J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

Karen, I am a Niederau person so cannot discuss France. Daily costs in Austria are a lot cheaper than France. As Tony H would say ~ Fact.

Easter. End of season is dictated by tour operators. Most years I leave Tirol with the mountains complete with snow, but hotels and lifts closed. Also, at the end of the season, even at higher resorts, skiing in the afternoon is sometimes curtailed because the snow is heavy/dangerous ~ and this affects beginners most.

February. is more snowsure, but more crowded, not just UK skiers, but Dutch and Germans also have school holidays ~ Austrians too. Snow is better quality than Easter. Crowds influence lift queues, so tend not to affect beginners too much.

Artificial snow is less effective at Easter when the ground and air temps are warm. If you are thinking high resorts, they tend to be tree-less, and involve more mountain travel to get from your resort to the snow.

Flights/Accomodation. Normally, I always book flights first, I know I can always get accomodation. But your accomodation needs are specific. So you need to get a few options stacked up.

Accomodation. There are a fair number of apartments in Niederau. Because it is such a nice place, many places get rebooked, year on year. Email the tourist office, and ask for a list. Perhaps you can start with the Auhof, if Jan cannot offer you your dates, he may suggest some alternatives.

Don't worry too much about your accomodation location if it is in Niederau. You can usually arrange to leave your ski gear at the hire place, in the village centre, and walk easily to your house.

Flights. Choices, both with Easyjet, are Edinburgh/Munich or Manchester/Innsbruck. I use the Edi/Mun 3/5 times ayear, it is very good. Either choice it is about two and a half hour airport drive from Newcastle. Problem is that you can only book about 5 months ahead, so the cheap flights go in minutes ~ hence the advice to get your accomodation options open.

Transfer. You could take the train, but for five of you this would be a bit costly. Car hire is pretty good, costwise, although you won't really use it much when you are in Niederau. Drive time, under two hours from Munich, hour and a quarter from Innsbruck.

If you do move your thoughts forward along these lines, I can give you more detailed info.

Oh, if you did want a child friendly hotel, go for the Harfenwirt.

Any photosof that Adele?? :D :D

Ended up in Blackburn Hospital after a session at Rossendale DSS. Stitches in my head and a broken thumb. Response from the nursing sister, (just after I had told her she should have been a film star) was something to the effect that I wasn't to get any anasthetic to the head wound, and "stitch away nurse" :( :(

You can just about write the script. Meet them in the pub first night.
"Hi there, been to Niederau before?"
"No, this is my first time skiing."
"Great, are you in class tomorrow then?"
"No, my uncle/dad/brother/ is going to teach me"
"Hmm"

Three days later...
"Hi there, did you enjoy your skiing today?"
"Mmm, I had the day off today, my knee's a bit sore"
"Oh, OK, well you you can get back to it tomorrow"
"Oh well, I've decided to go to Innsbruck tomorrow"

I always suggest... Invest in lessons for three years, so as to become a good skier. Then go free-skiing.

In this context, I am defining "good skiing" as skiing correctly and in control.

I recently ran a thread looking at "Austrian resorts, suitable for both beginners and experienced skiers". They both have differing needs, so the combination is not straightforward.

For beginners, Filsmoos was suggested, and the Inghams photo of the village approach seems to bear this out. Obertauern also looks good.

Couple of points.

Firstly AJ, "That Inn" in Niederau is Tennladen Cafe. Most years, the Austrian men's ski team train on the Tennladen race area This includes both downhillers on the measured speed run, and also the GS and slalom skiers. This happens early in the week before the Hahnemkan, usually, second or third week in January. Didn't happen this year, but the Japanese ski team were here.

Your opportunity Adele to get up real close to guys wearing skin tights. Tighter than my never-worn red racing trousers Tony H!!

Course you won't see "that dance", we don't have that kind of behaviour in Niederau.

Secondly Pav. Have seen the partially, but minimally clothed version of the close-up dance. Even in this form it is far too much male bonding for me.

Course if it had been the womens ski team....

Amusing moment at Munich airport last winter. Scotsman going through security, had already divested himself of the Prince Charlie jacket, brogues, and sporran. Then he was asked to remove the belt. He started to do this, but thought to warn the security official of the full consequences. Remove the belt, and a yard and a half of Tartan would come away with it, revealing all that skiers like to keep warm!

There was a hasty security consultation, before the Scot was waved through. :wink:

Bandit, With those kilt photos I think you have won already.

Pav, My location is Scotland, My OH, and two skiing and sometimes kilted sons are Scottish, but I am from Manchester.

However, having lived for so long in Scotland, I qualify to wear the kilt, and a finer looking pair of legs.....

My tartan is Hunting Robertson, (I like the colour, and, erm, it was a bargain) My sons have the Black Watch and the Matheson tartans, each their own altruistic reasons.

They both dress in the Kilt as true Scotsmen, which they are, I dress under the Kilt in M&S Y fronts.

I can say for sure, in my case, there is zero chance of kilt and ski coming together.

Well maybe when I am a bit older.

I'm with Bandit most of the way here. Developing the logic process: -

You say the reason for renting is cost of rental. Have you rented from Skiset (located on this site) I have used them several times, and found them to be good value.

Last time, in Saas Fee, cost came out at £51. Remove the £30 cost of airline ski charge. Then consider, that you are travelling lighter. You can bet that the way the airline industry is now, there is only one direction for carriage charges to go.

Then consider Bandit's points on the benefit of change. During a week, you might have used a stiff ski if the piste was hard pack/icy. Then it dumps snow, and a softer pair is so much more fun. Then you can experiment with ski length, brands, models.

Also, with rental,you are always on new/nearly new skis. Conversely, after two seasons, your new skis are already going out of date, unless they are a very good quality, (costly) ski.

There is one exception. If, like me, and others on J2Ski, you have a favourite place, that you return to, leave some skis there. I have a couple of pairs in Niederau. They cost me nothing for the 4 weeks or so that I am there each year.

I learned the hard way, I have about 12 pairs of skis in the loft, all bought and paid for, and all too long/stiff/old/creaky, lord, sounds a bit like meself.