• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Jacob

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Posts
777
Location
Maui
Whiteout conditions are more frequent at high elevation in Europe.

It’s not so much the frequency; it’s that there’s a lot more terrain above tree line. So when it snows, a much bigger portion of the ski area will have bad visibility compared to North American resorts.
 

Jacob

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Posts
777
Location
Maui
Between Osthangbahn and Zammermoosbahn, below Osthangbahn load.


Oh yeah, I forgot there are proper trees below that lift. I don't think I've ever skied down that section, at least not from that entry point.
 

DanishRider

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Posts
338
Location
Mainland Denmark Scandinavia
Good point about downloading. There are many reasons to do it. Sometimes it’s just quicker too, with a wide skillset group, to get to another lift.

Sounds line Austria can be the most crowded in Europe?
I gotta give the #1 spot for crowds to France - By far actually. The way they construct these areas, with mostly apartments directly on the mountain, attracts way to many people.
 

Manny

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Posts
11
Location
Boston
I just joined the forum so I'm a little late to this discussion but I'll add my insight.
I live in the U.S. outside of Boston and I've been married to an Austrian from Salzburg for over 25 years so as a result we almost always spend our skiing vacation in Austria and rarely in the Rockies. I'm familiar mostly with the ski areas near Salzburg so that's what I'm going to comment about. Obertauern, Zauchensee, Flachau, Schladming. Altenmarkt is a good base from which to explore all of these resorts.
Skiing in this region of Austria vs. the U.S. is all about the overall atmosphere more than the skiing itself. It's super laid back, very authentic Austrian, never crowded, and significantly cheaper than anything in the U.S. In the 25 years that I've been going there I don't think I've ever bought a full day lift ticket simply because I find myself spending half the day sitting at a mountain hut drinking beer and eating good Austrian mountain food. I have ventured further West on occasion and while the mountains are bigger the experience is not as enjoyable as the resorts become more and more touristy the further west you go.
As for the traveling, I've done it so often that I have it down to a science :) Fly into Munich, rent a station wagon (always a station wagon so I can fit the skis easily with part of the seat down), drive the 2 hours, arrive at hotel by lunch time or early afternoon. Go rent skis if needed (my NE skis are no good for the soft Austrian snow), stop at the supermarket for supplies, start skiing next morning :)
As other posters already mentioned, the skiing is mostly on big wide groomers. I never pay attention to the color of the trails. We can ski anything so the level of difficulty is irrelevant to us. We're there to enjoy it all, on and off the slopes and with such cheap lift tickets that's really easy to do. The locals really love to ski fast. This is the home of Herman Mayer after all. Obertaurn and Zauchensee have off-pist skiing but it's unmarked so you have to know where you're going.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,419
In the 25 years that I've been going there I don't think I've ever bought a full day lift ticket simply because I find myself spending half the day sitting at a mountain hut drinking beer and eating good Austrian mountain food.
Welcome to pugski Manny!
Thanks for the post.
Never been to Austria.

The quote is classic. Most people here who might be considering going to Europe would probably consider that a “waste of ski time” . But you have the choice at least. I would probably say I used to be in the not wanting to waste all that time eating. But some of those experiences really are amazing and it gets to you. I’ve become more interested in it. I wouldn’t say I would do half a day, but coming to a refuge/cabin/restaurant on the mountain that serves amazing food is really quite something. If it’s really out of the way, just hot drinks and pastries can be delightful.

Or maybe you get to ski next to a dam. Pretty cool.
FBEA3C14-A47C-4D9D-9C5B-4E1BB069B00E.jpeg
Cleuson dam, off piste Verbier, SUI.

I would say skiing in the western US is probably more efficient. Take lift up, get to trail, go down. Repeat. Especially for advanced trails. Usually, no guide needed. One can spend a fair amount of time getting places in Europe. That can be part of the beauty of it. Traveling for miles gliding with incredible scenery. I find one remembers those simple trails/journeys as much as the difficult stuff.


Probably if one is into touring Europe is more than efficient. Or more interesting.
 

