Ski Amadé 2021-22

A snowHead

Last day of an excellent week based in Flachau, and today we started with the black run from Starjet3 down to Highliner. Knee deep fresh snow across most of the piste, with patches which were mid thigh.

The forecast says that more is to come - Highliner itself was closed due to high winds yesterday, and due to avalanche risk today, but there’s an awesome run waiting once it is stabilised.

We completed the new 12 Peaks challenge on Wednesday, which even on a clear sunny day was a challenge. We ran it out from Zauchensee, reached Alpendorf by 1pm, and were back in the Zauchensee valley at 3pm, but with only a splash and dash stop for a drink and Twix at 12. We had a couple of costly wrong turns or bad assumptions, but 7.5 hours seems about right to complete it. 13K vertical, 39 miles on pistes, 32 runs in total.

A snowHead

@ousekjarr, Glad you enjoyed it. You missed an Off-Piste Powder session today in Zauchensee with a group of fellow Snowheads. You should have let us know you were around. Very Happy

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@RedandWhiteFlachau, I was updated regularly with photos, a day in work never seemed soooo long
Good to see you all out in the pow, its been a long time coming!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@RedandWhiteFlachau, I was part of a boys trip with two old friends who are not snowheads, and none of really have the knees for off piste skiing any more. The powder on the pistes was more than enough for us Embarassed

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We popped over to Mühlbach today for a cruisey piste day doing the Königstour and conditions were stunning, pistes were perfect and very quiet. There are now a few British voices about but still mostly Germans and locals.
It really is a fab time to come over before the Fasching madness and we are due another dump of snow at the end of the week. It was so good in fact we are taking the fat skis back there tomorrow as there is plenty of powder about if you are prepared to skin a little way.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@3offthetee, Nothing wrong with staying in Alpendorf, but with new Panorama lift linking Wagrain/Flachau with Kleinarl and Zauchensee, you might want to consider being more "central" on the Snowspace Area. With Novice skiers you'll find it easier to get about from Wagrain or Flachau.

After all it is free

Hi all,

Misses and I are coming to Amade area 5-13 Feb, first time in Austria and forecast is for a lot of snow begining of next week, so very excited!

As it'll be just me and girlfriend, looking for a place to stay that's a bit more lively with places to eat, to rent skis and cross country skis, and easy to get around with public transport. Looking at the comments, and location seems like Wagrain is in the middle of all this. Looking at accommodations overall, there's plenty that are very picturesque, but in the middle of nowhere. Even Flachau seems a bit sparse from google maps view. Reitdorf and Altenmarkt seem central as well.

Looking to do a few days of cross-country skiing as well, so an easy to reach track would be nice.

Would you have any recommendation for place to stay? And do you use booking.com, airbnb, or some local bed&breakfast site?

Thank you!

@mtomov, welcome to Snowheads!

Flachau is probably the best location for your needs, with good bus services as well as good links on the mountain. Yes, the town is a bit strung out along the road and some of the accommodation is in outlying areas, but some of it is central and within walking distance of a lift, and overall you can walk from one end of the main street to the other in about 15 minutes though why you'd want to remains a mystery to me. The area between the Achterjet and Starjet lifts is the main centre, though even then there's a large area of fields behind the main road. From Starjet down to the area around the Spar supermarket is my usual limit, and that has several good restaurants, and a number of hotels and apartments of varying grade. On the east side of the road and over the river there are more options, but those require the free skibus to get to the lifts.

For cross country, it's outside of my interest/experience but according to https://www.flachau.com/en/winter/outdoors-in-winter/cross-country-skiing/ you have lots of options though only one small trail directly in the local area. The others can be reached via postbus, maybe with a change in Altenmarkt. If the local loop appeals, staying in Reitdorf and accepting that it's away from the centre may be an option - you then have one of the main lifts plus the cross country loop on your doorstep, and if you do come down to the other lifts the ski bus will take you back easily.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@mtomov, Sent you a PM. Please give me a call with any questions. Better do it this evening, Powder Day tomorrow Very Happy

