 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, hoping to sort out a ski trip for the New Years week this winter with some mates. We were thinking about staying in this hostel in Kirchberg. Just wanted to know what the skiing is like and what conditions we should expect, any runs you reccomend, and what the nightlife is like in the area (we will be 16/17). Nightlife doesn't have to be amazing, as long as there are a few bars ,and people of a similar age then we will be happy. Also are there many pistes that run through trees?
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There are plenty of reviews of the area on here.
Kitzbuhel is livelier than Kirchberg, although there are plenty of bars in Kirchberg. There's a hostel in Kitzbuhel too, BTW, and I'd recommend Kitzbuhel over Kirchberg, although Kirchberg is fine. Kitzbuhel area is priceyish for Austria, but cheap compared to eg big French resorts. You can get a pass which covers Skiwelt as well as Kitzbuhel area, worth thinking about as you'll be close to the Westendorf link (it's not skiable, quite, requires a bus, but from Kirchberg it's closer).
The skiing is good fun, pretty, mostly low, loads of bars and restaurants on the hill. More pistes go through trees than not; the only area which is consistently above the tree line is up at Pass Thurn, which has good snow but is a bit dull. Nothing on piste to tax a reasonable intermediate, but it's very enjoyable. It has no reputation for off piste SFAIK, but I'm told it's quite good and doesn't get used up as quickly as in some places. Bichlalm, next to the Kitzbuheler Horn (which is the 2nd ski area, much smaller than the main area) is a good place for off piste, I believe. Snow should be good at NY, I'd guess, and you should be able to ski to the bottom OK.
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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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Kirchberg would be fine (you might even see Lindsey Vonn, who has a house there  ). The skiing in the Kitzbühel area (that is, from Kirchberg too) is extensive and mostly not extreme. There are a few more challenging runs around, though. There are plenty of pistes below the tree level (but not much skiing through the trees). The Bichlalm that richmond mentions (and the Kitzbüheler Horn too) would be rather awkward to reach from Kirchberg, involving a relatively long bus ride, through Kitzbühel (transport on the Bichlalm in recent years has just been with a piste machine, I believe, and with a guide, book in advance: see -in German- Bichlalm skiing; there has been talk of a new lift but I'm not sure it will be built before next season).
One slight problem with Kirchberg for next season is that the Maierl II lift is, as we say here, kaputt, i.e. out of action. That means that you can't use the 3 Maierl lifts to get up onto the hill. The alternatives, depending on where you are based in Kirchberg, would be to take the Maierl I and then ski down to the Fleckalmbahn gondola (or go by bus directly to the Fleckalmbahn) or to take the bus up the Spertental towards Aschau, to go onto the slopes via the Pengelstein I gondola (brings you out, after the Pengelstein II lift, right by the 3S gondola, which can take you over to the Jochberg - Pass Thurn area). Both alternatives are quite practical.
Going on the bus up the Spertental you can also reach the Ki-West gondola, which links in the whole Skiwelt region, from Westendorf via Brixen (which you could also reach directly by bus) to Hopfgarten/Söll/Scheffau/Ellmau. To do this you need the more expensive Kitzbüheler Alpen AllStar ski pass (see AllStarCard) - seems to be about 20% more expensive than the pass for the Kittzbühel/Kirchberg area alone. Kirchberg would be a better base than Kitzbühel, if you were thinking of skiing both areas (i.e. Kitzbühel/Kirchberg and Skiwelt).
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 20-07-09 0:00; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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espri, I'd forgotten about Maierl II. It was bust in March when I was there; I'd have expected it to be fixed by next season; is there a reason why it won't be (such as a new lift going in)?
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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: |
| espri, I'd forgotten about Maierl II. It was bust in March when I was there; I'd have expected it to be fixed by next season; is there a reason why it won't be (such as a new lift going in)? |
I'm not quite sure what is happening with the Maierl lifts. According to this report (in German) they will be replaced but it isn't clear when (but not for 2010). The costs are obviously the deciding factor; it isn't worth repairing the old lift. I have also heard rumours about a replacement for the Fleckalmbahn but now I am not sure what is happening there either, or when it will happen (I hope they keep the flags on the Fleckalm cabins though - I like trying to recognise them  ).
There is more discussion about Kitzbühel developments, also in German, at alpinforum.com.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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thanks for your posts so far, any bars or clubs to recommend for a bunch of 16 year olds??
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| ollyollyolly wrote: |
| thanks for your posts so far, any bars or clubs to recommend for a bunch of 16 year olds?? |
I think you'll enjoy a place called club elharem then.
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Can't help you with the bars, for I only visit from home.
One further thought about skiing Kitzbühel/Kirchberg and Skiwelt: you could probably work out a better deal on the lift passes by skiing, e.g., the first days in the Kitzbühel area and then the last days in Skiwelt (or vice versa), buying tickets for the specific area each time rather than using the AllStarCard covering both. For example (for an adult), the AllStarCard for 5 days costs €183, as compared to, say, 3 days Kitzbühel/Kirchberg €97 + 2 days Skiwelt €72, i.e. saves €14. You would have to do the sums depending on how much time you have.
