 Poster: A snowHead
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I know a lot of people are like me and have to go back to St Anton every year, and I've been trying to work out why. The first time I went I didn't much like it, I was a poor standard skier on my own and it snowed big time. I only went back because friends persuaded me and the mrs to join them. We had a great time and found the Apres ski at the Mooserwirt, and Picadilly fantastic. This sealed our fate. Since then we've been back many times (goin back on Jan 6th) and never been disappointed. Of course now we know St A like the back of our hands and its made us into very good skiers. Every year we sit down and talk about where we should go and we can't get over St A, its like an old friend. To put icing on the cake Gunar is back for his second season at the Kandahar, so we're looking forward to that cos we've had some great nights with him.
Anyway, what is it that makes you go back there time after time?, try to define it if you can.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I knew a bar like it. everyone went just in case they missed something.
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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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Much as I have certain favorite resorts, I have a stronger desire to seek out new places so going back to the same place year in, year out doesn't really appeal to me. In fairness though, I have never been to St Anton, it's always way over my budget.
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I like trying new places, but I do have a few favourites. I've been to the 3V about half a dozen times but never stayed in the same resort twice.
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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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xscreamer, Know exactly what you mean. Have never found anywhere to tick as many boxes as st Anton. Always feels like a second home as you drive into it. Still finding new things about it after 10 years of going. I want my ashes scattered there
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xscreamer, have you skied elsewhere for a different perspective? I'm back to Stuben this Easter for my fourth trip, but am thinking somewhere different in 2014 maybe on the cards!
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boabski, +1, we just love the place, worked it out recently we've ski'd there at least 40+ weeks, and not even scratched the surface............too many great things to talk about, all been said before.................. best place I've ever ski'd, well and truly spoilt now. It's nearly as good in summer as winter too. 
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kitenski, Agreed, you need to do this, have always done Verbier, Cham, Kitzbuhel, Ischgl or EK as well as Arlberg, but this year doing a couple of days on way home in Montafon over New Year as a reccy and then a week there in early March. Looking forward to mixing it up a bit.
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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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I'm not hooked on St Anton. I've skied there a couple of times and just found over rated mountains, over crowded slopes and inferior snow to Ischgl and Lech/Zurs. If I get an opportunity and have the time to either skin/bootpack up there or the patience to deal with the Cartel who manage the Valluga 2 lift, I'd love to ski the way down to Zurs but aside from that desire, St Anton's offerings just seem a bit 'meh' compared to elsewhere.
Maybe it's because I've never been bothered with table dancing or gash pop music. Sorry. 
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moffatross, good point well made, I only ski thru St Anton on the way to Rendl, else I ski Stuben, Lech and zurs!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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kitenski, Yeah I've been to all the larger Austrian resorts...Ischgl, Mayrhofen, saalbach, Bad Gastein, Kitz, Ellmau, Kaprun, Zell, Flachau and enjoyed all of em. I've also been to several Italian resorts, and France.. Val D'isere, Alpe D'Huez. America, Canada etc.....so I've been around and still put SDt A at the top of thelist
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'Cos the Arlberg is rad. Great terrain, great snow, great apres, great village.
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You know it makes sense.
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stanton,  takes me back. Haven't skied there for a couple of years unfortunately but got to ski 3 seasons a few years back (one was the year of the Galtür avalanche) and we had so much snow it was insane. I love the whole area and want to go back!
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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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I think it is now my favourite resort too.
I've been a number of times and still keep being shown new places to ski. Yes, its the off-piste, of course, that is the glory of the place. (The old black runs have mostly been turned into itineraries.) A large amount requires no or almost no boot packing - though it really opens up so much if you learn to skin or are prepared to walk a bit more. Skiing off the back of the Valluga you need a guide with you if you want to take skis up the lift. No cartel involved - just a safety issue. The same on the similarly tiny top lift at Courmayeur.
queen bodecia, it is possible to stay there more cheaply if you stay in an outlying village and use the shuttle bus. Not that expensive if you compare with the big Swiss places.
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Poster: A snowHead
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kitenski, Ymoffatross, You really surprise me re Galzig/ Valluga - don't know how well you know it but what about back of Kapall, Mattun, Schindlerkar, Larches, Maienwasen, Schoengraben, North Valluga, couloirs under Schindlergrat, chutes next to Kandahar, under Zammermoosbahn by the stream. Off piste down to St Christoph? Plus all the stuff above Ulmerhutte and down to Rauz. I wonder if we've skied the same place? No issues with Stuben, Zurs, Lech and Rendl, plus Sonnenkopf equally as awesome, but to dismiss Galzig? Nah.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Maienwasen, Schoengraben
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some of the most fun tree skiing I've had...and must not forget lovely Sonnenkopf! Seriously cool skiing throughout the Arlberg and each area has it's own attraction for different types of skiing.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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stanton, Don't forget the Russians - Ischgl is swarming with them (seasonnaires - apparently a good place for big tips...).
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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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Dude with the headcam may as well have had a centreboard and mainsail the way he was ruddering about...
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 17-09-12 10:02; edited 1 time in total
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clarky999, We are going to Sochi not many Russians good prices
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I have that same feeling about Whistler. But I also have that strong desire to explore new resorts, which is why I try to switch it up every few years. Then when I've been a way for a few years, there's that excitment of seeing an old friend I haven't seen for a while when I go back. There's just too much great skiing all over the world to just hang your ski hat on one resort.
