Reds in Niederau

Hi Folks,

Im going out to Niederau in a few weeks and just want to know about some of the pistes. I'm quite happy doing blues and reds but my wife is a little underconfident at the moment on reds. How steep and intimidating is Red 17 (from Lanerkopfl 4-man chair to the Markbackjoch) - is it do-able for a lower intermediate?

Also - which of the 2 reds running down to the resort (19 or 23) are the easiest to deal with?

Thanks for any help

The top section of the Red 17 has steep sections, and an awkward camber. It can be quite difficult later in the day, when the surface gets glassy. It is possible to get onto the lower main part of the run, by going on a path through the trees. The lower part, (Hochberg), although steepish, is fairly wide. It is a very enjoyable run.

Run 19, (Merkenwiess), has the easiest ways of getting down, but it does help to know them, so that you can avoid the difficult bits.

Runs 23 & 24, (Tennladen) are great, there is a steep, but wide face.

Providing that your wife can negotiate the steeper faces of the top two intermediate T bars, this is usually a good guide for the capability of carrying out runs 29 & 23.

What date are you going?

Hi Padge

if you go to Jan's webcam http://www.auhof.co.uk/webcam.asp you can get a really good view of some of the slopes. if you go to the dropdown menu (bottom left) I think that the gondola (top) view is the red 19 Sir Dave speaks of. Tennladen shows the black section of 24 to the right (24b) merging into the red 24 which comes from the trees where the orange fence is on the left.

here's a picture of red 23, widely agreed more of a blue [but maybe if you don't tell your wife this it'll boost her confidence :D]. perfect for her needs I should think, it was perfect for mine.



good luck and enjoy :thumbup:

by the way, would you have the time and inclination Dave/anyone to give us a list of the piste names against the numbers? I'd love to know for future reference :D

caron-a wrote:

by the way, would you have the time and inclination Dave/anyone to give us a list of the piste names against the numbers? I'd love to know for future reference

Mmm, I think that you might find that I did, Caron, just after the run numbers.

Only one missed out is the top section of run 17, which is called the Lanerkopfl. I havn't named the off-pistes.

:D
what's 21 called?

:mrgreen: talking of reds in the big N my tickets have arrived 18 sleeps to go yippppeeeeeee

I forget names and numbers, but the 2 reds at the top with the T bars are really nice cruisy runs, if a little too short for my liking. I'd put them both as blues to be honest, but they were the 2 I suggested to Caron she play on the most.
AND when the weather is good, they get the sun on them most of the day.
I would bet these will be the 2 runs she likes the most.

The red that continues down through the trees and links up with the other, which is a black at the top, can be quite tricky, especially as it tends to get quite icy as it doesnt get the sun on it hardly at all. But its really wide, and you can travers across it easily enough to get down.

With runs like that, its all about self confidence. Anyone who has been taught at least a weeks skiing could get down that, provided they get lots of turns in and dont let their speed run away with them, ie they have basic control.

I saw a lady snowplough down the steep section when I was there, so anything can be done.

I seem to remember Caron's comments about how thrilled she was when she goet to the bottom of that run for the first time. Its certainly not the easiest I have done in my time!

Tony-H wrote:

Anyone who has been taught at least a weeks skiing could get down that,

Tony, I know that you qualified this statement, but you should know better! Some people only read parts of what is said, so may not read your qualification. I have known hundreds of people that needed 4 or 6 weeks skiing before they can ski that run. Some who will never ski it. Others were capable after 3 or 4 days. Everyone is different.

This is particularly important when someone is asking for specific information in a resort for a certain standard of skier.

Oh, Caron, you set me a test, and I confess to multiple failure. Firstly, I don't really know run numbers, because they were invented after my time! Of course, I have got used to people talking about run 19, (Merkenwiess), and run 24, (Tennladen), so I do know these.

But my descriptions of the Lanerkopfl and Hochberg apply to black runs 16 and 15. So apologies Padge.

And yes red 17 is quite steep. And also, at the end, it does require you to either ski down the mountain, Red 19, or to walk uphill to the Gondola, 80 metres.

And to answer your query Caron, at the top of the Gondola, where we go left, past the small chapel, the run down from the cross is blue 21, and is the Kropfraderjoch. If you remember, there is the Kropfraderjochalm, (cafe) at the bottom. Then further on, down the link path, is Red 23, the Mittermoose.

If you recall, the top part of the blue is actually steeper than any part of the red, it is just that there are less steep ways to go down. In imparting this little gem of information to you in practise, I do recall being awarded the Right Order of the B.....d! For which I was justifiably proud.

So when are you there Padge5000?