Winter Sports  -  in a bit more detail 

Skiing and Snowboarding

See www.schladming.at

The standard ski pass covers “Ski amade”, some twenty-five resorts and 860km piste see www.skiamade.com They include the following:

The resort of Schladming

• Pruggen is the nearest - very quiet and unspoilt but after snow falls the access road often requires snowchains

• Haus - 15 KM distant, by the main road and provides a quick ascent by gondola to the pistes, and linked by chair lift to:

• Planai – 25 Km away from Mirlhof, by Schladming - the largest and most developed of the five areas, linked to:

• Hochwurzen - just beyond with long relatively quiet lower blues and upper red runs, linked to:

• Reiteralm - quiet and enjoyable because of its relative isolation, and with some great carving runs to the valley. These last two areas are beautifully situated with excellent intermediate runs. Best park at Pichl to access both.

• Fangeralm lies in a high valley with attractive blue runs, and served mainly by drag lifts. It is not connected to the Schladming group

• Ramsau – an attractive major x-country ski area but also with some good downhill-ski/snowboard beginner slopes. This area also gives access to the Dachstein Glacier for all the year round skiing. 

• Others

  Tauplitz  an interesting intermediates resort with both downhill and cross country skiing at high levels lying east of Mirlhof, left at the traffic lights15Km distance.

  Flachau  

  The skiing: Home of Herman Meir, a major ski area near the Radstatt with a wide intermediate motorway runs from top to bottom as well as good off piste and some black runs.  It has an excellent natural snow record. This area is not linked to Flachauwinkle.

  Directions: 45 minutes from Mirlhof. Bypass Radstatt as though you are going to Salzburg – Villach. Don’t take the first Villach sign but head for the autobahns instead. When the road finally splits between Villach and Salzburg autobahns, then head for Villach. After 5 km slip off right to Flachau. Turn left at the roundabout and right at the traffic lights into the ski area car park.

   

  Wagrain

  The skiing: 45 minutes from Mirlhof. A very extensive and interesting area with many long blue and red runs across a series of ridges. The trees gives off piste options as well as helping in poor visibility.

  Directions: As for Flachau and at the roundabout go straight on, by-passing the Rote 8-er bubble lift at Moaddorfl-Wagrain, to the town of Wagrain. Follow the signs for the bubble lifts. Park close to the lifts, but even if you need to park in Car Park 6 you can still ski to and from the lifts. 

   

  Zauchensee

  The skiing: 55 minutes from Mirlhof. Another very large ski area, Zauchensee has many long and wide runs on all aspects of slope with a great variety of beautiful mountain scenery. Features include the highest skiing in the Dachsteins, a World Cup Downhill course, and a shuttle under the autobahn links to the Flachauwinkle lifts, giving an altogether huge area and fun park, half-pipe and dedicated speed carving run. This area is not linked to Flachau.

  Directions:  60 minutes from Mirlhof. By-pass Radstatt, then slip off the road to Altenmarkt, through the town and follow the signs to Zauchensee. Park near lifts 4 and 7 if you can for slightly more convenience at the end of the day. 

   

• Planneralm Accessed by heading towards Liezen and turning right after five KM at the first set of lights. A high level small ski station, good for half a day, with excellent sunny runs and natural snow.

Ski-buses rotate around the valley, starting in Grobming, but a car is much quicker.

PRICE GUIDE

High Season 20/12/03 – 04.01.04 and 24.01.01 – 19.03.04

2004 Adult Day Pass Euro 33.50

2004 Adult Six Day Pass Euro 161.00 (about £100-00)

Part day Euro 31.00 – 21.50 depending on start time.

Low Season

2004 Adult Day Pass Euro 31.00

2004 Adult Six Day Pass Euro 149.50

Part day Euro 29.00 – 19.00

A bowl of Gulashsuppe (with bread provided) at a cafe on the pistes at lunchtime costs c.E4.5).

     Downhill ski and snowboard learners

Although many of the pistes in the area are blue and red, there are a number of good options for beginners, with instruction available in all areas. Some of the best complete beginner slopes are at Ramsa Ort, the beautiful and sunny plateau with extensive prepared cross-country ski-trails, many within sight of horse-drawn sleighs and good nursery slopes (investigate lift passes  and punch cards). These nursery slopes are also good for learning to snowboard and lessons can be booked at the Blue Tomato snowboard school at Middle Station at Planai, the shop in Schladming (just off the old square), at the chairlift station at Haus or at Ramsau Ort lift.

·      Grobming : it has its own ski rental and ski-school, just behind the post-office, served by two small lifts on the hill immediately behind the village. It normally operates until mid-March

·      Rohrmoos Untertal has good longer beginner runs, lifts & ski-school

·      Ramsau Ort : a sunny plateau and well known for cross-country skiing, has several beginner runs and low cost lifts for ski- and snowboard-learners.

In Ramsau, and referring to the Piste map, pistes J,N,M,O,U(all green) are good for ‘snowplough skiers’ and 3rd-day snowboarders, as well as a couple of lifts serving a blue and a red run

·      There are other beginner lifts along the Ramsau Ort - Dachsteinstrasse road side, blue runs to the right and an obvious large flat beginners area on the left opposite some shops and ski school. (Where the Glacier Road Pass is also bought – last building with flags).

·      Planai and Haus is the main ski area for all standards, and have long tree lined runs and many lifts. The two mountains are linked by a chairlift, and you should check at what time they shut - because there is no alternative way to ski down from the link point.

At weekends get there early to avoid parking problems.

                                        Cross-country

A single lesson at Ramsau on cross-country ski-ing is often enough, and its plateau provides extensive well disciplined trails. The convention is to keep to the right on the trails. Much more quiet though a little bit more difficult (more up & down) than Ramsau, there are long unspoilt prepared cross-country pistes;

·      near Schladming in the Obertal and Untertal valleys (with excellent and inexpensive Gasthaus stops for lunch etc),

·      in the Solktal, starting north of St Nikolai and into valleys south of it. Somewhere along these, or at a Gasthaus on a trail, you are expected to pay for a day pass (c. E4).

·      There is a good ski route from Mirlhof, (good cycling in summer) on unprepared snow by the local lake (beware fresh snow slides or rock falls after a thaw, heavy rain),towards Bad Mitterndorf  from which extensive prepared ski trails go in all directions, (ski maps available at the house).

·      Bad Mitterndorf’s own prepared x-country trails are a favourite of ours, cut through open meadows and forests, and by driving West on the main road then left at the traffic lights, these can be quickly reached. The car parks are shown on the x-country maps.