The Skiers & Snowboarders Thread

[rugbyskier]

Thoughts from the brains trust on a good ski location in Austria early in the New Year please?

We are planning to be in Munich just after Christmas and have an onward flight booked from Innsbruck on 10 Jan.

St Anton is coming up top of my initial searches but open to suggestions.

Here's one out of left field - Oberstdorf on the Bavarian/Austrian border. Seven ski areas on the one ticket, linked by a good bus network. The town has lots of nice shops and restaurants and there's a spa complex Therme Oberstdorf opening this year.

 

[offshore171]

Intermediate, bordering on advanced for Miss H.

Intermediate for me but I do get dragged onto some easier black runs trying to keep up with Miss H.

Meantime, Mrs H is a fully fledged beginner, despite multiple trips and lessons. A book and a fireplace will keep her happy I suspect.

I think Lech would be the better bet.

It's also got a nicer, more picturesque village scene. Whereas St Anton village at times resembles Ibiza in the snow. Think large groups of heavily drunken dutch and german blokes noisily roaming the streets at 2am. Not really a thing at Lech.

Note you can still access the whole region from Lech, including Zurs, St Anton and all the other Arlberg resorts.

Alternately, if you're open to a smaller resort, with a fantastic village, plenty of non ski activities for Mrs H consider Seefeld.
My recent trip report Lapland for the Polar Night, + Austria and France

It's on the train line to both Munich and Innsbruck (both about an hour) so access wise it's unbeatable.

 

[Stealthflyer]

Just booked Val Gardena in the Dolomites for xmas, 3 valleys for Jan. Switzerland looks great but comes at a higher cost. St Anton looks amazing.

Val Gardena is lovely. I haven’t stayed there - I stay in nearby Corvara - but the ski area is gorgeous and the Sella Ronda makes navigating to adjacent ski areas really easy.

 

[Seat0B]

I’ve just booked Furano again for 2 weeks 25 Jan-9 Feb next year. We decided to give it another try and hope for a better, more normal snowfall this time.

 

[Quickstatus]

I don't like Mega resorts

I agree with Lech/ZellAmSee/Saalbach
I also like Ischgl - as it's in the east you can ski into Switzerland plus the slopes are mainly north facing and higher altitude = good.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Thanks to you all for your suggestions.

As a result we shifted out thinking to either Lech or Zell Am See.

As our stay will be just after Christmas and into the early New Year, accommodation options at all these places were limited.

We've locked in Zell Am See.

I appreciate your advice and opinions- thanks.

 

[Quickstatus]

ZellAmSee town is a little way from the ski area. There is a very comprehensive bus network connecting the town and ski area if not doing ski in ski out

 

[Captain Halliday]

ZellAmSee town is a little way from the ski area. There is a very comprehensive bus network connecting the town and ski area if not doing ski in ski out

Thanks. Not technically SISO, but managed to get a place that’s 200m from the cityXpress chairlift and 400m from the train station.

 

[elanshin]

We're currently planning to be in Europe (landing LHR, leaving AMS) in late Nov. Currently there's a lot of holes as to our itinerary and was wondering if there's a good, beginner friendly slope or general region to look at that we could relatively easily travel to.

I've been trying to convince my partner to try skiing at least once.

 

[Quickstatus]

late Nov

Cortina and Meribel is good for beginners.

I don't know when they start snowmaking as beginner slopes are always at the bottom of the ski area. Not a lot of snow in late Nov generally.

 

[Seat0B]

Not a lot of snow in late Nov generally.

Not to be Debbie Downer, but I came here to say that too. Many resorts don’t even open until mid Dec. Check out their web sites for info.

 

[Quickstatus]

For never ever beginners just go to Corin Forest near Canberra for a try. Much less intimidating.

 

[BrockF]

Thanks. Not technically SISO, but managed to get a place that’s 200m from the cityXpress chairlift and 400m from the train station.

We stayed almost exactly the same spot it sounds like, in the first week of January this year! Works well for first runs on the Cityxpress and also close to a lot of restaurants, shops and the lake for Apre! Enjoy! My wife and son did get lost one day depending in a whiteout though and ended up at the main base area further up the valley, all got sorted though! The buses are very convenient to explore the other parts of the valley and leave from close to the CityXpress gondola.

 

[larrymull]

Val Gardena is lovely. I haven’t stayed there - I stay in nearby Corvara - but the ski area is gorgeous and the Sella Ronda makes navigating to adjacent ski areas really easy.

First time skiing there so looking forward to it. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Thanks to you all for your suggestions.

As a result we shifted out thinking to either Lech or Zell Am See.

As our stay will be just after Christmas and into the early New Year, accommodation options at all these places were limited.

We've locked in Zell Am See.

I appreciate your advice and opinions- thanks.

Not technically SISO, but managed to get a place that’s 200m from the cityXpress chairlift and 400m from the train station.

We stayed almost exactly the same spot it sounds like, in the first week of January this year! Works well for first runs on the Cityxpress and also close to a lot of restaurants, shops and the lake for Apre! Enjoy!

I think I jinxed myself by posting!

The place has now cancelled our booking due to an "unexpected issue with the property."

Must be a major issue if it can't be fixed by late December!

Back to the drawing board.

 

[offshore171]

We're currently planning to be in Europe (landing LHR, leaving AMS) in late Nov. Currently there's a lot of holes as to our itinerary and was wondering if there's a good, beginner friendly slope or general region to look at that we could relatively easily travel to.

I've been trying to convince my partner to try skiing at least once.

Very few reliable options in late Nov.

Couple of places that do generally have good conditions at that time of year:

Levi Finland. Up in Lapland, north of the arctic circle. Will be blanketed in snow by then. There are direct flights from many UK airports and also AMS.

Solden Austria. Has a glacier ski area up high which has good runs and opens in October. Unlikely to be snow at village level until mid Dec at least.

 

[Quickstatus]

Solden Austria. Has a glacier ski area up high which has good runs and opens in October.

While Soelden glaciers can be skied by beginners, it is not recommended that "never ever" beginners start there