 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Thanks to some very kind in-laws we are off to Zell am See the first week of March 2014. I have been checking out some of the resort reviews on here and noted a recurring theme of long queues during holiday times. We did think we were avoiding school holidays but I note that this week corresponds to the dates for the Fasching carnival 2014.
I guess that the resort will get inundated with holidaying masses from Salzberg and Munich. Am I right? What is the reality with the queues? We are staying in a chalet in Schuttdorf and, since the kids will be in ski school, likely to concentrate on the Areitbahn gondola for the first few days - slap bang in the middle of the festivities.
I assume that if you are early enough you can avoid the queues but if we have to sort the kids out with the ski school between 9:30-10 will that mean we then hit the gondola too late?
Will we be OK or should we look at different dates?
Thanks in advance.
PB
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pigbite, I havent seen a list of the Euro school hols for 2014 yet but as long as its definitely outwith them then the Monday and Tuesday apart it shouldn't be any worse than any other week from early Feb onwards. The Areitbahn itself is a particular problem and there is another recent thread that highlights the problems at Fasching this year if you do a search.
If the kids are complete beginners they may well spend the first few days at resort level in Schuttdorf as the learner slopes are at the bottom of the gondola, depends if you are happy to leave them there?
If you can go in mid to late January, very quiet and great snow!
If not, look at accommodation in Zell itself or up the Schmittental valley where you have a choice of two cable cars and a fast gondola, all within 100 m of each other.
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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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pigbite, was there this year at Fasching. Queues were horrendous and would put us off returning during peak season. Some really nice skiing up in Schmittenhohe, The Areitbahn was a complete nightmare when we were there - massive queues at bottom, then having to offload at 1st station and rejoin another massive queue at second stage (although I believe that this may be due to technical difficulties at the time).
If I were you I'd look for different dates if possible.
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Thanks for the replies. We are outside of school holidays so that's not a problem.
I saw this http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2235051&highlight=zell#2235051 thread which mentioned the Areitbahn queues but it looks to me that it is only an issue during school hols and Fasching. Is this gondala a problem throughout the season?
We will have 5 kids in school. Our three have just done their third holiday and all skied reds and blacks, although what they really need is some good quality tuition and exercises on blues and less technical reds to hone their skills. They can all parallel turn to a fashion but position, over rotation and carving are all issues which need addressing. The other two have had a week on skis - the oldest is a natural and will progress well, the youngest would be best on blues at the mo but has oodles of confidence. So... they are not absolute beginners and would need to go up the hill.
I don't think changing accommodation is an option so if we have to be there during Fasching how early do you need to be to avoid the queues?
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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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pigbite, as you read in the other thread the Areitbahn has had mechanical problems. Schmittenhoehbahn AG is not cash strapped by any means so I'm sure the work to fix it will be done in the closed seasons before next winter (the first stage runs in the summer for walkers)
The problem lies in the proportion of skiers who access via that lift for geographical and parking reasons - it simply struggles to cope with the sheer volumes at the busy times. TBH its like any other resort with all it's skiing above the town and therefore a big uplift requirement, as long as your up well before or after the ski school start times at roughly 9.30 -10 am it shouldn't be too bad. On Rosenmontag and Fasching (Monday and Tuesday) the vast car park at the Areitbahn will be packed with day trippers and I would get up there early doors (8.30) and then come down earlier and enjoy the big party in Zell town centre on the Tuesday.
boabski would have seen the very worst of it this year due to the breakdowns and as Fasching fell during the main school hols.
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Queues at the Areitbahn are often bad at peak periods, e.g. Fasching. You always have to get off at the first station, meaning queuing twice; you can then travel through to the top on the Areitbahn II and III. Once the crowds spread outover the hill the queues aren't so bad. However, Fasching is always going to be busy.
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Thanks again for the replies. I will let our party organiser know and take it from there.
Regardless, looking at the resort reviews it looks like we are in for some great family skiing once we are up the hill!
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