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Going to St A for first time mid Jan, with some friends and out kids. Doubt that the apres will be calling for us with 2 small Sidewayses in tow, but mates are child-free so will point them towards mooswirt and Jubilee.
For the Antonophiles, what are the other must-do apres spots? And for those of us confined to getting our thrill on the hill, what are peoples favourite runs, and if anyone wants to share the location of their personal powder stashes or hidden gems, all the better... 
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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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Markymark29, time for a pint over a ski map to point out some spots?? I guess as we have mostly been with kids with skied areas close to Stuben to be honest!!
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Richard_Sideways, well, do you have the 1:25,000 map for a start? Not sure I could describe any routes in a way that you would be safe to follow but you could get the off-piste guide book "Off Piste All around the Arlberg" by Andy Thurner (version translated into English from original German). It describes (and illustrates with lines drawn on photos) about 60 routes but there are lots of others. However, unless you are very confident about your snowcraft I'd hire a guide (or go with Piste to Powder who put together groups of the same standard - though I have to admit they are very expensive). Worth considering for a day or two though. They will find you powder long after everything looks skied out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
what are the other must-do apres spots
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Griabli on Monday (opposite Mooserwirt) for the luve music. In fact the Griabli most days for the best pint of beer on the hill. Underground on the Piste is quite chilled but can be great if the live music is good. The Piccadilly is a must to see the Snowtones - they are on from around 4.30 to 7.30???? most days. Gunar at Kandahar is another good apres shout but not as good as the Snowtones.
I've taken all my kids to the Mosserwirt a couple of times, once when we were staying in Oberlech and the other whilst staying in Stuben. They enjoyed themselves, although not quite as much as the adults - they tended to have snowball fights with the Moss crowd rather than dance on the tables
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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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kitenski, No problem, although no beer for 5 months now, healthy eating plan WIP can do a dry white wine though! Have you got the green/ white cover ski touring map, if not will email you a link and you can order on line and we'll meet up, those pink highlighters are greet things! Can combine it with a look at your floor if you want? Maybe early next week, mad busy this.
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Markymark29, no, not got that map, got the Andy T book but conditions last year were so good we didn't need to do much beyond follow our nose 
Next week would be good!! Insurers sent specialists around to write a report, should here something this week re floor I hope, but would welcome 2nd opinion!
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You know it makes sense.
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Markymark29, when you say "green/ white cover ski touring map", you mean this, right? The DAV maps are very good:-)
Also worth a look are the SwissTopo maps, they have a 1:50,000 that covers the Arlberg, but obviously 1:25,000 is a bit better for skiing.
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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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sah, They do 2 versions, one like an OS map, topo/ contours etc and tracks etc effectively a walking map, and another with all the ski routes marked on and shown bolded. cant see from your link which it is?
kitenski, It's the latter you really need, and read in conjunction with Andy T book that the way forwards. Will look at my map tonight and post on here if its the right map. Happy to meet up next week and walk you through the ones we do and when best to do them, keeps us going all day every day. Obviously snow conditions, weather, aspect av risk etc has to be taken into account.
By the way Andy T'S a fit guy, he did the Arlberger bike marathon in super fast time when I saw it 3 weeks ago, I did a ride in the Peak at the weekend, same vert, same distance, albeit I reckon much harder terrain under wheel than in the Arlberg, did all the sections at Arlberg so know the route just havent done all together, my time well off pace for Arlberg Marathon but its early days.............. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Markymark29, didn't realise that there were 2 versions, good to know. It looks like this is the one you are referring to with the ski routes marked. Looks useful!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sah, Thats the kiddy, very useful map.
kitenski, Suggest you order one of these and PM me when you've got it, we'll meet up.
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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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What I like about Stanton:
I like taking new visitors to lunch at the Hospiz in St Christoph, going down the slide to the loos. (Shame the stable isn't there any more, with goats and sheep)
I like the rack of ribs at the Mooserwirt at lunchtime before its busy.
I like the restaurants in Ober Lech.
On the last day of a break I like to ski down to Zurs and call out at the echo point "See you next year!"..... "See you next year!"..... "See you next year!"..... "See you next year!"..... "See you next year!".....
But I don't want my ashes spread there ... I have often thought about this and I want my ashes spread below the steps leading up to the Sonnenbuehl Kitzbuhel
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
sah, Thats the kiddy, very useful map.
kitenski, Suggest you order one of these and PM me when you've got it, we'll meet up. |
Tip - If you are a member of the Austrian Alpine Club you can get these at a discount - £5.50 instead of ~£8. It's probably not worth joining just for this (unless you are planning on buying a lot of maps:-) ), but worth knowing in case you are or were considering joining.
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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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Ouch on shipping, anyone know of UK shops selling these?
Shipping cost calculation to the UK Postcode: LS17 8HU
Shipping EU € 9.00
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| kitenski wrote: |
Ouch on shipping, anyone know of UK shops selling these?
Shipping cost calculation to the UK Postcode: LS17 8HU
Shipping EU € 9.00 |
Try Cordee. Those links I posted were just the first hits I found, I'm sure there are UK stockists too
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kitenski, Thats the one
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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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kitenski, I'm sure you've already noticed, btu that particular map is for the Stubai area not the Arlberg
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clarky999, Good shout 
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