 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there. We are usually very clear about where we are going and when, but this time I'm struggling, and some feedback if you have been to both of these areas would really help! I've eliminated other Austrian resorts we've revisited; as we want somewhere new.
We are lucky in that we can go last minute, away from the busy times, (if we don't get a cheap deal the whole thing might be off anyway!  ). Snow conditions may determine a clear winner nearer the time but would still appreciate your opinions if you have been to both so can compare them. Thanks in anticipation, and have a great season.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sharon1953,
Only skied down to Ellmau and didn't stay there, but I'd check how far the lifts were from the main High St hotels, It can be a decent walk with skis or a bus if the same as Soll. Mayrhofen has the Penken from the High St but the alternative gondola is a brisk walk from town.
Skiwise, the skiwelt tops out at 2000m giving 1000 mtrs vertical if you ski down to the valley floor at around 1000m.
The village of Mayrhofen is around 600m so skiing down isn't the normal anyway... and it certainly a bonus if you can, you still have to bus back to town or stomp it. The skiing at Mayrhofen realistically starts around 1600 to 2300, unless you move further up the valley towards Hintertux, 30 mins away for the Glacier.
Both Valleys are nice and attractive with some skiing through the trees. The skiwelt is one big lift linked-circuit and the Zillaertal valley has a train to access up and down the valley..or a bus, if you want to ski outside or Mayrhofen's immediate skiing.
Look at both to see if you like the idea of downlifting every day..and the Skiwelt wins in that respect ( you should be ablew to ski down ) although if you get the Penken CC in Mayfhofen down, that puts you in the main HIgh St
so less hassle from there to get home, IME..
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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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JT, Hi, thanks. I've read all about the rush hour to and from Mayrhofen runs, but we never aim to be on the slopes in a rush, so we could probably avoid it, but we are wondering about not being able to ski back to the resort, not done that since Zell am See. On the other hand, if snow isn't so good in Skiwelt, resort runs to Ellmau might also be a problem. The uplift from Ellmau is a Funicular.
Our hesitation is the altitude of SkiWelt area, though large, if the links break it could end up lots of small pockets you have to bus to -versus- not being able to ski back to the resort in Mayrhofen and potential overcrowding at the beginning and end of day! Price-wise they are similar too, if one was much cheaper that might have made it easier!
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sharon1953, As a group fun holiday then I could go to either. I can't recall the links being a source of concern with a one option bottleneck getting about the area but I guess there must be. In the event of a failure the lift co would know they have people stranded getting home so would have to plan for it...so that wouldn't be my worry. Snow-wise, you will cover that with a later booking, the hotels in both tend to be fine and typically Austrian
As a group that could meet up in the same area at various time of the , I'd be thinking the Skiwelt would make that easier, if the group skis at different paces..
For nicer and more plentiful rest stops, I'd be thinking Skiwelt again.
The ski back to resort in Mayrhofen is only possible from the Gondola out of town and that is more likely to be in poor cindition that anything on the Skiwelt down to 1000m.
I would expect both to have snowmaking on those runs,
I'd make Skiwelt your favourite and let a few more comments on here from more recent attendees to make the case from a change of mind..
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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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I haven't been to Mayrhofen itself, but have been to Zell am Ziller in the same area, and to Ellmau, these being my last two ski trips.
If snow conditions are generally poor, then the Zillertal wins out, because most of the skiing is high, although even in good conditions you can only rarely ski back to base.
When ski conditions are generally good, the Ski Welt area is completely lift linked, and gives you a huge ski area. The funicular access from Ellmau is good - it runs about every 5-6 minutes, and takes 4 minutes to get you to the top of the Hartkaiser, so is just as quick as most cable cars, and can carry more people, with a lot of them seated.
But most hotels are far enough away to need the ski bus to reach the funicular. The hotel I stayed in (The Blattlhof) was actually outside the main village of Ellmau, but was still covered by the ski bus, and was within walking distance(5-6 mins in ski boots) of the Going lifts (lift 100 on the piste map) - and you can ski down from there to the base of the funicular (do have to walk across the car park).
I would very happily go back to either the Zillertal or the Ski Welt. Overall, I probably slightly preferred the Ski Welt, but the preference is not great enough that I would pay much more for it. And if snow conditions were generally poor I would prefer the Zillertal.