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Great, thanks so much both @ousekjarr and @RedandWhiteFlachau! That was helpful! Based on that I think all 3 of Flachau, Reitdorf and Altenmarkt would do well, so will pick one based on accommodation price. Seems like there's cross country trails everywhere - even came accross a map of them all - https://d3u9sm4kpb9d1j.cloudfront.net/pictures/1056493 , so I think we're good snowHead

snow reports

@mtomov, reitdorf is where the locals live and theres bug all there. You can get the bus to the lifts but the times may not suit..you can get to the cross country trails from flachau easily enough as they join up. Altenmarkt is a bus to skiing. Lovely little town though. Flachau has the most going on

@holidayloverxx, thanks! That's helpful! We got a place in center of Altenmarkt. Only thing to find are some skis to rent, but we'll sort that out once we get there. The snow forecast looks amazing!

Thanks all! Appreciate your tips!

You know it makes sense.

@mtomov, great...you'll really enjoy it.

PM flangesax on here for rental recommendations.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I'm looking for somewhere for my wife and I from next Sunday for at least a week as part of a longer climbing trip. Driving out. Looks like Amade has good snow. Have skied Kaprun, Soll, Mayrhofen, Zillertal before, but years ago. Don't think I have skied in Amade, so interested in recommendations, also interested in Ischgl, but might not be so good for the wife. She's not skied before, (but is a an accomplished climber), so would like somewhere with beginner lifts, or magic carpets, and may put her in ski school rather than risk marital disharmony doing teaching. I like off piste skiing/touring, happy enough to do it on my own provided it's not glaciated, but might join a free ride group if they have them in Austria. Or if anybody else is out skiing on their own could meet up some days.
We have our own skis.

A snowHead

@nevis1003, Sorry, missed this post. But today was a super powder day, if you knew where to go. Sorry but heading off somewhere else for the next couple of weeks but I'm sure someone else will pop up and say hello. Have a great week.

A snowHead

Hi! I am hoping for some current info on Zauchensee please!

I'm visiting in April, but I know their website makes the bold claim that it is "worth a visit in any season", so I'm 100% confident on choice of resort, but I few thing I couldn't find:-
- ATM / Cashpoint / Geldautomat: I am pretty sure there used to be a Raffeissen bank in Zauch, but it no longer shows on google. I can see the front door on the webcam (!) but it looks very closed. Anyone know if there is a functioning ATM in the village itself (I know there are ones elsewhere!).
- linked to the above... anyone had issues with paying with credit card in mountain huts (or anywhere else) in the region?
- any recommendations for the last Schokolade mit Rum stop on the hill for the afternoon (ie in the sun at 4pm in April but cosy inside type place) - or a better drink recommendation?
- ticket machine / green pass validation - can this be done near the base of the Rosskopf lift. The website suggests this might only be possible at the Weltcuparena base station... happy to walk there but would be good to know the nearest option for the first day in case I can get the Billy Bunter magic extra day of skiing in!
- any other suggestion welcome? (though if for a different resort, it will need to make some pretty grandiloquent claims beyond being "worth a visit")
TIA

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Wildsmith, there is Bankautomat in the Arena. Some huts only accept cash. The lift ticket 2G verification can be achieved at any lift ticket purchase point.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@Wildsmith,

- ATM - there's one in the lift station from memory, but certainly nothing in the village itself. Altenmarkt is the nearest 24 hour option
- card payment - now fairly universal including contactless payment by card or phone, but there are places that are still cash only, and some which accept cards do have a minimum spend to cover the charges
- last stop - hmm... Zauchensee is a great place for snowsure skiing because it has a microclimate caused by its alignment with almost all of the runs either facing east or north. If you want sun at the end of the day, Zauchensee is not really the place to be. That said, the Rauchkopfhutte at the top of the Tauernkarbahn is as good as you'll get because of its position at the top of the mountain and with a west-facing run down, while on the other side you may still get some rays at the Adlerhorst in April but the sun will drop behind the mountain fairly quickly as it isn't on the peak.
- pass validation - do it online the night before at https://safe2ski.services.skidata.com/portal/?country=at&resort=Ski%20amad%C3%A9 , or as you collect your pass. It's quick and simple.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

thanks both!

