 Poster: A snowHead
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We go on a group ski holiday every year, we went to Mayrhofen last year and really enjoyed it, and would like to return to Austria again this year, but are struggling to agree on a resort.
There are 10 of us going and we are looking at the week of the 19th-26th March. We are all in our late twenties, and enjoy a bit of apres, are very mixed in ability from 1 weeks skiing to experienced seasonnaires. Any suggestions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Leogang
Zell am See/Kaprun
Ski Well (8 satalite resort linked together at the top)
St Anton/Lech/zurs (Top AUstrian resort must do it at least once)
Ischgl/Samnaun (A resort links Austria with Switzerland)
Kitzbuhel (popular competition venue)
Mayrhofen is one of the 6 or 7 unlinked resort in Zillertal Valley. Did try the whole valley? Hintertux is a famous glacier and Zillertal Arena is same size as Mayrhofen.
Austrian resorts are pretty uniform in standard and apres. You would not be disappointed by going with the larger ones.
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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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ruthie_roo, welcome to snowHeads 
Why not go back to Mayrhofen if it worked so well? The 1 weekers will find it comforting being in familiar surroundings and may well progress more quickly. The more advanced can't have skied everything there in 1 week plus the Zillertal ski pass covers other resorts that can easily be reached by train (included on pass) that will also cater to the varied abilities of your group.
I've not been myself, but recall that Ischgl has been mentioned quite positively hereabouts.
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St Anton (have done it 20 times and gets better every time, fantastic skking, snow-sure, good access to Lech/ Zurs and mega bars and apres for end of the day), Kitzbuhel (great rolling pistes and variation), Ischgl (great skiing, massive area and party town)......................you'll enjot any of saikee's recommendations, and the Austrians know how to welcome and provide customer service which is exceptional.
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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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Thanks all! I would love to go back to Mayrhofen, we did go to Hintertux, Kaltenbach and Zell am Ziller whilst we were there, unfortunately the some of the others want a change.
Will we be ok for snow at all the resorts in March? (We usually go in January).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would say Saalbach definitely but it might be getting quiet at this end of March as it is quite low.
So then Ischgl will be best or St Anton.
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DB, Agree with Solden. I forgot about this one.
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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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Not much I could add to the above, however resorts like Kitzbühel and Zell are quite low down so might not be guaranteed good conditions for the dates you are going.
I'd say Ischgl is about the best for what you're wanting  .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kaprun is great and fantastic restaurant on the mountain but not great for night life. Few nice bars for apres-ski but that's it. Kitzbuhel great skiing and party resort.
Solden (and Hochsolden) and Obergurgl also great resorts.
Would add Badgastein to the list. Lovely town, good skiing, lots of other resorts close by.
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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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Help! Im off to Bad Gastein for a weeks skiing. Although im a very nervous intermediate, im happy to ski blues and the occasional red. Can anyone tell me where the best easier runs here are please? 
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You know it makes sense.
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icyali,
If you are serious about your skiing as an early intermediate then you should check out the piste map of the resort you are about to commit yourself. In that respect look at the Bergfex.com site as you can find every Austrian resort piste map and no of lifts there.
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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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icyali, going there in February. From what I know you can find easier runs above Bad Hofgastein.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Only been to the Gastein Valley twice but it seems to have the worse snow than Zell am See, Kaprun, Saalbach and the majority of Ski Amade.
Don't know the reason why but I observed possibly about 1/3 to 1/2 visitors arriving there have something in mind other than skiing the slopes. It appears to be a popular/big tourist place that generates a lot of heat.
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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 famous large spa town as well and there is the large famous casino.....but we had brilliant time, nice to ski different areas each day, easily reached by bus and nice to relax in hot pools, bit of night life....
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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 have looked at the ski maps of Bad Gastein, but actually, sometimes they are deceiving. Thanks for the replies guys, I shall venture south down the valley to begin with i think and might take a couple of lessons to get my confidence up again as we didnt ski last year  . Anyone recommend a good ski school at Badgastein?
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icyali, that sounds a good plan. Do you live near any snowdomes in the UK where you can get some practice in before you go? In particular, if you are near Hemel Hempstead, something like the Improver or Building Confidence sessions run by InsideOut at Hemel might be good for you http://www.insideoutskiing.com/improverclinics.html (they are run by snowHeads rob@rar and skimottaret). I've been to many of their Skills Clinics and they are excellent 
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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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ruthie_roo,
There are a lot of good comments here and I'll add my two h'peth.
Ischgl is ok, runs home get crappy, busy and and are a pain for the one weekers. Apres is (in my humble view) a lot sleezier than Soeldon, but you pay way much more for it so for some that makes it OK - go figure.
I'm with Samerberg Sue on this one. Soeldon is virtually Brit less, the skiing is varied enough even to keep the hooligans in your group happy, and there's a handful of really very good huts. And it's the only resort in Austria with 3 peaks over 3000m, so you're not likely to find yourself without snow.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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mozwold,
Sölden certainly was good for apres, has it been taken over by the Russians as in Ischgl ?
Ischgl has a great lift system, I quite like the terrain of the home run especially if you start the 11 km run from the top of Greitspitze. Admittedly it can be like boardercross lower down but that's part of the challenge.
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icyali, the runs in Dorfgastein are easier but Schlossalm above Bad Hofgastein are also good if you like blues. If you want to try out some good blues and reds, head up to Sportgastein! The snow up there is always great but beware of bad weather - if it's bad in the valley, it's not worth going. However the runs up there are great - really wide and rolling, one of my favourite places. Steer clear of the Graukogel which has 1 blue which is a road, the rest are mostly blacks. If you want any other info, please contact me. I've got LOADS of info on the town, drop me a PM.
saikee, I think the 2 times you've been to the Gastein valley you must have caught it on a bad year/week because generally it's very good. There are a few south facing slopes which don't fair so well but since it's the highest part of the Amade, it's usually the best place, especially Sportgastein.
I remember a few years ago getting the train from Salzburg to Bad Gastein in March and going through St Johann im Pongau which looked more like the summer with a few white ribbons painted on the side of the mountain. Once we got to Bad Gastein, there was snow in the town.
Cheers
Kersh
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