 Poster: A snowHead
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Dear Snowheads
I've organised a group ski in Bad Gastein / Bad Hofgastein for next week, most of the group are strong intermediates. None of us have been to this area before, so any helpful advice welcome. I have one who is a nervous intermediate (good, but needs to gain confidence). Any advice on good pistes/runs to warm up on? (We have our own transport.)
Cheers
SPK. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're just back from a week out there. The piste gradings are quite harsh, e.g, the blues tend to be roads in the summer and would normally be classed as greens, some of the blacks would probably be a harsh red at best.
The H1 piste from Hoche Scharte is great, it's the longest downhill run in the eastern alps apparently.
I reckon Schlossalm will be the ideal place for you to spend the first day. You've timed it pretty well as they had plenty of snow in our last couple of days (flew home new years day after an epic morning lapping the jungeralm lift and skiing thigh deep powder!) and there's a bit more due this week
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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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I remember going when I was 17, the best skiing is in Dorfgastein if I remember.
Sportgastein can get a bit icy from memory too.
I enjoyed the thermal baths and I liked Bad and the way the village was on many levels. There is a glitzy looking casino too, but I was 1 month too young to get in.
We stayed in the Hotel Wildbad which was absolutely awesome, Austrian hospitality at its best. That was with Ski Miquel. Has anyone been to this hotel in the past few seasons because I desperately hope it hasn't changed from 10 years ago, I would definitely go back if it is still as good. Wonderful food, great comfort, incredible staff and above all amazing value.
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I am going 3rd march so would appreciate the tips. Anyone any ideas on a ski hire shop, particularly next to the lift where able to leave boots/skis overnight.
Am off to Meribel in a couple of weeks and doing some off-piste lessons. Any tips of a local school/instructor in Bad Gastein to help consolidate lessons learnt?
My wife and mate's friend are non-skiers so Bad Gastein seemed like the perfect resort. Hope to join them for some afternoon snow shoeing and spa baths mid week.
We are staying in the HapiMag KaiserHof Hotel - sort of TimeShare set up. Really hope the wife likes the place so I can get my fix every year. Been VERY lucky this year as big five-oh treat.
Roger
P.S. SPK. Look forward to your trip report.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks nbt, Schlossalm sounds good so we'll head for that on day 1.
Anybody any idea what the car parking is like at Angertal and Bad Hofgastein lift stations(we're staying in Bad Gastein).
hawkesbaynz -I'll certainly post a trip report.
SPK
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In addition to visitors going to Bad Gastein Valley to ski there is a significant number going there for the spa. So the towns are busy and a lot of heat generated. From the two visits I had this valley seems to have poorer snow relative to those in Ski Amade and Zell am See areas. It is a strange place with a heavy dump and white out at the top yet one may encounter rock or grass at the bottom.
Last year or recently they replaced some chairlifts with heated-seat gondolas and built a skywalk type cable bridge at the top to attract tourists. Don't see why a totally enclosed gondola needs heated seats but you can find them in Bad Gastein Valley. You can bring you skis inside the gondola too in a reserved slot next to your seat not like other traditional gondolas with the skis dangling outside.
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snowplough king, there's a massive car park right opposite the schlossalm funicular. That's also where the free ski bus from bad gastein stops. However it's a pretty easy ski over from the top of the Stubnerkogel gondola, you could be at angertal within 45 minutes of leaving bad gastein at a moderate skiing rate
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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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Definitely Schlossalm for the easier pistes, although if you plan to ski from Bad Gastein to Schlossalm it is not that easy on the Bad Gastein side.
Sportgastein is just great for long cruising if you get the right weather. And also Dorfgastein for more cruisy terrain, good lifts and restaurants.
Swedish bar Silver Bullet has good rock bands for apres and later on in the evening too.
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Hello snowplough king,
Are you familiar with the story of the "Black Hole Of Calcutta" from the days of the raj?
If not then you can have your own historical "experience" of the conditions described, whilst using the ski storage at the place named by nbt above!!
We used this facility a couple of years ago while staying at the chalet/hotel Tannenburg.
