Adv/Int skiing in Austria

clareybearey wrote:Hi there. You sound like you know your snow! Question for you. Thinking about going to Saalbach early Feb or early March. Which week is probably going to be best for good snow conditions?

I was there in Feb '06 and March '07. 2006 the conditions were said to be their best in 40 years and we all know what happned in 2007 so it's difficult to say which would be the best month.

One thing I would say, which ever month you chose, try skiing across to Leogang early on in the week. A lot of the pistes to Leogang are high up and many are north facing. We overheard a lot of people this year who were gutted that they only found the runs on their last days of their holiday - we were actually staying in Leogang and felt very smug 8)

Its good to see someone supporting 'low level' skiing for a change. We live in Radstadt in the heart of the Ski Amade region 45 mins from Salzburg. Our local slope starts at 850m. I have a constant battle with the Brits, who are very heightest! Height isnt everything!

Take last season as an excellent example. We all know Europe had a poorest snow record for 100 years, yet, at our height of 850m, we were open at the beginning of December unlike many places in France and we stayed open all season.

Some of the higher places such as Obertauren which is up the road from us, had excellent snow, yet the visability was often very poor as you were in a cloud.

We also have tree lined slopes. It is all very beautiful and shouldnt be dismissed on account of not being very high. Lets face it - if it didnt snow here then we wouldnt have a massive ski network - or put in bids to host the winter Olympics (allbeit we lost).

i would reccomend kaprun/zell am zee as you have the glacier at kaprun and nice tree lined skiing at zell,i have skied switzerland,italy,france and canada,and austria probably best value but all good,try a different place every year ,book late and wait for the snow.