skiing 1st week of April in Austria

A snowHead

I am trying to organise a family ski trip in the 1st week of April. Previously we have always stayed high (Val Thorens etc). This year we fancy Austria, does anyone have any experience of late skiing in Austria? Looking towards St Anton or Obertaun. Thanks.

A snowHead

As that is Easter week and Easter is relatively early, you may find hotels are a wee bit more expensive than usual for Easter. There will be a lot of traffic on the roads, so if you are driving down or maybe just doing the transfer from the airports, it may take a wee bit longer along the main routes through the Alps. A lot of Europeans automatically switch to sun and beach mode as soon as it is Easter! So although the ski slopes may not be so full, the roads at the beginning and end of the week will be very busy.

Both those resorts are good - don't worry about "snow safe" - a lot of people here forget that the further east you go the lower the snowline is. This allows them to promote soulless ghettos in former quarries like VT, Tignes, Avoriaz etc. Having skied extensively in the French Alps for over 20 years, I find that I much prefer the Austrian ones, so much so that I have moved out to live here permanently.

A lot depends on what it is you want in terms of skiing - to match your abilities. So is ski school part of the equation? St Anton has two major ski schools which offer all the possible range of courses from beginners through to off-piste and on to ski touring and telemark! The runs are long and many. Apres ski is MEGA - it really does set the bar extremely high and in the main town it can be very very noisy if your room is in the main street. Saying that a wee bit further away from the main (I'm talking only one or two streets back from the main pedestrian zone or 1/2km further out), then it is relatively quiet.

Obertauren is higher and in bad weather has the same problems of all high resorts - wind and lack of vis make life uncomfortable. The runs are relatively short in comparison with St Anton or maybe resorts you have skied in France. It is much cheaper than St Anton (not sure if that comes through via TOs in the UK though!). Think of an Austrian resort being transported lock, stock and barrel and being placed at the head of the Cairnwell Pass (Glenshee) in Scotland and you will have an idea of what I mean. It is a good ski in ski out place though and they are not so common in Austria. It has a good reputation for late season skiing and I have enjoyed some fabulous days there skiing the Tauern-Runde ( a route that leads you around the high level bowl so that you are always facing the sun). I've heard that the après ski is good, but as I usually drive home or back to my friends after skiing I can't say whether the reputation comes anywhere near that of the Mooserwirt or Krazy Kangeroo in St Anton. Smile

Is there any particular reason why you have selected two so very different resorts? You are bound to get other suggestions - Saalbach is being heavily promoted here by some. Also very good, but somewhat strung out and I always find, trying too hard to be the life and soul of the party!

Sit back and wait to see what all the other experts offer then you pays your money and hope for the best really when it comes down to it!

Sue wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

gandie, I'm a St Anton regular - been around 5 times since 2003, and twice to Oberlech and this year to Stuben. St Anton is my boys trip and usually first or second week in March, Oberlech and Stuben have been family trips late Jan. Snow has never been a problem, in fact usually the opposite - too much of it wink

. My mate who comes to St Anton and has been with us to Oberlech went to Obertauren this year (along with another few resorts - bar steward Evil or Very Mad

) and did not rate Obertauren that highly - I think this was partially due to the hotel though.

I've been other resorts with family and always find myself comparing them to St Anton (well Oberlech to be more precise) and they always fall well short.

I'm guessing that you're all fairly experienced skiers, in which case St Anton ticks the boxes. I was very happy staying in Stuben this year with the family, especially as it's a fraction of the price of St Anton and especially Oberlech. Snow in Stuben is excellent too. Lower down the snow can be a bit sloppy in St Anton but don't think it suffers any more than anywhere else. If you have a decent sized budget I would be tempted to head for Oberlech.

