 Poster: A snowHead
|
Resort: Kitzbuhel
Country: Austria
Author: Grizwald
Date: 18-24th February 2012
Our holiday: It had been around 12 years since I was last in Kitzbuhel as a teenager obviously allot has changed the main difference being the 3S gondola linking the Pass Turn and Kitzbuhel ski areas. I chose Kitzbuhel to suit my intermediate level OH who had previously only skied in France and was pretty much on the fence when it came to ski trips and doesn't share my passion so this trip was hopefully going to be more of a holiday and change her opinion. We booked with Crystal after getting an email offering £200 per person off we ended up in a club hotel with passes at a good price covered later.
Websites : http://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/service/weather/weather-forecast.htm
Basics :Together with the pistes and ski lifts in neighbouring Kirchberg in Tirol, Jochberg and by the Thurn Pass Kitzbühel is one of the largest ski regions in Austria.
Flights: From Newcastle with Thompson, woefully slow on check in but everything was on time both there and back which os the best I usually hope for.
Lift system : Staying in Kitzbuhel you either take the ski bus to one of the other main uplifts or take the Hahnenkamm Bahn from the town. You can also take the Horn Bahn to get up the Kitzbüheler Horn. The 3S gondola being the the now 2nd highest gondola in the world takes exactly 10 mins and was lucky to get a ride int eh glass bottomed gondola before finding out only one had this! There are some modern heated lifts with bubbles and generally a very good lift system-one or two pinch point exist as your choice of getting back to Kitzbuhel are limited to one choice in one or two places. We were there what was supposed to be the 2nd busiest week of the season and queued no longer than 5 mins tops. The Pass Thurn side is quieter and there were a few slower 2 man chairs.
The terrain : With the snow cover if you were so inclined you could pick a line and ski anywhere you liked off piste, and at worst you would end up back in the valley but only a short walk to a bus stop rather than a few hundred euro taxi which I've needed elsewhere. Good variety of runs ideally suited to the intermediate IMO. Some blues were little more than flat tracks-nightmare for snowboarders I'd imagine while other blues had some section that were a very dark red, and others wide and cruisy. several enjoyable reds and a few blacks which due to the condtions were easy enough for my OH who normally has a black phobia to tackle with ease. The Horn side is worth a visit but is limited. There was some great off piste but for piste bashers there isn't a more thna half a days skiing really but it was always dead over that side and we had some pistes to ourselves. The best of the off piste was in the Pass Thurn area as it was pretty much everywhere and I had some fantatic fun in the trees in waist deep (sometimes deeper) fresh powder.
Queues: Given that we were expecting it to be busy I think the longest we waited was 5 mins and on average much less.
Snow: Landing at the airport thee was snow all around which is always a good sign in Austria. There had been a storm the week before and quite a bit while we were therre int he earlier part of the week fell. Really got all condtions goinjg in the week. Warm in the Saturday then Sunday was overcast but with great visibility. With allot of snow around by Monday the on piste condtions got like off piste in many places. Friday was really warm with heavy snow and bumps in the afternoon.
Resort & Accomadation: Kitzbuhel is a really pretty town with good facilities and enough to keep non-skiers happy. An elderly couple in our hotel went on the walking trails every day which they really rated. Eating on the mountain and in resort was good value we only ate out once as we stayed in a club hotel with all meal except one evening included. We stayed in the hotel Hofer which is about a 5 minute walk to the Horn Bahn. To the main lift I'd say it would be 10 ish minutes in ski boots but with a bus stiop just outside every 15 mins we always used that. Hotel was bascially like a large chalet with about 30 guests all rooms were en suite. It was on the basic side but clean around 3* standard. You had a 3 course meal each evening with 2 or 3 choices per course. I'd say the food standard was a cut above the chaelts I've been to and was of a good home cooked mela standard with big enough portions. A daily packed lunch was also included.
Costs & Conclusions
Taking advantage of a £400 total discount from Crystal we paid just over £1500 including 2 area passes staying ina club hotel. Sort of All Inclusive but you could only have beer, wine, soft drinks etc form 1600hrs till 2230hrs which was plenty after being a light weight I found myself in bed by 10 most nights after skiing 08630hrs till after 4 or later every day.
We had a great weeks skiing and more imoprtantly it was a very enjoyable holiday for my OH who I'm pleased to say is now hooked on skiing and can't wait to get back. With condtions as they were it was what you made of it challange wise and kept me more than happy while enjoying cruisng the well groomed pistes with my OH. As an overall package Kitz is right up there for me and with the 3S is a great area with something for everyone. Due to me being a light weight I'd maybe consider staying in Jochberb or further down that way as the best skiing IMO was in that area IMO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Will apologise in advance for the spelling and typos. When I got so far down the page in writing a relatively long psot I couldn't see wha tI was typing on the screen anymore.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Nice report Grizwald, glad the Hotel Hofer was a decent as we're staying there the week leading up to Easter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
hammerite, Not sure what room you'll have been allocated, the ones out back like ours (225) had excellent views of the Horn whilst to the sides the view would have been a bit pish-but who cares? Was just a bonus that it turned out that way for us.
One thing that I didn't mention was the ski room in the hotel. I wasn't too keen on this as far as I could tell the door was left wide open 24/7. This was the back door to the building and in theory anyone could walk in and help themselves although the door is concealed to the street. I'd have liked a combi lock at least on the door and didn't feel comfotable leaving well over a grands worth of gear in there overnight.
We paid 35 euro for a locker at the Intersport which is inside the Hahnenkamm lift station. saves either walking or getting on a busy bus with your planks everyday and if you wanted to you could leave your boots in the locker and walk back-it's not too far particulary not in ski boots.
The 'Ring Bus' is free and in the morning departs right opposite and next to the hotel-first is at 0840hrs. Going in the morning it's less than 5 mins but returning it goes around the houses a little and take 10-15 mins. Basically goes around and around clockwise but in the morn the Hofer stop is the second to last to get to the Gondola but obcviosuly in reverse on the way back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Cool thanks for the extra info Grizwald, whilst it would be nice to have a good view from the room, I don't spend long looking out the window. We looked out onto the shopping street on our last trip, it was no bother.
Interesting about the ski room. We're hiring skis, but have our own boots, but will look at the locker at the lift station.
Does a bus run to the Horn station? Or is it a walk there, and bus to Hahnenkamm station?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
hammerite, The bus does run to the Horn but as said previosuly it runs clockwise from the Hofer which has a stop infront and to the side of it. To get to the Horn you have to go around the houses unless you're at already at the Hk-Bahn then you're more like a third of the way there. Depending on traffic I'd say the bus takes about 20 mins to make one revolution around the loop but it will often wait until it's full at the HK-Bahn. To cut a long story short it's quicker to walk it's flat with a couple of hundred meter incline as you appraoch the station-the Horn Bahn stop is the one before the Hofer stop.
I'd stick my boots in the room too as the ski room isn't heated. Just give me a shout if you need any otehr info-happy to help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Excellent thanks Grizwald,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Group of 4 of us heading to Kitzbuhel on the 10th March and also staying at the Hofer, so this has proved to be a very informative post indeed!! Interesting about the ski room (and quite odd IMO). Think I'll be keeping my boots in my room too!
Thanks for the post Grizwald!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Stayed in the Hofer in 2001 when it was run by Hans Hofer. I remember the ski/boot room well and it was the same routine then, so I suspect it must be reasonably safe, otherwise they would have had to do something about it.
Off out to Kirchberg on Sunday for another week skiing Kitz.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
