J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

Jack, another Niederau regular here. This winter will be my 46th year since I first skied in Niederau. I agree that Tom is a good first port of call.
As you might guess, after 46 years, my view of the village may be slightly positive. You asked of Niederau as a view as a resort

Niederau is an old village, it had the first full mountain lift in Tirol. built in 1946. Please do not believe the rumours that I was on the first lift....

I always stay at the top end of the village, the edge of Niederau, and technically in Grafenweg. The main hotel here is the Harfenwirt, owned by by long term friend Herbert. The nearby 550 year old Bichlwirt is run by Herbert's sister, Maria. Herbert ofttimes plays the harp there, and many is the night I have hung alongside with guitar or banjo. There is a lift that will get you to the village.

In the village centre, is the church, the Hotel Austria, owned by the Blackfelder family. Blackfelder used to be my boss, as he owned the ski school. Down the side road is the Staffler, a lively, and low cost hotel, with the Cave Bar. Also near the centre is the Hotel Simmelwirt, also a 500+ year hotel.

Lower down the road is the junction with the Wörgl road, associated with several accomodations. Carrying straight over the junction the road leads to Oberau, the Gemeindant of the valley. This village includes the over 1000 year old Kellerwirt hotel.

I have known, and skied with many of the reps in Niederau, and so look forward to meeting up. Should you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to PM me.

There seems to be some confusion here, between fitness and strength issues. There is a third consideration ~ mobility.

For a track athlete, and I count over 20,000 miles in my athletics history, plus well over 250 weeks skiing, burning thighs occur as a result of lactic acid build up.

For a semi speed event, say the 800m, lactic acid will start to build up after 700m. For a 1500m runner, it is somewhat longer. But for a 5000m runner, LA buildup is much less of an issue.

And so with skiing. An average skier will come down the Marbachjoch in 15 ~ 20 minutes, whereas my best time is 2 min 42, and an average run is 4/5 minutes. I never have a LA issue. However, many of those returning the longer times will evidence tired limbs. The reason is that they tend not to have the required strength base in their muscles. Nor are they ski efficient. As a result, they are using up to 8/9 times more units of energy than a regular and experienced skier. Hence, I maintain that most long term efficient skiers do not have an issue with fitness.

Strength, is a really important factor. We all get into, errm, "situations".
Someone turns right across you, (yes, it is your fault, but you have to deal with it) You hit an unforeseen bump. Sheet ice. We have all done the bit of soft snow/fast piste, depending where the sun has been shining through the trees. So many different situations, but with one solution ~ we have to draw on our muscle strength to get back on course, and stay safe. So, in order to stay safe we do need strength. Strength is one of the two most important factors in skiing. We are talking predominantly about leg strength, particularly working on the quads.

Fitness and strength are the two most commonly confused issues in skiing. If you are in the gym, or on the road, running or cycling, your main gain is fitness, (your least need), but you will also gain in strength, so no real issue. If you are working on weights in the gym, you will gain in strength, (important), but not in fitness. Work on the quads.

The other, and important issue is mobility. It doesn't matter how experienced or inexperienced we are as skiers, we will all be hit with situations that require an extended leg stretch, a compressed and weighted knee. (Ouch, a sudden memory)

Confession time. I have suffered a couple of years of illness, something totally new to me! So I now know I have strength and mobility issues. Having walked Skiddaw earlier this year, I certainly know I have fitness problems.

A big winter approaches, Austria, France, Colorado, Scotland. So now, I am mostly working on strength and mobility! If it doesn't work, I will be doing a lot of painting!

Hi Michael, welcome to J2ski. I will be making the return journey in March, skiing in Colorado.

There are a few issues that I might help with.

Re the Innsbruck base, the closest skiing, where the Gondola goes directly from Innsbruck, up to the Nordkette area. This is a fairly steep area.

If you have a car, you can access some other close areas, including the Stubai glacier.

Depending on when you hit the Kitzbuhel area, you might be around for the Hahnenkamm week. I go most years, although nowadays I tend to go on downhill training day ~ you get all the same action as the downhill, without the financial hit. The training day is Tuesday 19th January. (I am always in Niederau 0n the 18th January!)

Yes, I agree with the Leogang suggestion, providing a good route into Saalbach/Hinterglemm.

There are many other great areas in Austria. It sounds like we have been skiing for a similar amount of time. I have skied in many areas in the world, and although my favourite all time run is in Colorado, my heart will always lie in Austria. I have skied over 200 weeks in Niederau alone.