My sister and her husband (one of the boys in the boys trip) were in Oberlech last year in April and Stuben this year in April - snow was not an issue on both occassions. In fact last year when the lifts closed there was over 4m of snow above Lech (not quite as much this year oddly enough, but I think the major storms hit Italy and Switzerland this year)

If you need any pointers on where to stay in St Anton/Arlberg resorts give me a shout

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Thanks a lot guys, great answers. Next job is to start trawlling thourgh the brochures. I have had a couple of boys trips to Ischgl, usually 2nd week of January and I just want to make sure it will not be grass skiing in April. The family are too old for creche and too young for apres drinking(as far as I know wink

so we are open to suggestions on resorts. The main criteria is that there will be snow on the hills.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

If you're at the looking through brochure stage, have a look at www.redpoint.co.uk They organise holidays to Zillertal... I know its not St Anton or Obertauen , but I reckon its worth a look.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Kuhtai near Innsbruck, family style small resort at 2000 m with loads of 'between piste' skiing (wide expanse rather than narrow valley type resort) which really bumps up the 40 km of skiing available. You could even base yourself in Innsbruck and take the bus to the various resorts including the Stubai glacier

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

gandie, If you are thinking of St Anton try to stay as close to the Galzigbahn as possible, as this will be the most convenient place to stay - don't think too many UK tour ops offer places right beside. That said the likes of the hotels Arlberg and Rendlhof are close to both Galzigbahn and Nassereinbahn (only times that I've done package tours). My brother in law always stays at the Hotel Post which is a great location in pedestrian area - good quality 4 star hotel. Pepis Ski Hotel is ultra modern and probably one of the best locations in town but you'll need to book independently. I'm staying at Gasthof Angelika http://www.arlberg.com/hotel.angelika/ which is probably in the best position - right at the foot of the run back down from the Mooserwirt.
If you stay close to London I would definitely travel independently as you can get cheap easyJet flights to Innsbruck, then you're only an hour away by bus/taxi/train

After all it is free

Thanks for all the advise, that is me all booked up for the hotel Arlberg in St Anton, can't wait, bring on the snow!
Now I need to change forums as I feel a new pair of ski boots coming on!

gandie, good choice. Excellent food and nice facilities. Easy walk to both Nassereinbahn, Galzigbahn and new Rendlbahn. Won't need taxi - everything walkable - in fact the walk sobers you up a bit coming back from Mooserwirt. Get a pair of Strolz boots done when you're there www.strolz.at expensive but excellent

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Was in Oberlech last week in March this year and the snow (and weather) were fantastic. Not a cheap resort but absolutely superb in every way. Will be going back next year for certain. snowHead

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As others already have pointed out: don't worry about snow when planning for spring skiing in Austria. You can't compare the elevation in the Western Alps with the Eastern Alps. Take into account that in the Eastern Alps there are even some glaciers (for example in the Dachstein area) as low as 2500-2800m.

This year was particularly good (though it was maybe more of an exemption). I was skiing the whole spring in the mountains around Vienna (my last tour was in June!) partly skiing down to the valley floors (as low as 800m) in May.

Apart from the suggestions already made, you could take a look on some alternative resorts: the Pitztal (Tyrol, not far from Innsbruck) offers great spring skiing with 2 independet ski areas (Rifflsee and Pitztal Glacier) in a really gorgeous environment (just in the vicinity of the Wildspitze, the highest mountain of Tyrol). It also boasts the highest lift served mountain of Austria (Hinterer Brunnenkogel, 3440m).

Another option would be to look at the Salzburg area. Here, Gastein offers a particular interesting combination in spring: green meadows and spas in the valley (usually pistes are skiable down to the valley floor due to man made snow) and good skiing in the ski areas above. Stubnerkogel and Schlossalm (the two main ski areas) are interlinked. In addition you have Sportgastein (1600-2700m), a snow-sure high alpine resort 6 km away from Badgastein which offers amazing off-piste terrain.

If the winter is about average you can be pretty sure that (almost) all ski resorts of Austria will offer reliable skiing in early April (so I would not go too low since snow can turn pretty slushy in the April sun ...).

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skiing 1st week of April in Austria

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