Manny

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Posts
11
Location
Boston
The quote is classic. Most people here who might be considering going to Europe would probably consider that a “waste of ski time” . But you have the choice at least.
Ahahaha, I learned to ski from my Austrian wife and that's how they do. Skiing is part of the fabric of their culture.
We can do that in Austria because of the incredible variety of lift tickets on offer. Here in the U.S. or at least in New England all you have is a full day ticket and a half day ticket that is only a couple of $ cheaper than a full day. Also the lift ticket prices are ridiculously high. So people feel obligated to maximize the value.
In those Austrian resorts that i mentioned, you can buy lift tickets that start at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, hourly, morning half day, afternoon half day, etc, etc. You essentially buy what you ski. So we typically wake up in no hurry, enjoy our breakfast and hit the slopes around 10 or 11. Ski 3-4 hours then sit at a hut. That's typically what our ski days are like in Austria and we hardly ever pay more the €100 for the 3 of us, AT THE WINDOW. I have American friends who never skied outside the U.S. who have a heart attack when i tell them how much it costs to ski in Austria. The window price for a full day ticket in the Arlberg is only €60 or less. Compare that to Vail asking over $200.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,419
In those Austrian resorts that i mentioned, you can buy lift tickets that start at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, hourly, morning half day, afternoon half day, etc, etc.
Wow, that’s interesting. As far as I know, Chamonix and Verbier don’t have such a thing.

So we typically wake up in no hurry, enjoy our breakfast and hit the slopes around 10 or 11. Ski 3-4 hours then sit at a hut. That's typically what our ski days are like in Austria a
Lol.
Many people here would have either an anxiety attack or a exhibit snow rage if such a schedule was proposed.
With my European friends who aren’t gung ho skiers, they do similar. The only thing that gets them out with urgency is getting kids to ski school. My reaction was usually, “What is wrong with you people?? The lifts open at 8:45, not 9:45!!”
Now I’m used to it.
 

Ski&ride

Out on the slopes
Pass Pulled
Joined
Mar 15, 2018
Posts
1,633
If they do such a thing in the US, most people would only be paying 4-5 hrs because that’s how long most people can actually ski. Knowing that, the ski areas charge by day not by hr.

Also, hourly tickets are hard to do without RFID, which practically all European resorts use but quite a rarity in the US until very recently.

As far as I know, Chamonix and Verbier don’t have such a thing.
Perhaps because Chamonix and Verbier are not in Austria?
 

fatbob

Not responding
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,288
Chamonix used to do 4 hour tickets. Quite handy - rock up late ski through get to top of mountain on last ride then late luch and ski down.

But the unsaid thing as to why weekenders and semi locals (real locals will have passes and tourists 1 week passes) have these limited hours passes is the skiing is pretty relaxed if it isn't a powder day.
 

Jacob

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Posts
777
Location
Maui
I would say skiing in the western US is probably more efficient. Take lift up, get to trail, go down. Repeat. Especially for advanced trails. Usually, no guide needed. One can spend a fair amount of time getting places in Europe. That can be part of the beauty of it. Traveling for miles gliding with incredible scenery. I find one remembers those simple trails/journeys as much as the difficult stuff.


Probably if one is into touring Europe is more than efficient. Or more interesting.

I think the spread-out nature of the big European ski areas is one of the reasons the off-piste snow takes so long to get skied out. With everything so spread out and with the large amount of vertical, there's just a huge amount of terrain to go around even if you're only skiing the lift-served stuff.

It's one reason why I prefer skiing in Europe, even though I grew up in the US.
 

Decreed_It

I'd rather be skiing
Skier
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Posts
905
Location
Northern Beaches, Sydney, Australia
I'd say to OP absolutely go to Austria - it is awesome and you will love it. Definitely hire a guide at least one day - it's not that bad and worth it, if you go to Innsbruck area I'd recommend the guy we hired, Thomas - can dig up contact info. Found him via https://snowheads.com a UK based forum - lots of great Austria info there.

You have to embrace the local experience, and just go with the flow. If you do - amazing times. I am looking forward to going back again ASAP, not this season but next or the next I hope.
https://www.pugski.com/threads/innsbruck-tirol-austria-feb-14-18-2019.14320/
 

Sponsor

Staff online

Top