One key factor to consider is your lift pass. From the places you have mentioned, you are likely to need the Tirol pass. The Kitzbuhel area, which would include Leogang, and many other areas, would be covered by the Allstar pass. But this would not cover the Innsbruck area, so is an unlikely solution.

With some passes, but increasingly fewer, age may count favourably on price.

Also, with some passes, if you are in an region for more than two and a half weeks, a season pass may be a lower cost solution, although, generally, the age benefit tends to disappear. I have bought season passes for the past 15 years or so.

If a season pass is a viable solution, you have a window of opportunity to reduce your cost. Normally, if you buy your pass prior to 5 December, there is a significant cost saving.

I would be quite happy to look at your ski pass options,and provide you with the relevant websites You can put your itinerary info here or PM me.

Hi, it's Bracken here again. I forgot to tell you about my daddy, Ashley, who is a real snow sports guy. Yes that Dave Mac guy trained him too, and then he went to a place called Leamington Spa, something called a stud dog. Dunno what that is, probably something to do with wimmin, knowing that Dave Mac guy.

Apparently, my daddy, Ashley, has sired over 60 working guide dogs and 5 medical detection dogs. I dunno about all that stuff, I have chewed those ski boot things, and I am now looking for my Bonio.
Anyway, here is my snowsporting daddy, Ashley:

Admin, (POO), I would love to go to this Chasing Shadows thingy, but I am more into chasing sticks. (Yes, I know, I am destined to be a Guide Dog, and I am not supposed to chase things, but then a girly dog has to do what a girly dog does).
As you can see, I are busy choosing the new ski boots. I think if I started chewing on the left hand pair, and then moved on to the others, I could be finished before walkies, and that Dave Mac guy will never notice....
Best wishes for the winter,
Bracken.

Admin, yes to the Subaru 4WD.

Canadian Skier, yes to Ford Winstar. I have hired a Winstar twice from Denver to travel round Breckenridge, Vail, A Basin, Keystone, Beaver Creek etc. (And one other time, in a chauffeur driven limo!!!)

Not sure what we will get, this season.

You would have to question someone having problems driving a 4WD ~ I suspect a little tongue in cheek.

Where I live in Scotland, in the bad years, (or good!), the combination of heavy snowfall and high winds often mean the snow depth on the road is over a metre. Hence, once a tractor have shuggled up the lane, we can usually make our way to the village, and thence to the town ~ increasing the Freelander 4WD setting to "snow and ice"

And in the Ford Transit days, I once drove the 5 miles to the town through almost single track, snow at roof level, FWD, and ancient tyres. At that age, I was invincible!

I have pretty warm feelings towards switching to an electric car. I have test driven a couple, been offered a test drive in a Tesla, but couldn't make it. My motoring editor son has had two test drives. Of course, they are 4 wheel drives, but..... in snow????

Ha Skite, a re-visit in history! You have a Vauxhall Corsa. My mate persuaded me to drive my Vauxhall Victor from Manchester to Austria, my very first visit to Austria. We stayed in a houseful of ski instructors, sleeping on the floor in one instructors room, and, it changed the course of my life, thereafter spending several seasons in Austria. I formed a bond with the local farm boy, harp player, and I played guitar/banjo alongside him. When we went back to the UK, he jumped in the back, planning to visit his girlfriend(s)(s)(s) ~ get the picture?

At Calais, my VV developed a starter motor issue. So, one of Tirol's greatest harp players helped to push my VV on to the ferry!

Oh, that Harp player now owns several hotels, plus clubs, but I still sit alongside him on his harp, and sing/play guitar. Last year, as most years with several ex-J2skiers.

Back to cars. During my seasons I drove the aforesaid Transit, (an ex-Redifusion TV van, with the lettering clearly on view). Ongoing Austria, visits ~ a VW campervan. Next time, a Range Rover, Then a Freelander. In between times, and more recently, over twenty hire cars. With the exception of the Ford Transit, which did skite on ice, in no case, have I had a any traction issue.

Of all the cars driven, the Range Rover was outstandingly the best.
Having said that, I think my current Freelander might have an edge on traction.
My son, who is a Motoring Editor puts the Range Rover ahead, but then, what does he know?
I just tell him I will see him on the slopes....

Most recently have driven Range Rover, no issues.

In my seasons, I had a Ford Transit rear wheel drive, no snow tyres, rarely used chains. Thankfully, there is legislation in place now.

I certainly SKITEd about!!!

More seriously, think about a range of cars you would prefer to use in the UK, and then look at which of those may fit best to Alpine activity.