 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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Saalbach would probably be fine (friends have run school trips there), though on the whole I feel Hinterglemm (the area round the Bergfried lift) is better for beginners. English shouldn't be a problem (though I haven't any experience of the ski schools - since the 1970s).
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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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Feast, Saalbach should be fine for her. There is a good, wide area of south-facing nursery slopes (the Turmwiese), serviced by a relatively new, comfy chairlift with heated seats that takes you up a couple of hundred meters. There are excellent, atmospheric restaurants/bars at either end of this chair (which incidentally are also probably the two leading apres-ski party venues of the village!) Importantly the nursery area is central and at village height, so no need to walk far to it or to go up the mountain initially. That means that she can save money by buying a limited lift pass that works on a points system - just load up the pass with points as and when needed, like a pay-as-you-go phone.
There is also a smaller and very gentle nursery slope just the other side of our garden fence and on the opposite side of the road (Skiliftstrasse) from the area I've mentioned above. There is a little tow lift - the sort you just grab hold of and it pulls you up the slope for about 100 meters. I've known people use that without being asked to pay, although once a man emerged from a little hut and somewhat half-heartedly asked for 5 euros.
If/when she progresses from the nursery slopes, she can take the Kohlmaisgipfel cable car from the bottom of the aforesaid nursery slopes to the half-way point on the sunny, south-facing Kohlmais mountain, from where a choice of two blue runs take you back to the bottom. That side of the mountain is in fact a network of blue/red intermediate runs, so plenty to go at if she progresses quickly. Also there are numerous good mountain restaurants where you can meet up with her after doing a circuit (I assume that you're at least an intermediate or maybe a good skier).
There are many ski schools with links from www.saalbach.com and I have yet to meet an instructor who doesn't speak English - some of the instructors are in fact British and can be specifically requested. Four of the ski schools that I have seen or heard recommended are: Snow Academy, Furstauer, Hans Hinterholzer and Snow and Fun.
Please don't hesitate to ask for my own "Rough Guide" to Saalbach-Hinterglemm, which covers just about everything you are likely to want to know about the resort. I can send it to you if you PM me your e-mail address. I can also e-mail you a piste map.
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Thanks Espri. I was thinking the same thing after looking to the piste map, Hinterglemm appears to have a better selection of nursery slopes. What do you think Tatman?
Thank you for your detailed response Tatman. When going through the search results for Saalbach your comments were always helpful. I like the pay as you go idea, hadn't thought or read about that. I really hope she progresses confidently, because, as you say, there appears to be a wide network of intermediate blues and red, looks perfect for me actually  . I'm an average to good intermediate.
Was it Furstauer you worked for? Are you working for them this year?
I'll pm you with regard to your Rough Guide and piste map.
Whilst Pension Enzian looks gorgeous, i don't think we can stretch to their prices. So, i was looking at Crystal Ski, maybe the Sport hotel Berger. Any experiences of the hotel or the TO anyone? Presumably lessons would be with Crystals own instructors? Am i right to be a little apprehensive?
Thanks again for your comments.
Andy
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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 asked the same question about 6years ago and this is an answer i received from fellow snowhead Jimihendrix, and I agree with it by large:
Hmm - I probably wouldn't have given the same advice for a timid 2nd weeker, as IMHO, Saalbach, fantastic resort though it is doesn't really have any easy blues - the blues are generally hard, the reds generally easy, and the classification seems pretty arbitrary. I went with a couple of timid early intermediates and they struggled to be frank.
But, I'm sure you've booked it by now, so here's my "easy skiing in Saalbach" tips.
1. For a nursery slope tune up, there's a small "drag lift circus" at Hinterglemm North facing base, which will be obvious from the piste map. There's just one overcrowded nursery slope in Saalbach.
2. The easiest base-accessible blue is 52. Get the funny cable car with the 4 red carriages at the Saalbach central south facing area to the MIDstation (it's steep off the top!) and go down 52 for some confidence building cruises.
3. Next step is the chair lift which runs from the centre of saalbach town on the south face up towards the hinterglemm area. Nice long blue under it.
4. Finally, the Leogang day trip has a nice easy blue route, and is within the range of a timid second weeker - plenty of snowploughs about on those slopes. don't miss out on this. You have to tackle a few reds coming back, but they're all easy.
Enjoy, it's an awesome resort!
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OK, thanks Louis. Well, we haven't booked yet, although i'd like to book soon. So, do you think Hinterglemm is a better idea or maybe somewhere else in Austria? I guess a lot of it depends on how the beginner progresses and there general out look regarding confidence. I worried that my mrs has a slight fear of taking a tumble, but i guess that's totally normal.
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Feast, Its not that the blues are overly steep but it is very busy esp nursery area in Saalbach.
The only place I would offer you as being easier might be the Ski Welt.
Hinterglemm's nursery area is separate from the main slopes.
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What Ski Welt resort Louis? Soll maybe?
Does it matter that the nursery slope is seperate from the main slope in Hinterglemm?
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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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Feast, Take a look at some of the resorts in the Salzburg Sportswelt Amade - just about all of them with an hour of the airport at Salzburg and loads of good nursery slopes that are not used as rat runs by people cutting to other lifts.
In the Ski Welt area I'd look at Scheffau and Ellmau first unless party life is important as well. In which case, maybe Soell is not a bad idea. 
