 Poster: A snowHead
|
Left home in North Yorkshire 07.15 for the rather excellent John Lennon Airport at Liverpool. 1hr 55 mins later had dropped family and baggage at drop off area and car stowed in the price buster car park. £25, but non refundable. 4 minute walk, great. The airport was quiet and very efficient. Easyjet flight to Salzburg took off on time (£85 per head after a price promise refund was obtained). Good flight and landed 10 mins early at 14.45. We had pre- booked our group transfer with the excellent Huber Resien http://www.huberreisen.at/ and a shared group transfer for 19 was €37 pp return. I kid you not, 20 minutes… yes 20!!, after the plane came to a halt our transfer coach had left the airport. By this I mean 20 minutes from the seat belt sign going off to being on public road. 55 minutes later we were in our hotel.
Sadly one of our party was coming via Exeter and was badly delayed and after a flight to Gatwick! and much disinformation he arrived in Salzburg 6 hrs late, not good on a major Austrian Holiday. It was so late and the info so inconsistent that all of Huber staff had knocked off for the Christmas Eve holiday by the time he arrived in Salzburg. Thanks to previous snowhead info I told him chat to the Airport Info desk regarding a train to St Johann. The info desk were great, printed him times, costs, platform numbers etc and the 2 taxis and train saw him with us at 22.30.
Despite the holiday we were all kitted out with skis at a hire shop 50m from the hotel http://www.wagrain-spiz.at/ using a hotel discount we got great skis n boots for those that needed them for €85 for the week. I handed in our 2 pairs for an overnight service @ €20 per pair.
Hotel Hubertus http://www.cafe-hubertus.at/ Really just a Pension with a bar and a restaurant. No facilities, no private lounge, no separate smoking room BUT ski room, heated boot rack, decent (but not as good as the a la carte menu) food, friendly hosts. The only dowensdie was a large coke was €4.80, over a Euro more than a similar sized beer. Hosts were flexible though and helped arrange certain events. Basic rooms, no wellness, but clean and superbly situated for everything. Superb Ski bus 60m away .
Next morning at the Grafenberg lift station walked straight up to one of the cash desks and got lift passes in under 90 seconds. There are 2 gondolas, if there is a queue then walk to the right and get on the one to mid station and then a 6 man up from there.
Lift System – The best in the world; nearly all modern gondolas or high speed chairs with covers and sometimes heated seats. Rode 1 non detachable chair all week! Ski Amade pass prices are €210 for and adult, €168 for a youth (born 93-95), €107 (Born after 1995). These are for peek weeks and they can be cheaper.
Skiing – lovely snow from mid station up (mid stations are often 1/3 of the way up), Xmas day was very quiet, loads of fresh overnight snow and quite fantastic. Boxing day also quiet then the crowds slowly increased. Even at their peak it was never more than a 5 minute wait. Very sunny day 3&4, the top of Flachau was dangerously busy so we left sharpish and did the magnificent Rote8 run back down to Wagrain. Really enjoyed Kleinarl and Flachauwinkle, ski the sunny sides in the morning and the shaded sided pm. Great resto near the top of the 1st chair out of Flachauwinkle towards Kleinarl with a superb Tiroler Groestl. The skiing is mainly red slopes with little to challenge the black mogul skier but for our group it was great. Nearly all of piste is via the trees, lots of fun was had but all fairly gentle. Lots of very good skiers about BUT some nutters going to fast for their skill level. I saw no blood wagons all week though. We skied mostly between Wagrain and Alpendorf and had some great skiing on day 5&6 in fresh snow. The trees make a massive difference in poor lighty. I HATE skiing in poor light but densely tree-lined runs make a massive difference. Ski next to the tree line – Fab.
Mountain Restos – Generally very good. Good value the best we visited were above Grafenberg: The Huchau Alm and the Strass Alm, also the http://www.winklalm.at/ at the top of the 1st chair out of Flachauwinkle
Apres – Kuhberg Alm at the Grafenberg base station was good as was the Kuhstall at the Flying Mozart.
Buses – One word: Brilliant. Very well thought out, we could be in Kleinarl in 10 minutes. They even have buses 2.5 hrs after the lifts close for the party animals.
Wagrain – We were in the old town which was lovely. They seem to have developed the area by the Flying Mozart, Kirchboden, but it is very nice with open spaces, old barns and lots of swanky hotels and accommodation. In the evening we had trips to the excellent pool/water world http://www.wasserwelt.at/ The kids played Ice hockey 1 night up by the Fling Mozart, how they all lived is beyond me – madness, another night the host arranged for us to go curling. An hours curling, a large drink each and a shot for the adults (and some big kids) €5 per head. Wagrain was lovely and rather special with lots of snow, lights, lovely people. It is without doubt the new La Rosiere J We had a vote afterwards and it was 100% for Wagrain next year.
I met up with Samerberg Sue and Alistair Pink on 2 separate days, had a good chat and some good skiing. Its not easy meeting up with folks when one has a busy schedule and a big perty, but well worth the effort. We bumped into Alistair the following day and shared so,mme more ski time and Sue popped along to see Will at our curling evening. Kooky had a manic schedule and Flangesax was pandering to the rouble, so we failed there!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 3-01-12 12:50; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Frosty the Snowman, excellent report - roll on 28th jan  (you've got a spurious , at the end of your link to the ski shop)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I will post another time about the fabulous http://www.freizeit-pso.com/ who sent us a wonderful man, Hans, to help Will (coast to coast cycle fame) in a sit ski. He tried will with every form of skiing but settled on a piloted sitski which he taught Will's dad to use. They are more of a charity/clun than a ski scholl and specialese in givng handicapped people sporting and outdoor experience. Hans and all of his gear were outstanding value, a very special bunch of people.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 3-01-12 12:51; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| Kooky had a manic schedule |
Yes, it is a particularly boozy party time of year 
Nice report FtS. An area I quite fancy having a look at, at some point.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Sounds great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, Great report, we are on the same flight out of Liverpool on Saturday, I hope ours runs as smoothly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
geepee, Looking forward to seeing you out here! There is superb snow on the upper slopes, bit scraped and hard-packed lower down but skiable no problem. More snow coming in from tonight apparently and the next couple of days could be very windy as well. But then you will have perfect conditions next week when the rest of the world returns to work!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great place and great report. A few pictures will be nice though 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, sorry we missed you, busy busy busy in our house that week. However - keep to your plans and we will def catch up this xmas. And, the new 10er gondala is up and running at Altenmarkt. woo-hoo. Ange x
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
angesax, Awww, but I loved the sinking feeling as the 2 man chair came swinging round to get you 
Has the extra capacity made things busier?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, dont know - havent really been out that much. The chair lift does have anew home in some far out country so you can still ride it if you want! Ange x
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Frosty the Snowman, nice report, only just read. I'll add a bit, in a bit, about our stay in Alpendorf as the two areas are so close. Your hotel looks lovely 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
cathy, It was cheap but very functional and very well placed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
It looks absolutely gorgeous. I'd love to go there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Pedantica, Not gnarly enough for you
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Frosty the Snowman, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Pedantica, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kooky, indeed. Waiting for stories of the race night. You guys have way too much fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, do you make much money modelling for emoticons?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
kooky, you are a dirty stop-out. And why not? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Wow, look at that! What a splendid fellow!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good job boys
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Has anyone got any new pictures at the moment? Im going in the first week of April and am wondering what the weather is like. Also can anyone recommend a good pair of googles that dont freeze up!!!
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
have got a few scars to show for it, but that´s another story 
