J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

Sorry Tony, must have been dozing.

Zermatt the town is terrific, there are heaps of old barns, building mixed in with the new. No cars, in theory, but heaps of electric taxis/buses fleeing around.

Stayed last season at the Hotel Atlanta, good value, OK food, balconies at the rear look out on to the Matterhorn. Mostly German clientel.

Getting up into the ski areas is still a pain. Better just to accept it will take you 45 minutes to get anywhere. If any of your party is claustraphobic, the big gondolas are likely to be a big problem. They take 140 people, and are mostly full when they leave.

Once on the mountain, the views are very good, the Matterhorn dominates. Nice skiing over in Italy. There was very little changing skiing, but that can be pleasant if you are with a group.

Costwise, the mountain food/drinks are a smidgin over Austrian prices, less on the Italian side. Much cheaper than rip-off France.

Was pleased to tick it off my hit list, but will certainly go there again.

Weather at the top can be extreme, the Italian connection sometimes closes. We were there in March, great powder, bright sun.

Hope this helps.

Can't help with Saas Fee until mid-march!

I travel easyjet Edinburgh ~ Munich several times a year. Always get my boots inside my Rucsac, and come in at 18Kgms, including a coupl of kilos painting kit. Ski bag weighs 7 Kgms incl. a few tools.

However, I have now left a pair of skis in Austria, so can travel lighter now.

Will hire in other places.

As an aside, can anyone help with ski hire shop info for Saas Fee. Which is the closest to Hotel Christiana?

The snow holds well in Niederau, due to the north facing slopes, and that the runs are cut through the trees. Also, the piste machine guys really know their job.

So unless there is a fehn wind, I would be very hopeful of good skiing at the start of March. I have been in Niederau for the last week in March for many years, and even last year, there was good skiing.

Will be there again on 23 March, for last week of season. Season last day is quite special, with lots of locals on the mountain top, including non-skiers. Skiing, modest drinking, several tyrol bands.

We often see skiers who have a good and attractive ski technique ~ except for the pole action. Respectfully suggest:

For most of the turn the poles are held at body angle or slightly less steeper than body angle, and with tips slightly further out from the grips.

Approaching the end of the turn, you are comfortable with your speed control, smoothly move the outside stick forwards, (finishing a left turn, move the right stick. Plant the stick around 6 inches to side of the ski front. Carry out the weight change, smoothly moving the outside ski,knee,hip forwards. Depending on your technique there will also be a change in angulation.

You have now committed to the opposite turn, and have passed the stick tip, so now now the stick is angled with your body again.

When going straight line fast on a schuss, never stab the stick between the skis in front of you, especially if your hand is low. It is several days before your eyes cease watering.

Drive on Sunday through Germany and Austria, no lorries. They have to move by train on Sunday.

Don't forget your vignette for Austrian & Swiss motorway driving. 120 Euro fine in Austria. If only doing a short run within the countries, weigh up travel by main road, as apart from motorway.

Was radar-ed in Fieberbrunn in summer. Proudly paid my 40 Euro fine, good bragging rights in the Bichlwirt.

Drove back 2 years ago, 22 hours Niederau to Scotland, 2 drivers.

Scotland to Austrian alps ~ Easyjet to Munich, £20.00 each way.
Train, return, Munich airport to Worgl, around 65 Euros. Taxi to Niederau 15 Euros. Alternative alpine train destinations.

Niederau takes credit cards for the three services you list. Most, but not all hotels take them also.

Enjoyed a rewarding non-stop encounter in the Three Valleys this year,with a Kiwi boarder called Shane. At the bottom, he indicated that he hoped he would retain that degree of speed when he was my age. I then suggested we might try a quick run!

What was interesting was our approach to the slope ~ we both used terrain in the same way in effecting easier control, but we did avoid trouble spots, (slower skiers, classes, falls, etc) differently. I always headed around the back of the incident, so as to minimise disturbance to the slower skiers. Shane just headed straight down the fall line, and sorted any problems out lower down.

Was an interesting experience. We took three fast non-stop runs, then cooled it, as the slopes were getting busier.

Idavies wrote:

"march, end of, in niederau , where i need to get to, is iffy, as it's a low resort. and last year was SO bad, but the two years prior to that were out of this world for snow, late into the season."

Last year at the season end, the snow at Niederau was fantastic. OK, the bottom schuss was a bit watery in places, but the mountain was beautiful spring snow.....until about 2.00pm, whereupon a gluewein, a perusal of the Kitsbuhler Alps from the Kropfraderjoch restaurant, and a chat with the locals seemed the right thing to do.