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Thanks Sue, your previous comments on Austrian topics have been very helpful. I'll take a look at your suggestions. A bit of nightlife would be good, i'm 29yrs and my mrs in 22yrs, so we might want to go out a couple of nights in the week...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Feast wrote: |
What Ski Welt resort Louis? Soll maybe?
Does it matter that the nursery slope is seperate from the main slope in Hinterglemm? |
Very good suggestions from Sue as always.
Its probably good for the nursery slope to be away from the main slope as speeding show-offs can be quite frightening for beginners.
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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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| Louis wrote: |
3. Next step is the chair lift which runs from the centre of saalbach town on the south face up towards the hinterglemm area. Nice long blue under it.
Enjoy, it's an awesome resort! |
Just for information: I think Louis means the Bernkogel chairlift here - this coming winter that will be replaced by a new gondola. That run and the T-bars above it are good areas for intermediates.
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I think Saalbach is an excellent place for beginners, the whole Kohlmais area is great, starting off with the small Turm lift area (which is now conveniently served by a chairlift rather than the old drag lift), with lots of possible small steps in terms of progression/difficulty, sunny and south-facing, with lots of nice places to stop. Make sure you stop at Bauers at the bottom for a few beers at the end of the day too!
As I do a few weeks work a season for them, I'll give Fuerstauer Ski School a biased plug. Lots of great instructors, they all speak excellent English, whilst Fraser (who has been in Saalbach for over 22 seasons) is English and Andrew is Welsh - so no worries on the language front! I should probably say that all the instructors I've met from other schools have all been great too.
FWIW, that run under the Bernkogel lift isn't really ideal for beginners, although the area at the top served by the drag makes for good progression from Kohlmais (before tackling the main run down), but I'm not sure yet exactly how that will work this season with the new lift...
I also disagree with the comments above on classifications (the hard blues bit anyway), and IME Saalbach offers beginners a lot more than the SkiWelt (although admittedly I've spent the vast majority of my time there in Westendorf).
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You know it makes sense.
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clarky999,
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starting off with the small Turm lift area
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...or for those diffident beginners who want to find their ski legs, learn basic techniques and develop confidence, the often overlooked Kreuzkapelle nursery slope next to the church, which is smaller, usually quiet and is separate from the main Turmwiese nursery ski area. (No lift pass apparently required either). Babylift number 20, a rope tow just over 100m long, serves it.
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Make sure you stop at Bauers
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...or the Hinterhagalm at the top of the Turmwiese for a cracking apres-ski party! (Its house band, The Flamingos, have been belting out the apres-ski anthems every season for about 30 years!)
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that run under the Bernkogel lift isn't really ideal for beginners
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I agree. Blue pistes 51 and 52 are better, particularly 52, which provides 'sun-trap' pit-stops with beautiful, south-facing views over the valley at the Asteralm, the Maisalm and the Hinterhagalm.
I note that you've picked up my point about the desirability of slopes being sunny and south-facing in January. No doubt there are 100s of Austrian resorts, large and small, with decent nursery slopes and ski schools, and Andy is unlikely to come badly unstuck wherever he decides to go. However, other factors, such as height of resort (even in January the weather can occasionally be mild and even - God forbid - rainy), proximity of nursery slopes to accommodation, attractiveness of village, whether a lift pass is needed from Day 1, and what kind of deals may be on offer, will no doubt play a part.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Feast, Enjoy your holiday, that is really what it is all about in the end. You could be in a tiny resort with few lifts, but with the right people and fun, it beats an all-singing miles and miles resort whereyouare unhappy and counting the pennies
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks Sue.
Could anyone point me in the direction of information regarding buses between Zell am See and Saalbach. I'm looking at getting the train from Salzburg to Zell, then the bus from there, this was one of Tat's ideas.
Cheers 
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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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Feast, Try www.oebb.at and click on the English version. You can see that it's currently an hourly service and that it takes about half an hour. To get precise details of the January bus services it seems that you will have to wait until the winter booking period opens on 10th Dec.
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...actually the timetable will no doubt be published well before then.
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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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presumably we're talking a few euros for the bus?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
presumably we're talking a few euros for the bus?
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I would guess it'll be between 5 and 10 euros - I've never caught it, having always used the Holiday Shuttle or the Transfer Service. However my son has caught the local bus down to Zell and I don't remember any complaints about the price.
Either the call centre at www.oebb.at or the Tourist Information Centre in Saalbach (see www.saalbach.com) will be able to assist further.
You could also consider taking the public bus from Salzburg Airport to Saalbach, which avoids having to take a bus from the airport to the main railway station (admittedly only a few minutes and a couple of euros). I understand that buses leave the airport terminal regularly. (again www.oebb.at will give you precise info).
Much may depend on what time of day your flight is due to arrive and how quickly you want to get to Saalbach. The journey by public bus takes 2.5 hours, whereas the holiday shuttle usually takes at least an hour less (depending on whether you are booked onto a shuttle that is ready to leave when you arrive. We've never thought it's worth resorting to public transport when the shuttles are fairly regular and cost only 69 euros return. We could however be wrong about that, and I'd be interested in the views of any other  s who have experimented with public transport from Salzburg Airport.
Certainly I've heard good things about the trains from other airports to Zell (having used only the Salzburg to Munich connection myself). Many people jump into a taxi on arrival at Zell Station - I can tell you from experience that the taxi fare from Zell to Saalbach is 35 - 40 euros for 4 people with luggage - presumably quite a bit less for two. You may prefer to get the bus, but at least you know that you can get a taxi if you don't want to wait or if you arrive after the buses have stopped running.
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