The Arlberg lift pass covers both the St Anton area and Lech and Zurs area so no need to stop to get a lift pass. What is essentially a large ski area, you will definitely need more than one day to do the area. We only had one day, so we decided to take the White Circle Route which takes a route “fleetingly” around the whole area. More about our day later, onto giving you a general idea about the Lech and Zurs area.

Lech (1450m) is undeniably Austria’s most exclusive resort, along with Zurs and high altitude Oberlech there are six large 5 star hotels here. However it is not entirely exclusive with a chalet in Lech or Zurs costing no more than a similar option in Val d’Isere, Coourchevel and other top ski resorts. Unlike St Anton round the corner, Lech has a refined feel. The hotels are of an excellent standard, and people are just as likely to be seem wondering down the river as they are skiing. However unlike other top resorts there aren’t arcade’s of designer shops here. The real luxury of the resort is it’s charm, with a river running through the centre, the pretty alpine architecture and the warm, friendly, family hotels.

Centre of Lech ski resort

The centre of the resort can however become clogged with traffic, especially at weekends with the base station of the Rufikiopf cable car from the centre. The other cable car from the centre is also the only access available to Oberlech and runs until 1am. Guests staying in Oberlech leave their cars in lech and get up their by cable car. There luggage is delivered through a series of underground tunnels, which in bad weather guests can use too.

Zurs, is the highest of the three resort areas, at 1716m. There is not much of a village here, just a collection of high end hotels built along the busy road. Zurs is the nearest resort to Haus Rauz so you can be in the St Anton ski area in less than half an hour if you’re based in Zurs. Buses are extremely efficient from what we experienced, so make sure you’re on time!  From Zurs you can also get the bus to Lech, as in actual fact the ski is a rather long one.

Zug is the last base in the area and is the cheapest of the three. You can link directly onto the wide pistes above Lech by a 2 man chair lift from Zug, which makes it a handy option.

Zurs ski area looking towards the Trittkopfbahn lift and the free car parks

The skiing in Lech and Zurs seems to contrast completely with technically difficult St Anton. There are only a couple of blacks here and the runs in general feel wider and flatter your ski standard! The snow record is excellent, and they reportedly receive twice the snow of round the corner St Anton (yes unbelievable I think!)  The pistes felt very very quiet, but then we found St Anton to be very crowded so maybe the pistes in Lech were just averagely busy. The lift system is a mixed bag, you’ll ever get high speed 4/6/8 seater heated chairlifts with covers, or old 2 seaters! Luckily these days it is more of the former than the latter.

The main collection of slopes are found on the Oberlech sector and are largely well pisted reds and blues perfect for motorway crusing. Like St Anton the piste map also marks off piste runs (called ski routens), these are marked by diamonds instead of circular piste markers. Most of these are to be avoided if you’re not into off piste, but several are worth a go for the intermerdiate skiier, including the run down from Zurs to Zug (33), part of the White Route. This was a slightly bumpy red run, but wide and with plenty of room to turn.

For off piste officianados then there are some options, don’t be fooled into thinking St Anton is your main option. Probably best to hire a guide to seek out the best areas, but the one thing that is better than St Anton is that it doesn’t all get tracked out within hours.  Off course if you do have time then the off piste in St Anton is legendary and you can take the trip back via the back of the Valluga which can only be navigated with a guide.

The White Ring (Der Weisse Ring) is definitely a great one day activity. It takes you in a circular route around the main areas of Lech sk area and it is this route that we took around the area. You can start from key points, all marked on the map, we started from Zurs. Here is an overview of The White Route as started from Zurs.

As for apres ski in the areas, then it’s certainly not as mad as St Anton, there’s no Mooserwirt equivalent, well not that we could find. Most of the apres ski centred on the hotel bars from the afternoon hotspot of the hotel Montana in Oberlech to almost any of the hotel’s discos. As most people tend to be on Full Board holidays the only restaurants tend to be in the hotels, rather than independent restaurants, but there are plenty of options available.

