J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by acarr

I got an email from mountainwarehouse.com they're having a skiwear sale. I buy children's skiwear from H&M. Got 8 yr old's salopettes for £14.

Thanks Admin. I've been avidly checking snow reports and long-range forecasts. Last year we went to Filzmoos in mid-March and the day we arrived it was raining and the hills were decidedly green, but after a day or so we had a really heavy snowfall, which made all the difference.

Hi everyone. I am fairly determined to take family to Niederau, but due to work mix-up we can't go until first week in March :evil:
Problem is that I'm really nervous about the snow at that time. We're still beginners and will need to be on the nursery slopes, at least for a few days, and I'm unsure if snow is reliable that low down.
Accepting that no one has a crystal ball to see the future (please tell me this week's lottery numbers :lol: ) what are your opinions on snow in Niederau for the first week in March. We could book a decent offer now at the Harfenwirt with Inghams - or should I look for somewhere higher up with a more reliable snow record?

Allie

Neilson use the Adventure ski school (they did when we were there). I take on board the positive comments about the Karl Maier school. If we were to go back to Rauris, I'd book lessons in resort with the Karl Maier school. :P

@Wanderer

I am sure he will be welcome in bars but he will be exhausted so a late night in the pub is unlikely to be welcome

Our first time, we were all in bed by 9pm we were so knackered! :shock:

Allie

Is this it?

http://www.tiscover.at/at/guide/5,en,SCH1/objectId,WAT995369at,listSelTab,all,modulId,waterfun,parentId,RGN16at,season,at2,selTab,main/main.html

I looked at Google maps, and Worgl seems to be only a couple of miles from Niederau, beside the main autobahn. It's a major rail intersection.

Allie

I've never been myself but a friend went with Esprit and she highly recommended it, especially for beginners. I'd definitely consider it. What are prices like compared to other countries like Austria?

Hi Jordsbabe

I'm a newbie on here but everyone seems very friendly. Have a look at this thread and you'll find some other people going to Niederau the same week.

http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/5124.page

Now, there are others more qualified than me to talk about Niederau specifically, but I can tell you a bit about my own experience beginning skiing.

Regarding jackets and salopettes - I would say you definitely need the right gear. You'll spend a lot of time falling down in the snow and getting wet. Without the right clothing you'll get very cold very quickly. Some friends of ours hired gear for their 4 year old in the resort last year (not Niederau, somewhere else, but I'm sure all hire shops do the same thing). For adults, as you've stopped growing, if you think you'll ski more than once, you could hunt around in the sales and get jackets and stuff quite reasonably. Ours didn't cost much and it's fine. For children, as they grow so quickly, it's probably worth hiring. Alternatively, I bought salopettes for my 8 yr old daughter in H&M very reasonably priced.

About lift passes. When we first started, we made the mistake of buying area passes for all of us. But as we never got further than the nursery slope, this was a complete waste of money. Last year in Filzmoos, we discovered you can buy a Points Card, which is basically a card with a set number of points on it, and every time you use a lift, points are deducted. This is very cost-effective for beginners. I'm sure someone on this forum familiar with Niederau will advise whether this is the case in Niederau. There might even be a special deal for 4 year olds?

Ski school fees are unconnected to lift passes, and so are another expense. When we went the first time, we pre-booked ski school for our daughter and it was indeed 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. However, last year, we booked in the resort and were able to specify whether we just wanted morning or afternoon lessons. All I can say is that Austrian ski schools seem very helpful and will try to accommodate your needs if they possibly can. I don't see why you shouldn't be able to spectate, certainly initially when your son is on the baby slopes. If he progresses quickly, the group might move a bit further up the mountain, so it might be more difficult for you to follow them.

I think in Austria bars generally allow children - we've never had any problems, but I'm sure others will correct me on this if I'm wrong.

That's all my pearls of wisdom. I think it's great that your son is learning young. The younger the better. It's amazing to see the little ones as they learn so fast.

When we started learning, my daughter was 6, I was 44 and my OH was 56 :shock: . You're never too old!!

Allie