You'll need to Register first of course.

Hi All. I have just booked to return to Flachau next weekend and we last visited in 2019. We are looking forward to trying the link to Flachauwinkl. Can anyone recommend any restaurants for the evening and mountain restaurants? We have previously enjoyed Hoagascht and Zum Holzwurm in the evening. Thanks

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@o11y, Hoagascht and the Schusterhäusl remain the best options in town, while the newly redone pizza place at Glückskind in what used to be the old Fire & Ice nightclub was good when we visited in January. For standard Austrian stuff we liked Zum Zottl at the Starjet base station but their pizzas were very salty.

On the hill I've never had a problem anywhere, but my particular favourite is the Gamskogelhütte above Zauchensee both for the view from the conservatory, and for the general atmosphere inside. Plus it encourages you to ski the world cup run, which I think is the best run in the area, closely followed by Topliner on a good day.

The Panorama link to Flachauwinkl is a good addition, but it is very exposed on the top section where it crosses the ridge and we had a couple of windy experiences on it and one day where it closed and left us to take the bus back to Flachau just like the old days. No problem for us, but for the Russian family we met at the bottom who had ventured across from Wagrain it was more of an issue.

After all it is free

@o11y, Zum is great, but we also like Possruck for finer dining and Dorfalm for casual. Weinstadl at the other end of town for the best pizza - don't be tempted by the turkish place on the main street - but interested now to see that the old Fire and Ice has been reborn yet again so will try that next time. On the mountain Auhofalm just above the mid station at the Flying Mozart, Winklalm at Flachauwinkl just at the top of the first lift (sunshine shuttle?)

Unlike @ousekjarr i don't rate Hoagascht so much - its OK but we don't often bother to go. Schusterhausl for steaks definitely.

Hey, just wanted to say that misses and I had an amazing week begining of Feb! We stayed in Altenmarkt just above Sport 2000 where ski rentals seemed to even be a bit cheaper than elsewhere - 130 euro for week + 10% discount with a leaflet, no pre-booking.

Cross-country routes start from the village itself for those who fancy, all perfectly maintained, and free!

We mostly skiied in Zauchensee, which was all around great. Plenty of people, but lift system handles them well. Even met with @RedandWhiteFlachau, who showed me a bit of off-piste powder skiiing ..

We liked the area so much that we booked the 19th March week to go there again, but this time thinking of staying in Bad Hofgastein, as it seems that it'll hold snow a bit better, let's see.

Thanks for all the tips - staying in Altenmarkt was indeed the best choice for us!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@mtomov, My pleasure, sorry for the crash photo Very Happy

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

thank you @ousekjarr, @holidayloverxx, we will take a look and get some of those booked over the weekend. Kids are looking forward to heading back to Krapfenalm for doughnuts and I like the apres and ribs in Lisa Alm.

snow reports

@o11y, in over 10 years I've still not managed to get to the Krapfenalm!

When you say next weekend, do you mean 5th? Get your tickets booked for the mens night slalom race on 9th, but even if you don't want to go Flachau will be heaving so you will need to book restaurants on certainly 8th and 9th. If you manage not to find anywhere you can always get pizza at the Jagdhof - till about 11pm. Zum Holzwurm will be rammed as people watch the race slopeside outside and they really focus on beer and sausages on race night

Where are you staying?

Thanks @holidayloverxx, yes, i mean the 5th, i was wondering why that week seemed busier than normal. I am hoping to stay in an apartment in the Holmanhof - although they have been unresponsive thus far in confirming the receipt of my deposit.

I would never of stopped at the Krapfenalm as it does not look great from the outside but the kids loved the doughnuts.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks @holidayloverxx, yes, i mean the 5th, i was wondering why that week seemed busier than normal. I am hoping to stay in an apartment in the Holmanhof - although they have been unresponsive thus far in confirming the receipt of my deposit.