Personally I loved Lech and the areas around. The skiing really does have that free, expansive feeling, unlike local St Anton. I’d compare it more to Tignes, but perhaps without the difficulty, as it’s quite bleak, but with brilliant motorway pistes. It’s probably a great resort for anyone who’s skiied between 0 and 6 weeks, after that you may get a bit bored unless you’re already throwing yourself down off piste or are happy to commute to St Anton for some harder runs.

Hotel Tirolerhof

On arrival at Hotel Tirolerhof the staff were very friendly and welcoming, also very inquisitive on why we had chosen to drive from the UK. Our room was very spacious with an Austrian twin bed which is basically a double bed consisting of two single mattresses and separate duvets., en-suite bathroom, plenty of storage space, satellite TV and a balcony looking out to the opposite side of the valley. If you’re a light sleeper and like to sleep with the window open then do request a room at the rear of the hotel. However we were on the road side and the double glazing was absolutely amazing, you couldn’t hear a thing…. until you opened the window.

Having freshened up after the long journey hunger was getting the better of us so we made our way to the restaurant. Decorated in Austrian agricultural antiquities and photos from a bygone age the restaurant has an intoxicating alpine feel and with the waitresses dressed in traditional Austrian outfits you felt like an extra in the Sound of Music. Most importantly the food was excellent. Served between 6.30pm to 9pm every night a four course meal is offered consisting of soup, a salad (buffet stye), either a meat or vegetarian option and finally dessert. A menu in German and English was posted in the reception everyday.

Breakfast was a less formal affair served between 7.30am to 10am. The buffet breakfast comprised of cereal, fruit and a selection of meats and cheeses. Along with bottomless orange juice, tea and coffee it certainly sets you up for a day on the slopes.

Other than the standard ski equipment room for storing your equipment (which has wall mounted boot warmers), the hotel also has a well equipped gym, sauna room and car parking.

St Anton is one of the finest ski resorts in the world and accommodation is therefore priced accordingly, that does not seem the case with Hotel Tirolerhof. We paid €550 per person which included a six day ski pass for the Arlberg ski area (includes Lech and Zurs), nearly half the price of other hotels in the area. If anyone has wanted to ski in St Anton but has been priced out of going then Hotel Tirolerhof is the answer.

Finally I would like to say danke schön to all the staff at Hotel Tirolerhof who made our stay very enjoyable and persevered with my basic German! Auf wiedersehen.

1. Head up the Zursersee or Seekopf lifts, then up the Madloch two man (from here you look over to your left and right to some short off piste runs, perfect for newbies to off piste).

The White Ring - above Zug about to do Ski Routen 33

2. Take Ski Routen number 33, which is not pisted but absolutely fine when we were there. This heads down into Zug and is a gorgeous run, one of my favourites from the day.

3. From Zug take the Zugerberg 2 man up over Zug and the forest. At the top is the Palmen Alp restaurant, which would be great for a pitstop (looked a bit expensive for us!)

4. From here there is a handy rope tow to lead you into the main Lech ski area.

5. Then you have a few choices, if you’re not in a rush spend some time enjoying the wide reds and blues in this area but if you’re on a challenge then head straight down Blue 34 which leads you all the way down to Lech.

6. Walk across the road to the Rufikopf cable car then back towards Zurs via red 38a or blue 38.

7. Take the Schuttboden drag then blue 38a.

8. Finally follow run 3 which will take you back to the car park in Zurs. 

The White Ring route in Lech / Zurs is marked with signposts all the way round if you get a little lost, or just want to take memento pictures of your day.

If doing the White Ring route for fun doesn’t quite do it for you, then every year in January a race is held. Around 300 competitors set off to complete the White Ring route in the quickest time. Currently the record is an amazing 44:35:07 by Olympic Downhill (2006) winner Patrick Ortlieb, although he was only a guest competitor rather than an official one – the record still stands.

