I assume it's a fire sale price that early in the season.
Europe 2025/26
- Thread starter ChrisC
- Start date
All inclusive about $1000usd. Food, lodging, lift tickets, instruction.
Dorm type set up for youngsters.
Patrick
Well-known member
Driving back from Lyon last evening -2c. Today you cam see the snow in the hills du Bugey just few kms east of here. Taking our leave by train Wednesday and head towards the Alps. Some areas have opened this weekend (Tignes and Val Thorens in France), Zermatt is scheduled to open extra lifts next weekend.
In case @Patrick wants to go on a long train ride 
-- here's a report live as it happened today from Hintertux:
-- here's a report live as it happened today from Hintertux:
Patrick is still in Lyon. I think he only has time for Zermatt on this trip.
Patrick
Well-known member
35km East of Lyon.
Taking the train to Zermatt Wednesday, hoping for the weather to cooperate. Total all the skiing was shutdown in Zermatt and part of Cervinia. Suppose to snow until early Wednesday.
We have booked 5 nights in Zermatt (actually Fri-Sat nights are in Tasch, everything was soldout or crazy expensive. We might leave after skiing on next Monday or Tuesday. Overnight to train Hamburg and Copenhagen to spend our last week in Europe.
Current open terrain in the Alps according to skiresorts. 26 resorts open, here are the top 12.
Solden AUT: 98km
Zermatt/Cervinia SWI/ITA: 86km
Gurgl AUT: 71km
Hintertux AUT: 42km
Stubai AUT: 36km
Saas Fee SWI: 28km
Val Thorens FRA: 26km
Tignes FRA: 21km
Corvatsch/Furtschellas SWI: 20km
Sulden am Ortler ITA: 20km
Pitztal AUT: 19km
Kitzsteinhorn AUT: 16km
LAP at Hintertux yesterday
ChrisC
Well-known member
An example of a North American style snow report at an Austrian Mega-resort: Saalbach.
Also, I was getting worried about visiting Austrian resorts further east than Mayrhofen/Hintertux, but Saalbach has an amzing snowmaking system to get the resort about 50% open by early December despite receiving very little natural snow compared to western Austria - and espcially France/W Switzerland.
www.saalbach.com
Also, I was getting worried about visiting Austrian resorts further east than Mayrhofen/Hintertux, but Saalbach has an amzing snowmaking system to get the resort about 50% open by early December despite receiving very little natural snow compared to western Austria - and espcially France/W Switzerland.
Snow Report | Saalbach Hinterglemm
www.saalbach.com
Saalbach on piste snow quality in 2017 was at the same excellent level as in the Dolomites in 2018, both visits late January.
I'd definitely like to go back and re-experience Saalbach's intermediate groomer paradise, especially since the connection of Fieberbrunn.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I am interested in Saalbach's lift system and the experience of an ultra modern ski resort. There is some decent off-piste in Fieberbrunn, but that is not the goal - just a bonus for a run or two.
Will likely access the resort via Fieberbrunn since it's only 20-25 minutes from Kitzbuhel, and where I want to stay multiple nights. The only other town I am interested in is - Zell am See - on the lake. I don't care too much about Solden or Mayrhofen.
I have never tried to ski vast distances in the Alps in one day. Generally, I get obsessed by one sector, area, off-piste zone.
But I remember seeing the Arlberg "Run of Fame" - I was in Rendl and guys were trying to get from Warth and back in one day.
Run of Fame Arlberg | 85 km ski circuit & 18,000 vertical meters
The longest ski circuit in the Alps with 85 km of pistes and 18,000 vertical meters. Discover Warth-Schröcken, Lech, Zürs, St. Anton and Stuben am Arlberg.
Assume it is 20 miles each direction.
Therefore, play around at Saalbach on a few routes.
The Challenge - Ski your limit | Infrastructure in Saalbach
The largest ski circuit of the Alps - 12,400 m Altitude, 65 km of tracks, 6 hours’ of skiing experience The Skicircus challenges its guests with THE MOST
www.saalbach.com
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I've done the three German-speaking ones (Saalbach, Arlberg, and Hochkönig). All were worthwhile. I'll hit the Sellaronda at some point.
ChrisC
Well-known member
My motivation will be getting back to Fieberbrunn to avoid a $100-200 cab fare for falling short.
Perhaps that's why Zermatt-Cervinia does not really encourage a ski circuit. You are better off staying overnight in either Switzerland or Italy do to geography.
It's interesting that the French want none of this ski mileage nonsense.
Even navigating Serre Chevalier must be equivalent to the best of the Austrian ski resorts.