I would never of stopped at the Krapfenalm as it does not look great from the outside but the kids loved the doughnuts.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@o11y, Do you mean Holzmanhof? Its at the end of our street. great location for the Achterjet. I would call them given how busy the week is going to be.

A snowHead

@holidayloverxx, is the men's race a recent addition? Thought I had checked the calendar when planning to come to Flachau in Jan. Daft question but what do you actually get access to with your ticket? They seem excellent value at 20 euros. I am in Flachau from the 5th staying HB so won't need to worry about finding a restaurant (if i can sneak out for dinner between runs!). I really enjoyed being in Saalbach the night of the Mountain Attack race a couple of years ago so will definitely get a couple of tickets. I know you (or @redandwhiteflachau) have answered my question about the effect on other slopes previously so this news has just added to my excitement.

A snowHead

@toyah807, for €20 you get access through the security fence to be able to approach the course, which means you can stand on the side of the course and get very cold feet while drinking ice cold Gosser at extortionate prices, and before and between runs you can be "entertained" by the local equivalents of Britain's Got (no) Talent. To get to the side of the course, you need to climb up the side of a red run which has been terraced by piste bashers to provide standing areas, which means a steep slope between terraces which has handy knotted ropes to assist you in both climbing up and in not killing yourself on the way down. You'll be exhausted before you get halfway up, which is one reason why the crowd thins significantly the further away from the finish you go. Have a look at the photos at https://www.flachau.com/en/dc/detail/Event/audi-fis-ski-world-cup-men-s-night-slalom-flachau-2022-1/ for some idea of what to expect.

For just €39 you also get entry to the grandstand, where you can stand in among the hardcore fans as they wave flags which stop you seeing the racers, jump up and down on the rickety (but safe) scaffolding which is under your feet, and throw their beer in the air if an Austrian takes the lead.

If you want to eat between runs, book a restaurant table a week in advance. And don't try to enter or leave the village on the day of the race without a car pass, as the roads are closed. They operate a park & ride scheme from way down the valley.

If racing is your thing you'll probably love it. I watched it once, and left after the first run never to return. The start draw and bib presentation the day before was more entertaining, as was the Legends race that evening. Call me a grumpy old man NehNeh

Don't be tempted to ski the run when it is reopened 1-2 days later. Let a few other mugs break themselves on it first to break the ice up a bit...

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@toyah807, the men's race is replacing Zagreb, which was cancelled. It happened last year as well. Flachau is geared up to setting up the infrastructure at short notice. The hill is too easy for the men really but it will be fun

If you decide to go piste side you must wear snow boots and good socks. Preferably with foot warmer teabags as well. Wear ski gear and hat that covers your ears. Be very careful coming back down ..its carnage as people start running down and bowling over. We've bought grandstand tickets this time and i have my view obscuring Union Jack ready.

€20 and €39 are book in advance prices

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@ousekjarr, your sales pitch worked! Might never do it again, might not get the chance, so purchased grandstand tickets. Hopefully we will still eat at our hotel and we will definitely not try the run the following day

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@toyah807, the understated approach is usually more successful than the classic sales pitch wink

As your hotel is apparently at the Achterjet end of town, that's quite a walk back between runs, and may be a bit tight. How well can you jog in snow boots on icy paths? NehNeh

You'll need to Register first of course.

@ousekjarr, if the alternative is paying for food, like Alan Wells!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@toyah807, well given Allan Wells is now 69 and didn't win any ice skating medals, that may not be quick enough. Running spikes might come in handy though, especially if someone jumps up and down on your feet in the grandstand, as revenge can then be served up most pointedly

After all it is free

@ousekjarr, all very good points, a liquid dinner it is. @holidayloverxx, see you in the grandstand, I will be wearing a turquoise Rab hat and will look out for the view obscured corner

How's the snow currently please?

Filzmoos specifically.

Thanks

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Good snow conditions at the moment. We are having a spell of clear sunny weather at present so it does get a bit soft later in the day but it is very cold overnight so nice and crisp in the morning.

Help!!

Ski Amadé 2021-22

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Snow Reports - weather - snow conditions