It's crap. the hire kit is just fine but the storage room scrumdown really pi$$ed me off at first.
Far too many customers crammed in every morning trying to get kitted out for first/early lifts.
As for the skiing-excellent. Nothing too lairy but then again nothing too tame. Graukogel if weather is crap, anywhere else in nice conditions.
Cheers Geoff
P.S. Just had a little proof read and just to reiterate it's the ski storage that's crap, not the Tannenburg, it's great, the young people running it were great, food great,location great, etc etc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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geoffkay, I didn't use the ski storage place, but the whole area round that gondola looks to be pretty recently rebuilt
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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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Hello nbt,
Nothing wrong with the gondola, nothing wrong with the shops and lift pass offices etc. Nothing intrinsically wrong with the storage room, just badly managed and far too
crowded, and full of very rude people.
Cheers Geoff
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geoffkay, fair enough, quite glad we chose to carry skis home each day given that!
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You know it makes sense.
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Pretty expensive too. About 30 euros more than places nearby. Ski Miquel probably had a deal. Thanks for the tip though.
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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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Hello hawkesbaynz,
When you say "expensive", do you mean to hire ski kit or pay for storage? Can't remember storage costs, but if your other option is to cart your kit any
distance, it would be money well spent. Bad Gastein is very hilly. Ignore my whingeing earlier, the ski store option is very much the lesser of two evils.
Just adopt a rugby mentality, get pushing and shoving like everyone else and stand your ground! Is your accommodation on same level as the railway
station, or down the hill?
Hello nbt,
Erm, i don't mind carrying boots and skis but not wearing the ruddy ski boots- if you know what i mean. All i really need is somewhere to leave my trainers or
walking boots for the day.
Cheers Geoff
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Poster: A snowHead
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Why do my posts get randomly rearranged? Anyone got a clue?
Cheers Geoff
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks nbt, useful to know the Bad Hofgastein car park is big.
Tom W, cheers for the info too. I'll probably head up the funicular on day 1 and warm up on the Schlossalm, although the H1 from Hoche Scharte looks inviting ...
We'll be hiring skis for the week (not boots), any recommendations for hire shops, or ones to avoid? I've always had good experience hiring skis, but there is always that first time!
SPK.
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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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it's 10 euros per week to leave either boots or skis (or board if that's yer thing), so 20 euros if leaving both. We walked in ski boots with not much hassle, it was a bit of a pain when walking back down but nothign major
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| geoffkay wrote: |
Hello snowplough king,
Are you familiar with the story of the "Black Hole Of Calcutta" from the days of the raj?
If not then you can have your own historical "experience" of the conditions described, whilst using the ski storage at the place named by nbt above!!
We used this facility a couple of years ago while staying at the chalet/hotel Tannenburg.
It's crap. the hire kit is just fine but the storage room scrumdown really pi$$ed me off at first.
Far too many customers crammed in every morning trying to get kitted out for first/early lifts.
As for the skiing-excellent. Nothing too lairy but then again nothing too tame. Graukogel if weather is crap, anywhere else in nice conditions.
Cheers Geoff
P.S. Just had a little proof read and just to reiterate it's the ski storage that's crap, not the Tannenburg, it's great, the young people running it were great, food great,location great, etc etc. |
nbt refers to the Sport Schober who now have a fantastic new shop which is new to this year - it's opposite the old one. They dug a huge hole in the side of the mountain to fit it in. The old shop undert he lift is now the ski store so probably not crap anymore. 
You could also use Ski Hire Lederer which is on the car park of the Stubnerkogel, their ski depot is free if you hire with them - http://www.skiverleih-lederer.com
snowplough king, you should have a great time. As has been recommended, Schossalm is the place to warm upfor sure. All the lift valley stations have big car parks which are free. Make a trip to Sportgastein while you're there, don't over look the place.
If you want any other specific recommendations, drop me an email.
Cheers
Kersh
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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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We didn;t make it to Sportgastein, they only had two runs open (one top to middle, one down to the bottom) sos didn;t judge it worth the schlep up there 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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nbt, not bad, 2 runs opened thats probably 40% of Sportgastein
snowplough king, H1 run is not that difficult. Only one section, maybe 150mtr which is a bit steep.
