J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by rich s

Hi Amanda,
I have just turned 40 so decided last year to have a learn to board day at the snow dome.(mid life crisis) Found it great fun but totally different from sking, apart from using edges to turn. Hired a board for the last day of my holiday last year but decided to have a full week boarding this January and had the best week ever.
I had four one hour private lesson through out the week with the last 2 being off piste(what a feeling).
I can only decribe boarding on powder as floating, until you fall over and spend several minutes and lots of energy trying to get up again.
If you decide to board on holiday i would recommend having a lesson straight away as the instructor will advise you on how to get on the lifts.
Be prepared to fall over 100 times a day and be exhausted by the end of it.
For some reason i found the steeper slopes easier where as on the narrow blue slopes i got caught out a few times and caught the front edge, sending me face first into the snow.(has anyone else had the same problem?)
Make sure you wear a helmet and wrist guards.
Give it a go and hope you like it.

The first thing is, are you going with the family. If not then i would recommend Soll as it has a good nightlife, the slopes are great and you can ski to Scheffau from there. Scheffau is very quiet and more suited to young families with only a few bars, so most people drink at their hotels.

The 'Ski Welt' which consists of Soll, Scheffau, Ellmau, Going and Westendorf has very modern lifts with very few T bars. The T bars generally being for the nursery slopes.

The good thing about Scheffau is that the main ski area starts at 1600m and with the Ski Welt area only having a maximum height of 1850 it is the best area for snow. The one year i went to Soll, due to the poor conditions most people took the bus to Scheffau. It is also a natural bowl a tends to be a few degrees colder.

Went to Scheffau last year with half a dozen begineers and because they liked it so much we are all going back in 2 weeks.

Have a look on the Ski Welt web site www.skiwelt.at

The Alpenhoff has a small boot/ski room and the hotel is only 200m from the nursery slopes where everybody meets.

Would recommend buying some ski carriers.

My kids are 9 and 12 also, so i know what it is like.

Used some 'Ski Web'carriers last year and they were great. Keeps your poles and skis tied nicely together.

www.skiweb.uk.com

Hi Zwee. Stayed at the Alpenhof 4 years ago. Had a great time. The village is ideal for a family with young children. The slopes in the village are long and wide, allowing you to get your confidence back. The only problem is you have to pole along the flat to the first lift.

We all went in ski school and for the first few days we met up to have lunch together. After a couple of days they take you up the mountain and you do not come back to Ellmau until the afternoon (between 3 and 4). The childrens instructers will ask for a few euros (5 euro when we went) and will take them to a restaurant at lunch time.
There is normally a kids ski race on Friday and also Ellmau puts on a great ski show one night of the week.
At the other end of the town you can go tubing and there is also a Tobogan track.

It is easy to ski to Going and Scheffau and as long as you are with the instructor you will not get lost.

I have also stayed at Soll, and Scheffau and will be in Scheffau the week before you. The Ski Welt is a great resort and looking at the current weather it looks like a bit of snow is due in the next few weeks.

If the weather does let you down in the village, once you get up the top of the funicular railway you will be fine.

Have a look at the web site below and hope you have a great time.
www.skiwelt.at

I would suggest looking at Hotel Land Alpin, Scheffau. Although it is not ski in or ski out, it has a ski bus that stops outside the hotel and takes you straight to the godala's which are 100m from the bus stop.

We had a group of 16 (8 adults and 8 kids) last year including 8 non skiers and we are all going back next year at the end of January.

The main ski area is at the top of the mountain at 1600m and being a natural bowl has great skiing conditions with large no's of snow cannons to help out incase of low snow fall. This is where the ski school and nursey slops are located with the Kinder Kaiserland for non sking young kids. You also have access to the whole Ski Welt area for experienced skiers or boarders.(This includes Ellmau, Soll, Brixen, Westendorf and links to Kitsbuhl form 2009). There is a red and blue run down the mountain to the gondala but the blue is not always open and the red can be very icy at the bottom (would suggest only experienced skiers attempt it), however you can ski to half way down and get on the gondal at mid way.

Scheffau is situated at 800m and only had a light covering of snow but in good conditions it is possible to ski to the gondala from the hotel. The resort is very quite with only a few bars but with kids it suited us well.

The Hotel is in 2 sections with restaurants in both buildings and a swimming pool and wellness centre in the rear building. There is also a creche which i think is operated by Esprit. The accomodation is half board with buffets style evening meals and also afternoon tea and cakes. The food was fantansic with a large choose to suit all tastes and fussy kids, with free wine, beer and soft drinks while you are in the restaurant.
The ski hire shop is under the hotel with a large boot storage room accessable direct from the shop. There is also a shop attached to the hotel, bank next door and Spar shop 50m up the road.

Visit links below.
http://www.skiwelt.at/index.php
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g608678-d500360-r6655000-Alpin-Scheffau_am_Wilden_Kaiser_Tirol_Austrian_Alps.html
http://www.kinderhotelw.verein-mks.com/start.php
http://www.wilderkaiser.info/en/default.asp

Regards Richard

I would recommend joining a ski school.
I went sking last year having only skied once before, 15 years ago. Decided to have a lesson at the snowdome before going on holiday and within 30 mins i was parrallel sking with out any problems. I had already booked a learn to ski package but on arrival i was put into an intermediate ski school group. The first few days were a gentle reintroduction with the rest of the week mainly on red runs.
Had a brilliant time, many laughs and learnt more than i would ever have done by myself as the rest of the family were begineers. Also the whole group hit the apres ski bars for a couple of drinks at the end of most days. If you find yourself better or not as good as your fellow group, then the instructor will move you up or down a group. Also if your girlfriend joins ski school they will let you stay together ,in the same group as the least able skier.
Joined ski school again this January in Soll, Austria and will do the same next year.

Hope you have a great time what ever you decided to do.