St Anton has 2 lift linked ski resorts, St Christoph and Stuben. St Christoph is famous for the Hospiz, it has an extensive history, starting life as a monestary and being rebuilt many times, it is now an exclusive 5 star hotel. The Hospiz dominates St Christoph village which is geared towards affluent visitors who shun noisy nightlife.

Stuben is quieter still, with several affordable family run hotels. Until 2001 Nasserein was a poor relation to St Anton, being linked only by bus, but in 2001 the Nasserein Bubble was added that will take you up to Gampen, now Nasserein provides cheaper accommodation with excellent access to the skiing and with only a quick bus ride or 10-15 minute walk to St Anton itself.

St Anton Ski Area

View from Kapall, with the lift open / close signs availbale at all major points

The St Anton ski area includes three main areas, the south facing Galzig / Valluga area pistes, accessed mainly by the Galzig bahn and the Kapall area, accessed to Gampen by the Gampen Chair or the Nasserein bahn. The other St Anton ski area faces north, Rendl and is accessed from the new Rendlbahn.

There are beginner nursery slopes located on the main St Anton pistes and in the Nasserein area. I’d recommend using the beginners slopes in the Nasserein area as it’s more extensive and seemed to be quieter. However St Anton is really not a beginners resort, usually about 3 days into the first week of lessons you would progress up the mountain, but I can’t think of a single blue that I would have fancied going down after 3 days of lessons! If you’re adventurous and with some gusto then I’m sure you would improve at St Anton far quicker than you would at any other resort.

It is advanced and expert skiiers that will enjoy St Anton the most. For intermediates the blue runs are potentially red runs in other resorts, although I did feel that the red and black runs weren’t massively harder than other resorts. For those looking to progress to expert skiiers then you have the option of the Ski Routen runs, marked by diamond piste markers instead of circles. These are marked off piste runs which are provided to provide a safer route down (note they are not patrolled though and avalanche care still needs to be taken.) In reality though most were well trodden and a good, safe challenge. For experts there is plentiful off piste to be tried within the resort, including the famous run off the back of the Valluga only accessible from the Valluga II cable car, which you are only allowed up if accommpanied by a guide. This run leads back to Zurs and is the only way to reach Zurs without getting on a bus or driving.

Intermediates may best enjoy Stuben’s North slopes, they will be best in the area in warm weather, but of course will be on the chilly side! There are several great reds here with views up the mountain to Zurs and Lech. When we went this was definitely a quieter area that the main St Anton areas. There were certainly no lift queues here, but you will be riding several old 2 man chairs so don’t be in a rush to get anywhere here.

The design forward Galzig Bahn - St Anton

Speaking of lift queues, at Easter there weren’t really many considering it was the holiday season. At the Nasserein bahn, yes the queue looked longish, but actually was not more than 10 minutes in the morning “rush hour”. At other times there was around a 2 minute wait to be had. The other lifts barely had queues at all, but the one we struggled with most was the connector chairlift between Kappall and Galzig areas, the Zammermoos, this provides good access without going back to St Anton but you may have a 15 minutes wait on your hands, this is made worse by the fact it’s also at the end of the only black run in the Galzig area (number 2). Most other chair lifts are fast and new 4 / 6 seaters, some of which are heated, a godsend in colder weather. The other thing to add about the lift system, is that the designers really have thought about the usability of the lifts, the Galzig bahn now is accessed at the ground and then loops up to reach the wire (see picture), there are escalators at the Rendlbahn and Nasserein bahn from ground to bring you up to the lift, at most lifts there are moving carpets to ease you on and many have heated seats.