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nbt, I saw there wasn't much open. I was there on the 16th December and it was blowing a gale. I spoke to the lady selling lift passes who told me it has stripped the pistes at Sportgastein. All open now but the wind in mid December did some damage!
Kersh
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Resurrecting the thread to ask a question or two..... we're looking at possibly going at Easter to Bad Gastein.
Ski bus - I read a report which said it's a great area for skiing if you had a car, but the bus service between the ski areas isn't great. Is this still the case? or is there now a good bus service from Bad Gastein/Bad Hofgastein to Dorfgastein and Sport Gastein. We won't have a car with us, but would like to be able to ski more than just the linked Bad Gastein/Bad Hofgastein area.
I take it usually the conditions are typical spring conditions at the end of March/beginning of April? and snow coverage is "usually" ok (we were in Kitzbuhel same time last year so kind of know what to expect!)
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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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? 
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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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eithnem, cool thanks. Doesn't look too bad, considering what I'd read. That said 35 mins (from Bad Gastein to Dorfgastein) on a bus isn't too much fun if it's packed and standing room only!
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hammerite, We used the buses at least once a day and always had seats so it was all fine (but you might not be that lucky).
Staying in Bad Gastein we often preferred to finish the day in Hofgastein and take a bus back.
If you spend the whole day in Sportgastein quite likely there will be lots of people waiting for the bus back at 4pm
Again for Dorfgastein often you need to change the bus in Bad Hofgastein.
Saying all this we loved it there and would not hesitate to go back but if you want to explore buses are essential.
And definitely worth going to Sport and Dorfgastein, all areas are very good and somehow different from each other. (noting we have been spoiled with great snow and weather)
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You know it makes sense.
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Tom W, thanks, useful to know.
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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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hammerite, If you go at Easter, probably run back to Bad Gastein won't be opened - there is no snowmaking there yet (I think it is due for 2014) so you likely to take gondola down anyway.
Similar runs back to Angertal (between Bad and Hofgastein) from Schlossalm side looks like losing snow quickly so there is no appeal of coming back to that side of the mountain at the end of the day. (just to take two gondolas to get back to Bad Gastein, that's why we stayed in Schlossalm till the last run, H1,H2 run is very long and great but you need a few lifts to get back so not ideal for repeated runs).
http://www.bergfex.at/badgastein/panorama/
Dorfgastein has some great runs served by quick lifts and superb traditional huts. Just a trek to get there. Would def suggest early bus.
Sportgastein - very long cruisy runs, high alpine scenery - of course if you don't mind taking the same gondola all day long.
Thermal bath are fun, although the one in Bad Hof might be better and bigger.
Bad Gastein setting and architecture is quite appealing, sort of old town with views.
Great live bands in Swedish bar Silverbullet.
If will have to be careful with location if you want at least walking distance to Bad Gastein gondola. Our B&B was quite close to it and even closer to all the buses.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks for the tips. Just had a look and the place I'm looking at is a bit away from the lift station, but has a bus stop right outside which will take us to the Bad Gastein lift (and on to Sport Gastein) and to Bad Hofgastein in the other direction.
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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 Stubnerkogel now has snow machines on the Bad Gastein side now but only from the top to the middle station. They were all put in over the summer.
Cheers
Kersh
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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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I'm heading there the weekend. Any recommendations or things to avoid?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I went to Bad Gastein a few years ago. Very pretty hillside town with a river running through it. We stayed in the Hotel Barenhof, which was a bit of a stroll to the lifts and didn't really feel like a ski hotel, but it was OK.
Liked the ski area, I remember it being quite cruisey with not much in the way of crowds and lift queues (this was in January 2006). Tried all the different areas, but didn't make it up to Sportgastein which is a shame as someone told us conditions were much better there.
The pistes were pretty hard everywhere and icy in places as it hadn't snowed for a while but we still enjoyed the skiing.
We didn't find any 4.30 apres, although I'm assured there was some, but we liked the Silver Bullet in the evenings. Very lively and has live bands.
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