 Poster: A snowHead
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Saalbach is just the best, booked my March trip yesterday, to add to the January one, just considering whether February is an option aswell !!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sounds as if you may be going for the Ski Alpin card (season lift pass), Simon! Get it before 4th Dec for 495 euros (normal price EU 560).
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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: |
Sounds as if you may be going for the Ski Alpin card (season lift pass), Simon! Get it before 4th Dec for 495 euros (normal price EU 560).
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Richard, if I can swing the Feb one yes good call, I got one last year as I did 17 days over my two trips and it worked out cheaper, this year unfortunately just 13 days, so need the 3rd trip to make it pay, seems like good reason to fit in another !!
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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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Me and the GF have just booked for the w/c 25th of Jan. Staying at the Berger SportHotel. Does anyone have any comments etc regaridng our choice of Hotel?
Getting very excited already, booking this trip made me spontaneously go out and purchase a new set of twin 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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From what I hear it is a good hotel good food , terrible decor no renovation since the 70s and sometimes people get small rooms.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I know it's far too early to get excited, but it does the soul good to see Saalbach covered in a blanket of thick snow today - 125cm on top, 95cm at mid-station and 25cm in the valley.
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Richard, after a bad week at work your news is a great source of joy
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Whats the snow like in The first week in April? Never skied this late here before. Please let me know and go easy on me i'm new
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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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tealeski, Obviously, like any other country as Spring approaches, the weather in the Austrian Alps is unpredictable in late March/early April. However in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons we were in Saalbach until 8th April and 15th April respectively, and the snow conditions held up well, right down to the village, in fact we had useful top-ups of fresh snow right up to the time we (regretfully) bid farewell until the summer. The advance of snow-making technology has made a considerable difference - snow cannons now cover 90% of the pistes, and the local lift company is able to virtually guarantee adequate cover until the end of the season (21st April next season). It is the quality, rather than the quantity of the snow that may become an issue in the late season Normally it pays to get out early in the morning, as conditions inevitably become heavy in the afternoons, particularly when it’s warm and sunny. However as late as the second week of April 2013 we were blessed with cold, sunny weather and were skiing, not only in the mornings, but all day on perfect, quiet pistes - and the pleasure of skiing in a tee-shirt and having long, leisurely lunches whilst basking in the sun is not to be under-estimated!
April conditions next season though are of course anybody's guess.
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Looking forward to my first visit to Hinterglemm in February 2014 and this thread has been a brilliant source of advice, tips, itineraries, food and drink. On the subject of food several people have recommended the Grabenhutte. Using Google earth I've plotted its location, and even though it seems a fair way off any piste, I'm sure I could find my way there without any trouble. What I need to know is, how do you re-gain the piste after your visit?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Rob Piercy, To find it, take blue piste 11a from the Zwoelferkogelbahn middle station, and keep looking down to the right-hand side of the piste. Only a couple of hundred meters past the Hintermaisalm, you will see, on looking down, the sign for the Grabenhuette. There is a little-used, short piste that leads you down to the sign, from where you bear right, cross over a road, and ski a short distance off-piste across a meadow and down to the restaurant.
When you leave, upon emerging from the restaurant you turn right and walk maybe 100 meters along a track. For most of the season you can then put your skis on (when snow is thin you walk a little further) and ski (or walk) for another 100 meters down a driveway, past a few buildings. You then come to a level, open meadow with a clearly-marked path leading across it. You pole across that meadow, after which the path crosses a small bridge over a stream, and then it becomes narrower and inclines slightly downhill. You snow-plough along the final bit of the path, which comes to a blind bend, then 'spits' you out onto the piste. Get your camera ready to film people behind you as they come round the final bend in the path (usually with some consternation as they can't see where it's leading them) and are 'spat' out onto the piste (consternation rapidly changing to relief and amusement).
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Espri, You're quite correct, the piste map is wrong (perhaps someone wants to keep it a secret!), and your recollection is right. Incidentally the people in the photo are standing outside a youth hostel, which you ski past to get to the path across the meadow.
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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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Brilliant description, even I should be able to find my way to, and from the restaurant.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I put a post on the main Forum asking whether historically most of the lifts are running by the week of 14th December? It was suggested I posed the question to the experts on this thread.
I only raised concerns because the lift pass is discounted quite significantly that week. I've already found an excellent value package, so as long as people think the lifts will be running OK in normal circumstances(I know that the weather has a mind of its own), I will book up for a bargain. I've always wanted to ski Saalbach Hinterglemm and this appears to be my chance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The simple answer is yes, and I think that the current weather outlook provides grounds for optimism that the snow won't be delayed this season (but then, I'm a natural optimist, and I know, I shouldn't say such things!). We arrived last season on 16th Dec and conditions were superb with everything up and running, although I recall that the snow had been late arriving, and the opening date of the ski circus had been deferred from 1st December for a week or two. I think that the heavens opened and the expected big dump arrived during the second week of December. In previous seasons from 2007/8 onwards, the snow has, according to my recollection, arrived in good time for the opening of the ski area at the beginning of December. The 2006/7 season was the exception, when again it was delayed until mid-December.
However, the season this year starts on 29th November, it's currently white over on the upper slopes and the snow cannons are busy painting the lower slopes white. On the weekends of 6th-8th and 12th-15th December, Saalbach-Hinterglemm is hosting two music festivals - the Bergfestival and Rave on Snow, so I suppose that they'll be keen to have everything fully operating by then.