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If you can go outside of busy times then I wouldn't worry about
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rush hour to and from Mayrhofen runs
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The uplift in bottleneck areas is pretty efficient now and if you can avoid busy weeks and avoid Ski School starting times then it shouldn't be a problem.
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JT, No group to worry about, might be another couple but we all at the same level, having said that, hubby and I now use Snowbikes, so we do cover quite a high mileage, it's easier for us to use chair lifts than gondolas/cable cars (we have to collapse them for these) and T bars are a real pain! (similar problems to snowboarders). Ellmau has a hire depot, Mayrhofen doesn’t, but they can be shipped in from the head office for very little extra cost. We are leaning towards SkiWelt just for the convenience of the Bike hire.
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We've never been to Mayrhofen, but we have stayed in Ellmau (and we're going back next Feb). Main uplift is the Hartkaiserbahn funicular which you stand up in, which is right at one end of the village, a bus ride from the centre. Closer to the center (easily walkable) there are a couple of t-bars which you can use to get over to the funicular, but if t-bars are a problem.. We've had ok snow before and its easy to ski back down and down to the other villages, but the area is low, so that could be a problem - they do have a lot of cannon round the lower runs though. Most of the sking does seem to be up on top of the system and you can cover quite a lot of ground without going down to the villages. The runs arent the longest though and some of the fun is skiing down to the other resorts (and some of the best runs) . I think there is a bus that links the resorts, so in theory you could get around to the other villages, but we usually have a car so no experience of this. Some hotels are a little way out of the centre as well. Overall, we like it
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Assuming the "alternative gondola" in Mayrhofen is the Ahornbahn cablecar, then I think the new base station is much closer to the centre of town. I thought only 100m or so from Penkenbahn. (Only been to Zell-am-Ziller / Zillertal Arena since it opened, so maybe someone who's been there recently might know?). The Hippach one I'd assume can be accessed by free ski bus? Still - I'd be getting the Penkenbahn if I was staying somewhere reasonably central (unless there's complete beginners at the Ahorn skischool), but since I'd have the car I'd be parking up at Hippach (for Mayrhofen slopes), or more likely Zilltertal Arena or Kaltenbach/(Hoch)Fügen.
Can't comment on Skiwelt, since I've never been there.
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I have done a number of seasons in Mayrhofen and am a big fan. Queues at the Penken can be a problem peak season but as long as you're there before 9am its no problem. My advice coming down is to either start coming down when the ski schools finish around 3 15 to 3 30 or better still endulge in a bit of apres and wait till the queues die down (pilz bar and elk bar my favourites) Great skiing down at Kaltenback (always holds its snow even when conditions bad elsewhere) and skiing the zillertal arena always feels like getting good mileage under your belt), red 7 in Zell a belter and there is a mountain restaurant in Koenigsleiten which does the best bbq'd chicken ever and has slide down the stairs to the toilet.
Mayrhofen also benefits from having the Hintertux glacier nearby (40 mins by free ski bus)
Ellmau a great choice too, pretty well placed in the ski welt, cruisy skiing and pretty village.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| sharon1953 wrote: |
Our hesitation is the altitude of SkiWelt area, though large, if the links break it could end up lots of small pockets you have to bus to
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I guess this depends when you're going - if you're thinking of early Jan or late March then it's a factor (though I'd be more worried about early season than late), but otherwise I wouldn't worry too much.
Weirdly SkiWelt seemed to pick up snowbikes quite early - I saw them (or variants thereof) on the slopes 6 years ago, so I guess the infrastructure is used to handling them. Having said that, the last time I went the main connection between Ellmau and Scheffau (and the rest of the circuit) relied on a t-bar so check that before you book!
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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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| ChrisWo wrote: |
Weirdly SkiWelt seemed to pick up snowbikes quite early - I saw them (or variants thereof) on the slopes 6 years ago, so I guess the infrastructure is used to handling them. Having said that, the last time I went the main connection between Ellmau and Scheffau (and the rest of the circuit) relied on a t-bar so check that before you book! |
No,it was chairs last season.
I skied over beyond Scheffau every day, and I only used one T bar (lift 8 all week, which was only required if you did one particular run - and I believe that is being replaced by a chair this year.
Otherwise, T-bars only seem to be still in use in the Ski Welt on the nursery slopes.
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alex_heney, thanks - good to know they're getting(/got) rid of all the terrible T-bars!
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