J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by dgou

Give a wave to Hotel Austria, mid way between the two villages! Enjoy the resort - a lot of skiing! and fun to be had!

Westendorf - Alpbach and Saalbach-Hinterglemm are all good - and Alpbach has the added bonus now of the lift link to Auffach. Austria is great - gemutlichkeit rules!!!!

Most of the big tour operators do beginners packages - i.e. flights, accommodation, ski school, equipment hire. From personal visits out of all the places I have skied in Europe, I would recommend Westendorf in Austria - the nursery slopes are in the village, the ski school is very good and if you want to go higher up, you get to the top via the Alpenrose gondola (that is what looks like a glass cabin - not a Venetian boat!) and take in the view from there - that said at the top there are a few easy runs for beginners - so you get a variety rather than being stuck down in the village - and if you are too scared you take the gondola safely back down again. Very pretty village and lots of Brits go there to learn. Happy skiing - hope you won't regret it!!

A little word or two of encouragement from me - might help - might not!! 3 years ago I had an ankle operation, and whilst off 2 weeks of intensive physio at one of our Fire Service Rehab places who got me back running, jumping etc - great - except on the way home changing trains fell down the stairs at the station and damaged my knee! After MRI scans and X-rays, I was advised by my consultant that I could still ski whilst I could. Further appointments with an osteo resulted in her giving me two choices - one keep skiing how I had done on reds and if I fell or hurt myself again, it was time to pack up!! OR - ski the easy stuff all the time wearing a knee support - if I skied the same blue run all day, I was still skiing - I was there on the slopes and the chairs/lifts. Take regular breaks, admire the view - and smell the gluhwein!!! Armed with this info I had the most wonderful week last year in Alpbach - I skied every day, no pressure to try harder runs or push myself - and at the end of each day I was the one intact and hubby was the one who had had a near miss/wobble/pants poop! Needless to say I am going skiing again this year and hope to do so for as many years as my body will allow. Listening to the Paralympians (I was a Gamesmaker myself!) it is all in the mind and how much you want to do it. However if you ski the easy stuff, you are never far from the finish/cafe/ski school, etc if you come unstuck. I hope this helps keep a few more of you skiing rather than packing up and saying that's it!

Westendorf in Austria is a great place to learn to ski and for kids - well worth a look! Nursery slopes right in the village and the Alpenrose Gondola to take small person up to show real mountains and lovely views! I seem to remember there was a little train that picked the kids up for ski school. Also has a train station if you want a day off the slopes to sight see!

Beware of trying to get taxis in Andorra, they are few and far between - we spent ages trying to get back from Andorra la Vella to Arinsal one night, absolutely ridiculous really and it was not late at night - they are just rare as hens teeth!!

Zurich is not a ski resort - well it wasn't last time I was there.

Skied Saalbach-Hintreglemm about 6 years ago - but can remember it well - Bobby's in Saalbach was where a lot of the lads from our hotel used to go and I think you are quite near there - further over the Goatshall (or something like that) was very popular - I do remember on late Monday afternoons they always had a live concert on in the square just up from your hotel - Europop and all sorts of bands, quite amusing to watch everyone dancing around in their ski boots. Fun resort - Saalbach is the party place - Hinterglemm is quieter - have fun!! We stayed at Hotel Austria mid way between the two - so had it both ways! (if you pardon the expression!!)