 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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've skied Warth - nice area for a day or two, although you might get a bit bored if you're considering spending the season there! It was on my list of possible places for a seaons a few years ago, but struck it off when I did a training course there and headed to Serfaus instead. My trainer put it quite well - spent a while moaning that there was "lots of snow but no gelande" (terrain in English!).
It's not really a resort as such, but a collection of hotels. I stayed in the Lechtaler Hof, which was very nice, but apart from 9 or 10 hotels there isn't really much there. Most of the skiers seem to commute up from the lower Lech valley, which I think takes about half an hour on the bus.
Skiing-wise, the area is on top of a sort of lumpy hill, set in some steeper mountains which aren't lifted. The runs are all between 1500 and 2000m, so not very long, but they are well groomed. Only one steep run, which is very short (c. 2-300m). The other blacks that are marked on the map would be reds elsewhere. There are a few spots of interesting off piste in between the pistes, but they seemed to get very quickly tracked when we were up there (although we were partially responsible for that!).
If you're keen to do a season in Vorarlberg/Bregenzerwald I'd suggest looking at Damuels/Mellau, which is just down the road from Warth, or Silvretta/Montafon instead - both have next to no presence on the UK market and cracking skiing. Spend quite a bit of time trolling round that neck of the woods as, although I now live it the UK, the girlfriend hails from the Bregenzerwald so tend to fit in as many family visits as possible in in the winter!
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Luigi
Thanks for the link. Just an idea at this stage.
W94
Many thanks. Great info.
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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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Mike Pow, I would agree with W94 on that. For a season the Montafon would offer a lot more. If it has to be Voarlberg then you might also take a look at Kleinwalsertal, which is where my wife hails from. Enough there to keep a guy happy for quite some time, and if you want to visit Warth, it's only a half day's touring away!
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Great thanks.
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Mike Pow, remember the post some stoke thread? That secret destination I was talking about was in fact the Kleinwalsertal! Oberstdorf and the Kleinwalsertal is worthy of consideration for touring and off piste. It (Kleinwalsertal) is just over the other side of the moutain from Warth as the crow flies. I've driven through Warth but never skied there so I can't comment but it certainly gets plenty of snow! The Montafon/Silvretta is awesome if you are into touring.
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Thanks Juliad. Been loking at that area too. And Berwang & Lermoos too.
Had a great experience in Bavaria this past February. Looking for similar 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mike Pow, just in case you haven't heard about this brilliant liftpass before, it is a season pass to ski all the Allgäu ski resorts plus Pitztal and Kaunertal glaciers.
http://www.superschnee.com/index.shtml?allgaeugletschercard
The Allgäu is a fantastic place to base yourself if you want to explore and tour numerous places. Plenty of good quality and good value accommodation about plus a good value liftpass for the decent lift served off piste as well! Unfortunately I haven't had time to explore the Garmisch area resorts yet...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mike Pow,
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| Thanks Juliad. Been loking at that area too. And Berwang & Lermoos too |
Wot juliad, said about the Allgaeu. The Zugspitzarena is definitely also worth a look, including the area up on top of the Zugspitze itself. Some really great powder skiing to be had up there, and not so many people know about it! There is also an extreme descent from the top down to Ehrwald requiring some abseiling in the middle. Havn't done it myself, but my colleague here at work has done it and really enjoyed it! The other areas in the Zugspitzarena are not so bad either. Lermoos has a lot of varied terrain. Ehrwald is more of a beginners area, but also has a couple of nice little powder plots, like anywhere in fact 
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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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Wow, that's a great deal on the pass.
Thanks for the info juliad and Steilhang. This forum delivers
Season-long accommodation. Difficult to come by in that area? Any ideas please?
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You know it makes sense.
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Mike Pow, I should have stuck this link in as well for the normal Allgäu pass which doesn't cover the austrian glaciers. Purchase it early for €369 
http://www.superschnee.com/index.shtml?ats_saisonpass
Great vid BTW. I've skied the deepest snow I have ever come across in this area! The terrain is awesome too! Had a better time skiing in Bavaria than Fernie!
Re seasonal rentals, I've only ever stayed for a month at a time but always managed to get a discount on apartments dealing direct with the landlord. I'd try the local tourist offices and ask if they have a list of seasonal lets available or recommend someone you could talk to? Rental agencies might be interested in longer term contracts but possibly worth trying?
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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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Tremendous value on both those passes juliad.
Just need to find a cheap monthly rental and that's a very inexpensive season right there. With plenty of scope for day tripping.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow. Thanks.
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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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Try looking in Bludenz or Feldkirch as they are fairly central and easy to get to all the areas from there. Dornbirn and Bregenz might also offer some bargins as they are primarily summer locations but put you a wee bit too far down valley from some of the best areas! The road from Warth to Lech is always closed during the winter by the way.
