 Poster: A snowHead
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Off there on Friday. Apart from wrapping up warm, what should I know? We're a mixed ability group with some reasonable to very good adults and kids with a couple of weeks experience. Any slopes to avoid, bars to, umm, not avoid..?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Might hit here in about a month or so so would also appreciate any tips on the area in general? How it ranks v other resorts (choice is prob here or St Anton / Ischgl, have skied both of the latter so would like to try something new).
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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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With 130km piste it is not a big resort as it is in the same ski pass with Kaprun so take the bus to sample this small glacier resort too. Kaprun has a great restaurant at the top and the view there is stunning.
The main skiing area of Zell am See has a few long and a bit steep black runs down to the town centre. The Zell am See town is a nice place to hang out. Very scenic from the top with the partly frozen lake.
Would lose out when comparing with St Anton (which has the White Ring) and Ischgl (that is linked to Swiss Samnaun).
A possible day trip is to Saalbach/Hinterglemm. The entrance to its valley is just round the corner about a couple of miles away. I reckon from Zell am See it is about 7 miles to the first lift station of this fully linked 200km piste resort. The 130km piste of Zell am See includes Kaprun which is not linked.
Saalbach is a long valley linked with Hinterglemm at the deep end. Both sides of the valley are fully linked and it can take a day to ski to the far end on one side and return by the opposite side. The distance is shorter than St Anton's White ring and not as long as the Sella Ronda. Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Leogang is wider and better for cruising and Leogang is a known nice beginner area.
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Lovely town with no shortage of excellent bars and restaurants.
Some great skiing there too although the very good skiers may find it a tad limited. They should perhaps consider a day trip to Kitzbuhel or St Johann both of which are less than an hour away by a very frequent train service.
Try and avoid the long blue down through the trees to the resort. Involves a lot of walking on more or less level ground.
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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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Hans Schnapps is a good spot on the mountain for some apres ski. if you have imbibed too much, do not miss the last gondola home!
It is also a decent lunch stop, even though it has a cafeteria feel to it.
In the village, the Crazy Daisy has decent non-traditional food, and a good bar.
If you are not on half-board, you will struggle to find a decent cheap spot for dinner. If it is good, it is expensive. If it is cheap, it is generally below par.
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Agree with the comments above - skiing is limited for more capable skiers. Beginners/early intermediates will be fine. How limited the area is depends on what you like - if you are the type of skier who cannot stand to go on the same run twice then you will 'do' Zell in a day or two. The glacier in Kaprun is good but if it is cold in Zell it could be very harsh on the glacier.
Maiskogel is a very small but great family mountain - great for the less experienced. This is right next to the Kaprun resort. There are regular free buses (part of ski pass) to Kaprun.
A day trip to Saalbach is great - you can add this to the cost of your Zell ski pass for about €25. This is quite good value if you do a couple of days in Saalbach. To get there you will need to catch a bus which runs hourly (cost is € .
For the less experienced skiers I would recommend they use the gondola to get back down to the valley or the town. Most runs to the base are black and can be icy and busy at the end of the day.
There are decent cheap eats in Zell - take look around the town, it's quite compact. There is a good value pizza restaurant opposite the police station (Giuseppe's??). I really like the Kupferkessel restaurant - this is mid priced but you do need to book.
Hope you have a great time.
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Thanks for all the tips, especially those on getting back into resort. Last year my 6 year old lost the plot at the end of the day and I had to walk down with her about a km carrying her skis. I don't want a repeat performance of that...
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