The Kappall area provides what feel like less skiing as it’s more compact but does have several good blue and red runs, and also a lovely black that runs all the way from the top lift down to the Nasserein bahn. The other area is the Rendl area, this year December 2009, the new Rendl bahn was opened, moving the access to this area into the centre of town (100 metres from the Galzig bahn). The bubble is an 8 seater and heated and cuts the lift time on the previous bubble by a third. The Rendl is again an intermediates playground with some good reds and the only snow park in St Anton. There are also several blues but the only way down is by a windy long red, however you could get the bubble back down instead of navigating this.

St Anton Apres Ski

The legendary apres ski bar in St Anton - The Mooserwirt

The apres ski in St Anton is legendary and centres around several piste side mountain restaurants until the early evening. The Krazy Kangaruh, just off the main run from the Galzig area was the first. However in more recent times the Mooserwirt, on the other side of the piste, has become more popular. This plays traditional German folk music mainly and is pumping by mid afternoon. Be warned it will be absolutely rammed, so get there earliesh to get a space for a large group. The ski back to town (they both close at 8pm) is a snow cannon slalom, short but often performed imperfectly.

Hotel Tirolerhof - St Jakob near St Anton

There is plenty of accommodation in and around St Anton, we stayed in St Jakob, just 2km down the road from Nasserein and only 4 minutes on the number 5 bus (leaving at 08-40, 9am and 20 minutes there after in the mornings. The hotel was called Hotel Tirolerhof and it really is a great option if you’re looking for a good value hotel in or around St Anton. However if you really must stay in St Anton, try Hotel Reselehof in Nasserein, which has a good reputation (apparently re opening though in November 2010) or there are plenty of chalets run by tour operators in St Anton itself. There are also many many Pensions (B&B) find all of these on the St Anton tourist website, but one very reasonable one is the Haus Rali from 275 euros per person for a week including a 6 day lift pass. Buses connect all the main area, and they are extremely efficient, don’t be late, because they won’t wait (as we discovered)!

Our verdict on St Anton ski resort

All in all we loved St Anton ski resort, it’s a great area for progressive skiers, though not a great area for beginners, and a brilliant area for apres ski lovers.

Also check out our posts on the lush Arlberg Well.com spa and Lech and Zurs ski areas (available to ski on your lift pass though only accessible by road.)

Well.com spa is situated in the centre of St Anton and is open until 10pm every day in the ski season. We visited on a slightly dreary afternoon with snow forecasted to fall that evening, so we thought it would be the perfect time for a spa trip.

There are many facilities to use at Well.com St Anton including the following ; a superbly equipped fitness studio is available for your training and exercise, massage treatments,  ice skating rink, ice curling lanes, tennis, outdoor clay courts as well as indoor courts are available. Of course then there is the spa area

We opted for the sauna and swimming option (16.50euros each). The sauna is a traditional Austrian sauna (i.e. no swimming costumes allowed) so do be aware of this if you, like us, are typical Brits!!

But when in Rome……. we eventually did venture into the sauna area and there are several traditional sauna’s available and also a steam room. There are also numerous loungers for relaxing in the warm areas, so make sure you take something to read. After warming up in the sauna we headed for the swimming area.

We went after skiing finished, at about 4pm and perhaps we could have left it a little later as the swimming area was busy with children, however if you have got children then obviously this is the time to go!! The swimming area consisted of an indoor poor with several Jacuzzi areas, and waterfalls, great as a pummelling massage! Then pop through the gateway and you’re in a gorgeous outdoor Jacuzzi, whirlpool area. It is really a great feeling to be sitting in the warm water whilst it’s snowing (or not).

There is also a 25metre (I think) pool, so if you haven’t worn yourself out skiing you can do some lengths to work up an appetite. This 25metre pool was quite quiet and therefore great if you really were looking to do some exercise. Afterwards there is a café bar next door which offer some light bites for a pre dinner snack.

I would definitely recommend a visit to the Alberg Well.com in St Anton, it will truly chill you out after a long day skiing and is great for revitalising those weary limbs! You can find out more about Arlberg Well.com on their website.