In the bad old days before I retired we used to arrive in Saalbach around 22nd Dec and were invariably told that in the previous couple of weeks we'd missed some of the best skiing conditions imaginable!
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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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Thank you for putting my mind at rest. I have gone ahead and booked and can't wait.
I've now got 3.5 weeks to read the 15 pages of this thread. If I have any questions at the end of it I will be back!
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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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I've read somewhere on SH's that the cheap transfer service from Salzburg to Saalbach has closed down (I think it was €119 each way for an 8 seater). Can anyone recommend another private transfer company to be used next Jan for 8 people, Salzburg Airport to Saalbach and back again?
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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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blondends, Apparently the Transfer Service went bust - no doubt through charging 99 euros for up to 8 people, increased to only 109 euros in their last season. I asked a taxi service in Salzburg to quote me their best 'business' rate for our guests, and they quoted EUR 140. The saving didn't seem worth bothering with, since the local and reliable Holiday Shuttle charges EUR 150 for a private transfer for up to 4 people (EUR 210 for 5-8 ).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks TT - is the company... holiday-shuttle.at ?
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Yes. There's also a link to it from saalbach.com The shuttle service (a minibus or coach, depending on numbers) runs 8 times a day every day of the year, but you will be better opting for the private VIP transfer. The website is accessible in English and it's simple to book and pay on-line.
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Hi there folks, this looks like a great thread...anyways looking like saalbach for january...open to all avaiable dates...2-4 persons....a good b and b or good half board is what we are after, like our apres ski, not great skiers! can some one give good advice on somewhere to stay please and not breaking the bank thanks...sorry but im sure this has been asked so many times already
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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 highly recommend the Hotel Konig via Crystal. Good location, excellent food, good staff, decent rooms. It's HB.
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skimel, Sorry. we can't assist, but you could do worse than search on saalbach.com Try for somewhere central so as to cut down on walking and taxis. Bear in mind that you can eat out reasonably cheaply and flexibly in Saalbach, and, if you like your après, you might find it preferable to have evenings when you grab a late burger/kebab/pizza in Bobby's Pub (the quality of which should not be underestimated!) after you've finished partying or night skiing or whatever. Half board can be a bit limiting. You could do worse than stay with our neighbours, the Pension Grafleiten (www.grafleiten.at), which is directly opposite the Kohlmais Lift Station.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| HoneyBunny wrote: |
| I highly recommend the Hotel Konig via Crystal. Good location, excellent food, good staff, decent rooms. It's HB. |
Agreed - it might well be possible to book B & B as well (I did, initially, and then switched when there).
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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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Has the time not come for the launch of a Saalbach/Hinterglemm official unofficial 2013/2014 thread?
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Has the time not come for the launch of a Saalbach/Hinterglemm official unofficial 2013/2014 thread?
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Indeed - particularly as the lifts opened today, Friday 29th November.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Fenoit wrote: |
| Me and the GF have just booked for the w/c 25th of Jan. Staying at the Berger SportHotel. Does anyone have any comments etc regaridng our choice of Hotel? |
We stayed there for New Year last year. The food was great, and the location is nice and central to the village... BUT this does make it quite noisy until about 3am (4am on Newyears day!). I had read all the tripadviser reports and they were very accurate, so it is worth doing that to get a sense of what it is like (although ignore the raving loons!).
Based on what I'd read, I took along ear plugs, and didn't notice the noise at all (until I took them out to check!). I emailed the hotel in advance and asked them if we could have a room Near the Top of the Hotel and at the Back (this is the quietest location). I guess if you were on a lower floor near the Front then it will be noisy(er). You might be younger than us, so it might be you that is rolling in at 3am so maybe this is all wasted on you 
I had read comments about "the strip bar under the hotel" before we went and was slightly apprehensive... but in reality you wouldn't have known it was there. Only once did we see the "ladies" outside the door enticing the customers in, and even though we'd told our 13yo daughter what to expect we'd based our assumptions on Amsterdam and Soho in the summer... funnily enough in Austria in the Winter all you see is Pretty girls in huge puffer ski-jackets! Nothing to frighten the horses.
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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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Just want to mention a bif thanks to Richard from tatman for all his help the last few days...what a wealth of knowledge. I know we left it late but it's looking like appartments we are after at this stage of the game for January, not quite sorted yet for what we need ...anyone have good opinions with something not too far out of town and close to most things for 4/5 people and something nice and clean , cheers can't wait for saalbach
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Poster: A snowHead
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Any good deals on ski gear boots skis poles, ski school and lift pass in saalbach ..out first time to this resort so opinions needed for January cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
happy hour at the Bergeralm and then a couple of hours of singing and jumping around in the Hinterhagalm.  |
Oh boy, I can't waaaaaaait!
Glad to hear Berger's SportHotel is OK as well. I sleep through anything so it'll have to be pretty noisy to wake me up.
The decor looks 'interesting'.
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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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The decor looks 'interesting'
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Wait till you hear the Elvis impersonator in there - you'll think you're in a time warp!
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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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Self catering accom we used last year was gierbl appartments in haus bellevue. They were very reasonable. They were a little dated and basic but for the price could not complain. 10 min walk to the lift and also centre of hinterglemm
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FAQ
Wasn't that apartment I told you about any good?
