 Poster: A snowHead
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Group of us going with varying levels from 2nd year to beginners to experienced skiers.
Likely to be 2nd or 3rd week of March.
Currently considering the following...
Saalbach
Söll
Lech
Ellmau
Sauze D'Oulx
Sestriere
Cervinia
Val di Fassa
Are there any I need to rule out due to time of year?
Are there any other suggestions in these two countries?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Legend., go to Lech if you can
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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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| Quote: |
| Are there any other suggestions in these two countries? |
Soelden
Mayrhofen (or other Ziller Valley resort)
Both have extensive ski areas, are pleasant enough for nights out and have glacier back-up (which shouldn't be needed in March).
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If you can afford lech, do it.
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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'd like to do Lech, but going with a group of 10-15 makes that fairly difficult especially with people watching their wallets more closely at the minute.
The large amount of KM's of piste's in the 3Valleys has been a big hit in the past.
It's a toughie when you know bug all!!
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Legend., Cervinia is also good (with lots of cheap accom options) - with the Zermatt skiing easily accessible too and they have a very long season so no worries about mid/late March.
Have to say it's the only place I've felt the ill effects of altitude though 
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i would avoid the val di fassa at that time of year -- too low..............
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Val Di Fassa is normally fine till April, although last year our final day of skiing was May 6th.
If it's a not a great season for snow (they are already skiing in Canazei so hopefully it'll stay good) you can always head up to the Marmolada glacier. The pistes are lovely and quiet at that time of year too which is great for your beginners.
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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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End of March can get slushy in Saalbach, it has lots of south-facing terrain. Personally I like slushy, some people don't. Early March should be great.
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Legend., I'm off to Kronplatz 3rd week of March. Good for beginners as many of the easier slopes are on top of the mountain so higher up and better snow. Access is gondola so beginners can get that down at he end of the day. Snow likely to be soft after lunch. Better skiers can do the full Dolomite area. Stay in St Vigilio or use the Hotel Diamant (which the Snowheads pre- pre- season bash will be using)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Saalbach can involve a bit of walking through town to get to the nursery slope and ski busses but the ski circus has some great skiing.
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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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WayneC, Cant agree there, obviously depends where you are staying but the nursery slopes are pretty much in the middle of the village and then the next progression are just at the upper part of the village but still central, accessed by lift from the main thoroughfare. Would hate to see how you rated Mayrhofen for proximity of nursery slopes! Or Sauze for that matter.
Agree with clarky999, you do possibly need to pick your runs/plan your day if it is warm and sunny.
However Saalbach is fantastic.
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Cervinia. The slopes there will give the 2nd year skiers a lot of confidence. With Zermatt on offer for the more experienced and better 2nd year skiers.
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You know it makes sense.
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Mayrhofen, there will be lots of snow, lots of piste, lots of Aprez Cheez, lots of cheap beer and lots of willys (of the shot variety) what's not to like? And the food is pretty good.
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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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The trouble with Cervinia is the experienced skiers might find the motorway pistes a bit dull and the Zermatt ones rather far to go to.
Lech is where the royals and fur coat brigade go so rather expensive (though very nice).
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Poster: A snowHead
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ianbradders, Agree Saalbach is fantastic for intermediates, but we had a low level skier that we had to send the opposite way. We were staying a couple of bus stops up the main road and our skis were at the main lift storage, then we'd get on the gondola, the beginner would get back on the bus or have to walk up through the village, a good 15 min walk with skis. We'd then ski half-way round the circus to meet back up with them at lunch time and all have to walk back down the main street to the ski store at the end of the day. Goatsbar was good fun though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^^ Schattberg to Bernkogel or Kohlmais is barely a 5 minute walk!
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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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WayneC, Somewhat harsh to say that the nursery slopes are not too accessible then. Cheers for clearing it up but for most in Saalbach they are easy to get to. Were you staying in Saalbach or Hinterglemm? Or were you in between the two?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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clarky999, maybe it takes longer with a jaegerbomb hangover from the Goatstall.
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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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clarky999, if you're Mo Farrah perhaps, or not in ski boots. I'd say it took us over 5 mins to walk up all the stairs and round the back of the Schatberg Xpress building.
Googlemaps says its about 500m and should take 7mins, but I can't find the beginners carrying skis in ski boots setting.
I only said Saalbach can involve a bit of walking through town, not really harsh, but the lifts just don't join up from one side of the village to the other, the busses only go to the Shatberg and its all uphill to Bernkogl.
I've only spent one day in Sauze d'Oulx and it was very warm and slushy, seem to remember that the village was lowish, but the lifts seemed to connect to the rest of the Milky Way okay. Haven't been to Mayrhofen, Is that bad too?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Legend. wrote: |
I'd like to do Lech, but going with a group of 10-15 makes that fairly difficult especially with people watching their wallets more closely at the minute.
The large amount of KM's of piste's in the 3Valleys has been a big hit in the past.
It's a toughie when you know bug all!! |
St Anton.
Plenty of cheap cribs.
Skiing for all levels.
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Legend., Other good options in Austria would be Kitzbuhel or Zell am Zee /Kaprun.
Particularly the latter at that time of year, as if the snow does happen to be poor (unlikely), you have got the glacier at Kaprun.
If you have transport, then a Kitzbuheler Alpen pass will cover both of those areas, plus Saalbach/Hinterglemm and the Ski Welt of the areas you list above, plus a couple of other areas (6 days is round about €30 more than the single area pass for wherever you are staying).
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WayneC, no, that's roughly how long it takes me to take my (usually beginner) class up from the nursery slope next to.schattberg to the lifts up to the bernkogel or kohlmais lifts. Maybe you were there before they built the lifts up from the main street?
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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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WayneC, For a different perspective on Saalbach, from the hotel we have used a couple of times there are lifts up to Kohlmais behind the hotel and the Bernkogel are out the front door and thirty yards away. Admittedly Schattberg is a five minute downhill walk. The nursery slopes about three minutes downhill.
Saalbach is traffic free so geared towards punters staying right in town in which case it is well set up. I guess the moral is Location x3.
Now Sauze is a big STEEP uphill yomp to the slopes from pretty much everywhere in the village, not good with a bad head (understatement!). But yes well linked through The Milky Way.
Mayerhofen is a long lift up to the slopes from the village at both of the ski areas and the one geared more towards beginners is a bus ride out before the lift. The one reason i wouldnt go back.
As clarky999, said those lifts from street level up to the piste makes it so much easier and quicker to access.
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