We spent the first couple of hours in and around the Gampen and Kapall area blowing off the cob webs by skiing; the blue and red runs and also experiencing a T-bar lift for the first time in 20 years. After a quick pit stop in the Heusstadl mountain restaurant we headed towards the Galzig area then up to Schindler Spitze. The red and blue run from Schindler Spitze to Alpe Rauz was very bumpy and ideal for picking holes in any un-technical skiing style (like mine). After this leg burning run we headed back to the Galzig and stopped for a bite to eat. Post lunch skiing involved the busy blue run back to the Mattun lift then skiing down the black and runs from Kapall to the bars at the Nasserein lift for a well deserved après drink.

Though it snowed last night (approx 10cms at resort level) the increased temperature and number of skiers the majority of the runs were becoming bumpy, especially the final 500 metres into St Anton. With the temperature predicted to stay above freezing on Tuesday it would be wise to ski as high as possible or maybe head to the north facing slopes where the conditions maybe better. We’ll keep you posted. Auf wiedersehen.

gpixs360 - St Anton

Over the past two or three years it has been good to see many of the ski domains creating interactive maps for their websites. They can offer so much more than a 2D image and I think gpixs360 have got it right with this attempt at bringing online piste maps to life.

Morzine is at 1,000m, thus in 1960 Avoriaz was born to allow higher skiing and lifts above Morzine. This then was the start of the now famous Portes du Soleil ski area which now includes 12 resorts, 8 on the French side and 4 on the Swiss side.

Skiing in and around Morzine is best suited to beginners and early intermediates. This area is also tree lined, making it a good option in bad weather. This and the brilliant resort facilities makes Morzine a firm favourite with families. There are three areas main areas to ski in and around Morzine, Pleney, Nyon Chamosserie and Super Mozine.

Pleney is the main area and where you will likely spend time if you are having lessons. Nyon Chamosserie is for the more intermediate skier, with plenty of blues and reds back to Morzine or Les Gets. Super Morzine offers the route into Avoriaz for more intermediate skiing, but the runs in this area are also well worth a go. It offers some wide inviting blue runs for beginners/intermediates to practice on.

You have two lift pass options, choose a Morzine / Les Gets pass for 150 euros for 6 days, alternatively if you want a larger area to ski opt for the Portes du Soleil area pass at 205 euros. If you choose the Portes du Soleil lift pass then you can venture into the intermediate area of Avoriaz. It’s a little bit of a hike up the Prodains lifts, but well worth it for powder hounds.

If you’re looking for a good ski school then we recommend Sally at the Snow Institute in Morzine. Choose from group lessons or private lessons from a well respected, English speaking company. Alternatively opt for BASS .

There are some really good options for mountain restaurants in the area, including Le Vaffieu which is at the top of Pleney, if you’re on foot then you can walk there from Morzine in about 40 minutes. Alternatively try Chez Nannon on they Nyon Plateau, it offers excellent food, and therefore is likely to be busy in good or bad weather, you must book!

In the evenings there are plenty of choices in Morzine, try Dixies, the Irish pub, the Buddha Bar is better for those looking for a quieter drink. For our top restaurant venture slightly out of resort to The Auberge at Ardent, whose tag is that “Food is an art and art take time, so please be patient. Believe us it’s worth the hike and the wait”. Though sometimes we think they keep us waiting so we drink more! It’s pretty small so do book. Alternatively for something in town and at good value try Le Café Chaud, which offers great traditional Savoyard menus.

For other activities in Morzine then try dog sledding, if you practice in January or February you can take part in the yearly International competition. There’s also an ice skating rink with an ice hockey team so you can try and catch a game. Morzine is a proper town and therefore the shopping is very good, so try and make time around the skiing.

