were really tired I would occasionally carry their skis, if they took my sticks, but only when they were little.

However, I agree that having to get a bus is a pain, with or without kids. Especially if they're crowded and you have to stand. And as for a half hour wait for a gondola. Twisted Evil
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Hi all - just joined the forum and thought I would share my experience of Scheffau and offer a few handy links.

1. Chalet Heidi - www.skihaus.co.uk - an English couple who are passionate about skiing and offer a fantastic venue with superb home cooking and attention to detail.

2. www.tanzbodenalm.at - located half way down on the left of blue 64 - to ensure you get a table arrive before 12:30 - it's a busy venue.

3. http://www.skiwelt.at/en/../asp_service/upload/content/Preseason08_09(1).wmv - this is the new lift / valley run over in westendorf and a fantastic area to ski.

4. http://www.knoblechner.com/ Theodor offers a great transfer service from Salzburg to Scheffau – ideal if you have a party of 8 people sharing a minibus. He also speaks very good English!

With regards to the home run down to Scheffau I have found that the best time to do this is either first thing in the morning or no later than 4pm otherwise it's just like the M1 with people falling all over the place (usually people who don't have lessons) also In March the red run down from the Brandstadl down to Mittel Station was re-graded to black mmm that was fun!

I will try and publish video footage from earlier in the year ASAP, with regard to ski busses / distance to the lifts, ok so for children this maybe an issue but it only takes a few minutes to walk down to the ski bus or indeed another couple of minutes to ski down to the lift - personally I can't see the problem - and it's a good warm up ! Taxi Gatt (the local taxi firm) offer a great service from the lift back to the chalet for I think 6 Euros - ideal after a long day's skiing Smile
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
boabski, we went to Scheffau in March this year and skied down to the Gondolas from the top of the village and caught the bus back up at the end of the day. The bus ran every 10 minutes and was never jam packed that it was a scrap to get on it, so it would be fine with children. We stayed in the Hotel Alpin - great hotel and very close to the ski run to the lift and the bus stop, so you won't have to carry the kids skis too far! The bus does stop between 12 and 2pm though.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Hayls, Hotel Alpin was one of the options I was looking at as it had a pool and I was offered a really good deal on it.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
boabski, It was good value. There was a good breakfast and evening buffet and apres ski snacks. Plus you had the option of eating in the pizzeria on one night as part of the half board package. Drinks are also included with dinner. The pool was nice, plus they had a games room.
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