Söll, Saalbach, Mayrhofen or Ischgl in Feb 2010???

In March I would say to visit Austria you really need to go high, so Ischgl or St Anton would be my choice, or possibly Solden as well.
Soll is somewhere I have always avoided due to the issues with low altitude and potential poor snow, exactly the same as Niederau etc.

For me, March means going high, staying at no lower than 1500m, longer evenings, fresh dumps of snow, sunny days and sitting in the late afternoon sun with a beer.

I have been to Serre Chevalier and Verbier in March and had amazing skiing in superb snow, whereas I have also been to Sauze d'Oulx and skied on reasonable pistes in brown fields but still had a good time. I'd hate to turn up somewhere and find the snow was terrible.

I'd also say take a look at somewhere like Val d'Isere or Val Thorens, along with Zermatt and Saas Fe in Switzerland. Maybe even some of the Dolomites, around Arabba and Selva.
Its not worth the risk of going low that time of year.

Have to say I thought the critism of the runs marking to be abit extreme. We were in a group of mostly 50+s and yes we can all get about down most torrains sometimes I accept with not alot of tecnique, but we explored and found our way around with no trouble apart from one confusing bit which I cannot remember the location of. Hey ho each to their own.

Well it's a pure holiday for us, have enough stress at work! I expect runs to be marked for the high cost of the lift pass, if all the other resorts can do it, so can they! As I get older I am less accepting of poor service. I'll vote with my money/skis!

It is a guess Ladywhoskis, but might it have been March 2007, when you were in the SkiWelt? That year, the whole of Europe suffered a lack of snow. However, if you check the historical snow records, that would normally be a good time for Tirol.
I do agree that the piste map for the Schiwelt is the pits; I have mentioned this point several times. I have acurrent dialogue going with the Schielt Tourist office, so I will cover that point with them. The point about reun markings is a logistical one. In the summer, the schiwelt reverts to 2000 alpine farms, where the piste are criss-crossed with fencing & tracks. So piste markers have to be negotiated with all the alpine farmers ~ it is a slow business breaking down tradition. Many other large European ski areas are in National Parks, ie conprise a unitary authority.

I should add that I ski in Niederau every March, many times at the end of March, and that I have never left Niederau at the end of March, without the mountain still being fully skiable.
In April, two to three hundred metres higher is usually sufficient to ski.
This year of course, the best place in Europe for skiing was Scotland, where they were skiing, in kilts, on the summer solstice.

Dave Mac wrote:It is a guess Ladywhoskis, but might it have been March 2007, when you were in the SkiWelt? That year, the whole of Europe suffered a lack of snow. However, if you check the historical snow records, that would normally be a good time for Tirol.
I do agree that the piste map for the Schiwelt is the pits; I have mentioned this point several times. I have acurrent dialogue going with the Schielt Tourist office, so I will cover that point with them. The point about reun markings is a logistical one. In the summer, the schiwelt reverts to 2000 alpine farms, where the piste are criss-crossed with fencing & tracks. So piste markers have to be negotiated with all the alpine farmers ~ it is a slow business breaking down tradition. Many other large European ski areas are in National Parks, ie conprise a unitary authority.

27th Feb 2010 actually, not even March, and good conditions elsewhere at the time. The infrastructure may well be fragmented, but it's one lift company, one lift pass, and sold as the "Ski Welt". I like to think of myself as a responsible skier; take the potential dangers of the mountains seriously, that way I don't have to call out mountain rescue because I'm lost or stranded! In return I want the powers that be to value this and make exploration fun. I wish you Good Luck with your efforts.

Anyway, piste map schmiste schmap.
Where you going next year?

Tony_H wrote:Anyway, piste map schmiste schmap.
Where you going next year?

:lol:

Not sure as everything seems so expensive, hubby is reluctant to devote so much money to one week's fun, as it takes us all year to save for it, and we sometimes wonder if we aught to use that money to see more of the world than the Alps! It's our ONLY holiday which is why it has to be right. But I just can't imagine going through winter without it...not after 14 years! New possibles are Solden & St. Anton or back to somewhere we've been before like Saalbach (twice) and Obertauern (3 times). It will be Austria if anywhere, love the ski scene there. Where you off to?