Travelling to Morzine is easy by plane, car or train. If flying then Geneva airport is only 50 miles from Morzine, about 1 hour 30 minutes by bus or taxi. Flights are available from most UK airports to Geneva including the usual low cost carriers. Morzine is one of the nearest major resorts to Calais, and will take around 8 hours to travel, without breaks. Tolls cost will be around 70 euros each way. Alternatively, and a lesser known option is to travel to Morzine by train. Take the Eurostar to Paris and then change for the direct train to Thonon, it takes around 4 and a half hours and if you book early the seats can be as cheap as 80 euros return. The transfer up the mountain will take around 40 minutes.

All in all, Morzine is a fantastic resort with great skiing, and access to a massive ski area. The town itself is a traditional mountain town with an unspoilt feel. It’s a must visit for families, beginners, intermediates and mile eaters looking to explore the wider Portes du Soleil area.

The best way to find out these good deals is to look on the official tourist office website for the ski resort you’re interesting in visiting. Early and late season you will often find a package deal on the tourist website. This usually will include accommodation, self catering, B&B or half board and a lift pass.

I’ve been looking at the Skiwelt ski area offers and there’s some really great bargain end of season offers on their website. They have a range of package deals they call “Super Ski Weeks” and super they are!! Prices start from around 200 euros a person for a week in accommodation only, B&B or half board in one of the Skiwelt villages and include a Skiwelt lift pass for 6 days. I found one deal in the heart of Ellmau,150m from the nearest ski lift, half board and with a ski pass for only 430euros!

You can search for the exact dates you need on the Ski welt website http://www.superskiwochen.at/en/ and find the best deal for you.

Hotel le Totem – Flaine – Crystal Ski

Hotel Totem - functional styled but ultra well located

Hotel Le Totem enjoys a perfect position in Flaine Forum with skiing virtually to and from the doorstep. Under new management for 2009/10 the hotel will be run by Langley with their friendly service, good food and welcoming atmosphere. The hotel itself is modern with spacious communal areas and a lovely sun terrace. The bedrooms are minimalist in style, and families will appreciate the huge range of bedroom types on offer, with interconnecting rooms and family suites.

@foxychops says “Stayed at the Totem last year via Crystal Holidays, good location, good food”

Les Fermes du Soleil – Les Carroz – Ski Independence

A beautifully appointed residence in the centre of Les Carroz, ‘Les Fermes du Soleil’ offers an exceptional standard of self catering accommodation with hotel style facilities.

@skiindependence  says “Great location & excellent facilities – top seller every year”

Ski Massif – Samoens

Ski Massif - Chalet Ralley

The Chalet was built in 2002/3 and was built in traditional alpine style, in keeping with the natural beauty of the area surrounding the chalet. We want you to be as comfortable as possible in the chalet, where you can relax and start enjoying your holiday the moment you walk through the door. The rooms are beautifully furnished and decorated in an authentic style, which is why the chalet has been awarded five stars by the local authority. All rooms have ensuite facilities and are equipped with hair dryers, fluffy towels, dressing gowns, The White Company Toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soap, hand and body lotion,digital safes along with tea and coffee making facilities. (blurb taken from their website)

@Bazzarutto says “ I have stayed in Samoens a few times with Ski Massif who are great. I would recommend them highly”

Le Refuge de l’Alpage – Morillon – Peak Retreats

Located in a prime position at the foot of the ski slopes in Les Esserts (Morillon 1100m, pedestrianised resort), Le Refuge de l’Alpage offers some ski-in/ski-out apartments. It is located just a stone’s throw from the resort centre and 50m from the nearest ski lift. The Green run Marvel (a family favourite) leads back to some of the apartments. Le Refuge de l’Alpage is close to the nursery slopes, it is perfect for families looking for convenient, professional childcare, as well as for those without children looking for nearby skiing. The mini-market, ski school meeting point, ski hire shop and lift passes are all within short walking distance.

@skifamille says “Sheila from the office rates Morillon (bit like Reberty in some ways) this accommodation is good”

Of course there are lots more accommodation options in the Grand Massif ski area if none of these suit. The best place to see what’s available where is the Grand Massif tourist website.