Lift pass prices 2009/2010:
Kitzbühel/Kirchberg
Skiwelt
AllStarCard
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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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any more club suggestios?? And thanks espri for your help.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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cool stuff, cheers corky
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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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In kitz itself there are a number of bars, but the londoner was the only one I was sober for long enough to remember the name of. There definitely seemed to be a 'if it's 12pm be in bar x, if it's 2 am be in bar y' thing going on, so if you walk into a bar and it's empty then it might just be that the action is elsewhere..
We stayed at snowbunny's hostel which was definitely at the cheap end of the scale but did the job and a short walk into town, but a good 5-10 minute walk to the main gondola.
If you stay in Kitz' and have boarders make sure you go up to the 'horn' side of the mountain cos' it's much better for boarders..
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Stayed in Kirchberg 3 years ago, its a good place for access to the Kitz & Skiwelt areas.
We found Westendorf a little tricky to navigate, if you want to get into the Skiwelt proper you could catch a bus to Brixen & explore from there.
Pengelstein would be the best way into the Kitz area as the Fleckalmbahn gets pretty busy.
Kirchberg seemed to be dominated by the Dutch, no bad thing!
There is/was an umbrella bar near the centre of town that was busy early evening, The London Pub is a pi5s poor imitation of Kitz's Londoner. But hey whats a truck load of broken glass on the floor & shoddy fake tartan wallpaper & worn out floor boards & Red Bull type stuff that isn't Red Bull & the cheesiest cheesy alpen pop matter when you're having fun. The Eisbar is ok as is Boomerang at the top of the hill near the church. On the way to Boomerang is the Zuhausl bar, a tiny little place full of locals. You'll probably get challenged to a game of nails & when you lose you buy the beers.
But Kitz is so close you may want to go there. Taxi's are about 15 euro's but I reckon the locals paid 12. The taxi rank is opposite... ahem... a rather interesting club
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You know it makes sense.
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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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My understanding is that the new Bichlalm gondola will indeed be built this year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I went to Kitzbuhel in March 2008 and I've never heard of Bichlalm. Is it on the same lift pass?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The Bichlalm is on the Kitzbühel pass. It is an area on the Kitzbüheler Horn side of the valley, up a side road between Kitzbühel and Jochberg. I've never skied there, largely I suppose because there wasn't any lift available in recent years (there was the system mentioned earlier using a piste machine for transport).
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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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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| I went to Kitzbuhel in March 2008 and I've never heard of Bichlalm. Is it on the same lift pass? |
Travelling by road from Kitzbuhel toward Pass Thurn, take a left turn at Badhaussiedlung and drive up hill.
At the next large village you come to there is a carpark on the left and a ski lift - an antiquated single chairlift.
Search Google Maps (satellite view) for the Sport Vitalhotel Bichlhof and you will see the grey carpark nearby.
Yes it used to be on your lift pass but the lifts are now out of use.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ah! I can see it on the piste map now. No pistes there and it says 'Tourengebiet' so I gather it's for the hardcore off-piste crowd.
To be honest, I just stayed on the Hahnenkamm side because that's where the ski lockers were. I didn't go over to the Horn side because it was a long walk and described as a snowboard area.
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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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| queen bodecia wrote: |
Ah! I can see it on the piste map now. No pistes there and it says 'Tourengebiet' so I gather it's for the hardcore off-piste crowd.
To be honest, I just stayed on the Hahnenkamm side because that's where the ski lockers were. I didn't go over to the Horn side because it was a long walk and described as a snowboard area. |
It has been well over 2 decades since I skied in Kitzbuhel but my memory is that the skiing on the piste at Bichlalm was nothing difficult.
But I do remember a bit of climbing at the top of Bichlalm to access vast off piste and group of us trying to keep up with the red devil Toni Hofer. He had only one speed when we returned to the piste turbocharged with full afterburner.
Enjoy your time in Kitzbuhel to the max. Age and arthritis can reduce your sking to dreams whilst you sleep.
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The pistes are relatively easy. So you go off the piste.
I mean like, very few places can you ski a massive 30+ dg bowl with 2 ft of freshies/very few tracks the 2nd day after a storm during Half term week (Sternbergkogel terrain), with some 40+ dg chutes in places. And there's Barenbadkogel off piste terrain, 40+ dg tree lined and gladed chutes that drop down into oblivion that don't get tracked out to that 2nd day either.
I've only traveled to Kitzbuhel and Espace Killy in Europe, and I think that Kitzbuhel had better close-to-the-piste off piste terrain (more accessible) without going out of your mind. Of course, you could take a long ridge or a long run out or a short hike to some really amazing terrain at Val D'Isere, but I liked Kitzbuhel's off piste more since I didn't have a guide. Then again, I got the conditions of a life time there (2 ft the night before, followed by 1-2 ft on the 2nd day and 2 ft on the night before the 4th day in the 5 days I was there).
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FAQ
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