As they are not "tourist" traps (aka ski resorts) you should be able to do a better deal on accommodation in either a Gasthof or an apartment. A group I know of, who were put in a hotel too small for them in the Montafon area were able to to be rehoused in a great Gasthof in Feldkirch in the Fasching holiday period.
Nice work if you can do it! I suppose someone has to, I have to admit to being green with envy though
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Brilliant Samerberg Sue. Many thanks.
A return to Hokkaido is still very much on the cards, but based on the past 12 months it's always good to have a Plan B, C & D in the back pocket
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd heard about that Bregenzerwald pass in the past but not actually skied any of the resorts on it. Good to know it is still around and good value! I'd like to explore the area on skis at some point...
Anywhere else you are thinking about besides Japan, Bavaria and the Vorarlberg?
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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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Mike Pow, Not quite the same area, but you may be interested in the Tirol Snow Card, 590 yoyos for 77 resorts/areas, including a few of the big ones.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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juliad
Yeah it's a very interesting area with an unbelievable variety of terrain for the cost.
If I end up in Europe over Hokkaido, then Feldkirch or nearby is topping the list at the moment. But anywhere in that Feldkirch - Bludenz corridor looks suitable.
Alternatively, basing myself in or around Berwang / Leermos would give me best access to the Zugspitze area, the resorts around Innsbruck and the Kleinwalsertal area. Would still allow me the longer day trips to the Bregenzerwald area too.
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Bear in mind that if you base yourself in Vorarlberg, you'll be pretty close to Leichtenstein, which (according to some programme a few years ago) has some awesome powder - can't remember the programme but followed some freeriders and a couple of UK freestylers (Noddy something, Paddy Graham and a couple of others????)
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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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| Mike Pow wrote: |
.
Alternatively, basing myself in or around Berwang / Leermos would give me best access to the Zugspitze area, the resorts around Innsbruck and the Kleinwalsertal area. Would still allow me the longer day trips to the Bregenzerwald area too. |
If you do that you are adding to the travelling time quite considerably to be honest. Try not to bite off too much in one go would be my advice. Basing yourself in the Bludenz/Feldkirch area, even down as far down the valley as Bregenz/Dornbirn, would open up a far greater area for you to play in with less time wasted getting there. The Bregenz/Dornbirn area is dead in winter so there must be masses of accommodation lying empty which you could negotiate a deal on. Summer is a totally different propositon and those places are humming due to the location near Bodensee as well as the cultural events that focus on the Bregenz/Lindau area.
The Lermoos/Berwang area is a good area but getting anywhere else quickly is the pits to be honest. The roads are often jammed with either lorries and/or the ubiquitous Dutch and their bloody caravans! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| ubiquitous Dutch and their bloody caravans |
Amen. Although to be fair they don't usually have caravans in winter. Still blocking the roads trying to put on snow chains though
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Steilhang, they are in always around, winter is just as bad as summer to be honest! You just don't notice them so much as they are usually the only ones - typical convoy is a mixture of cars, vans, motor homes and motor homes all up each others backside. Let's not forget the motorhomes towing caravans - I kid you not, seen last season AGAIN struggling on the Irschenberg!
Maybe I'm more aware of them as I have to use the A8/A96 axis for my commute to work! I must admit to having lulled quite a few into having their photo taken as they descend the Irschenberg on their way home 
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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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Thanks for the advice Samerberg Sue.
Always trying to have my cake and eat it, hence coming on here to get the reality check.
Accommodation somewhere between Feldkirch and Bludenz seems to be the go.
Any ideas for a non-German speaker on the interweb please?
If I end up in this area I won't be working, so is the bus and train network good enough for me to get around the resorts or do I need a car?
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Mike Pow, a car would make life a wee bit easier and you can often pick up a cheap old banger for the winter - friends who have a sports car do that each winter. It will probably be being sold with winter tyres, so less worries there! You can tax it as a "winter" car. If you are dependent on the public system, while good you will be missing out on some of the more remote locations.
As for the accommodation hunt, why not start with the tourist offices in those areas? They are usually very helpful, especially as you say that you do not speak German. You are going to be going for some kind of holiday let anyway and I'm sure that a summer let could be easily be organised for an extended winter let. I found a flat when I first came out here that was a fixed term winter let - fully furnished summer let. I was in it from October to May during which time I was able to sort out a more permanent arrangement elsewhere, closer to my job.
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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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Many thanks once again.
Contacted a couple of tourist offices in the area. Waiting on replies.
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Mike Pow, So the Tirol Snow Card has gone up nearly 20 euros since last season, but with a few more resorts on it...
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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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Yeah. But if you're intending to play in that part of Austria it's an amazing deal.
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Hell yeah, it's ace. It includes the furnicular trains in Innsbruck too, if you fancy a day off skiing.
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FAQ
