Thinking about skiing.....

Like you I have been to Val several times, and it's a big, big area. From what I see and read about Obergurgl/Hochgurgl is that it's quite compact with some high end hotels. I guess that it depends on what sort of skiing you want to do. If seeing the same runs, day in day out would be then it just has to be Val

Hi Nelly,


we went to Obergurgl this March and really enjoyed it. We are both intermediates and found the resort great for confidence building as the runs are all fairly wide reds with some steeper blacks, but all achievable due to runs being wide. Some fantastic views over into Italian Dolomites and down to the village. A visit to the Nederhutte is a must (just search youtube for some videos of the fun!

The better runs are in Hochgurgl which is easily reached by the Top Express or by bus. Mainly chairs with only a a couple of drags at the far end of hochgurgl, which is worth a visit as not many folk use the drags. Lots of easy off-piste near the runs to build confidence in the fluffy stuff which we found great fun . Some great wee runs through the trees lower down in Obergurgl(again Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX4btsI3OLM "obergiggle" to see some fun!) Lifts were all quiet with no queues.

There is a Ski Club rep in resort who we skied with most days and was excellent taking us to areas we may not have visited ourselves. One downside is due to altitude it can be windy but we had a fantastic week where it snowed at night and was sunny during the day. Quite a quiet resort at night but you can find entertainment in the resort bars.
Night skiing available twice a week as well as a firework display and instructor ski show on the Tuesday.
Resort looked good for borders although there were not many about (perhaps due to age profile there)and there are no half-pipes etc.
Lift pass can be extended to the Glacier resort of Solden (think this is where the World up starts each year) for a day which is a short bus trip down the valley.
Certainly think there is plenty skiing to do for a week unless you are a true piste basher who doesn't want to ski a run twice.

We came back and booked again for March 2010 !

We went with TO and stayed in the Lohman which is a modern hotel a short walk to the main gondola. Mainly Austrian and Germans staying at this hotel with only one English speaking couple apart from ourselves. Accommodation and food was good and very helpful staff (as much beer and wine with evening meal included in the half board). Hotels in resort do seem a bit more expensive than other Austrian resorts although there is some chalet accommodation where some folk were staying who had made their own way there. (don't know any detail)

Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers for that, loads of useful info - I shall be looking into it more!

Hi Nelly. Sorry, missed this one.
I've skied both and I wouldn't compare them in any way apart from the good snow. David G has summed it up really well. I think it comes down to what you want from your skiing, a different slope every run - don't go there, if you want a great week of skiing I don't think you could go far wrong.
I've booked to go back at new year (I learnt there) and am counting the days, thinking of it before I drift off to sleep and I'm completely overexcited about the new Star Bar at the top of Hochgurgl looking out over the dolomites... It'll only be the second time in my life that I have voluntarily revisited a resort, summer or winter.
If you go I'd also highly recommend the Nederhutte, especially on a thursday night when you're taken up and down by a piste basher (take a t-shirt, it gets very hot!).
It ain't cheap though

Thanks Caron, I'm excited about skiing already and not even booked yet. We're swaying towards Val at the moment purely because I'm limited on time off from work (booo!) and the snowtrain means 8 days skiing and 5 days off work.

Will still look into Obergugrl though, not heard a bad thing about it!

I'm still around but like you not been on here much lately...works very busy at the moment. I haven't been to either but fancy Obergurgl one day.

NellyPS,
I've been to Obergurgl,
And I think what's most striking about it is that it's a very 'civilized' sort of place, if you know what I mean. There are no snow boarders knocking you flat every second, or hordes of skiers blocking up all the lifts.

We were in the Crystal hotel, and they had a silver dinner service with waiters hanging about behind you ready to whip away the irrelevant cutlery before you accidentally used the wrong knife because you'd missed out the fish course, or whatever.

I overheard a very amusing conversation in the street between a man and his tour rep. The poor man said he was in one of these posh hotels, with his elderly father, and his father was sick to death of these elegant meals, where they have lots of courses each consisting of about a tablespoon of food, and his father was desperate for a plateful of 'real' food - like ham and eggs and chips etc. and where could he get a meal like that in Obergurgl.

We met some advanced skiers, and they seemed happy enough with the ski area, although they did go off to Solden for one day. We weren't very good at the time, so we didn't nearly ski the whole resort of Obergurgl, and we only skied a bit of Hochgurgl. We did go in the new circular cafe above Hochgurgl, though, and it does have an amazing view. But I found it rather difficult ski-ing back down from there. As far as I remember it had a black run and a blue run down, and the blue was obviously the road in summer, and it was very narrow and I couldn't turn on it so I had to snowplough down it and my kids laughed at me for being so pathetic.

It's the sort of place designed for those who like to be comfortable. I remember the chair lifts had those windscreen things, so that when it's windy going up you don't get cold. And lots of the hotels are spas, with saunas and jacuzzis.

Ally

Would Obergurgl be a good place for me to consider seeing as I want to ski Solden?