St. Anton for Beginners

rockman15

Evening Folks

I've been doing a bit of research on St. Anton as I posted in the other forum below I'm travelling there in Jan.

one of the others in our group will be skiing for the first time. I've decided to give it shot as well. I've been boarding now for about 4 years (6 trips), so I'm not bad. Anywho I/we were wondering what the pists would be like for a beginner? The piste map is quite red. Other forums I've read on say as a resort its not massively suitable for a beginner.

Obviously I've the option to bailout and stick with the board, but I figure nothing risked nothing gained and I being a good friend I dont really want to leave this individual on their own for 6 days of the week as everyone else is more than capable of tackling black runs on ski or board. We are both planning on doing ski school.

All opinion welcome on this.

petethedrummer

We had a beginner in our group in St Anton last year. He was nervous for the first few days, then he was flying. He had lessons for 5 days.

Take a look at this map: http://www.stantonamarlberg.com/images/stories/panoramen/ski-panorama-jpg/PanoOst10-11_CMYK.jpg

You can go over to the Rendl Area (bottom right of map). There are a few handy enough runs for a beginner and its usually well groomed, smooth and not over crowded. There are some reds to keep the others entertained. But get the lift back down as the run home would be too difficult for a beginner in the first few days.

In fact most of the blues here would be grand for a beginner with a few days practise. But they don't seem to groom runs too often in St. Anton, so there could be slush and moguls on the blues by the end of the day, which can be tiring.

No. 17 into Stuben is easy. The main run into St Anton (No 4 & 1) can get very busy and slushy in spots but should be navigable if you take your time.

5 is short and easy. I think 23 is fairly flat and easy or maybe I'm thinking of 24. One or the other.

petethedrummer

And as someone whose first snow holiday was on a snowboard, skiing is less nerve racking to pick up and you can go on more difficult slopes in less time. Some people will have the opposite opinion, but thats mine.

I tried snowboarding again for half a day last year, but quickly gave the board back as I value my wrists too much.

rossc007

You'll be fine mate, I went there on my second boarding trip and found it perfect. You can take the gondola from either end of town and get back down without hitting anything serious really.

Only thing I would note is that the red down to Mooserwert and the Krazy Kangaroo (both great apres ski bars) gets really mogully late in the day, so that one can be a little tricky.

slavedave

Ditto last post. There is a stretch on the long blue down to the Mooserwirt (about 400 yards uphill from it) that gets very mogully late in the day as well as being very busy as you head into apres ski times. A beginner could get put off by it.
I have been to St Anton for the last two ski trips (2010 & 2009) and it is a great ski resort. Some of the reds are great for improvers and managable by snowplough for the beginners whereas some of them are quite stretching in their own right.
The blues from the Galzigbahn are good to start on,the ski schools go there. If you can get there before the schools start then you get the runs in great condition at the beginning of the day. Lots of space to practice turns / new techniques.
The Gampen area has a lot of red ones that may be a bit too much unless you want to feel the burn in your legs because of all the turns you will have to make.
Also, a few of the runs across the mountains do narrow in places that make for busy traffic and lots of turns. Dependng upon the time of day these can be brilliant fun, or overcrowded and testing.
Rendl is a good suggestion esp now that it as a new cable car. Some of the runs at Lech and Zurs ( a bus ride away) were wide and gentle and really good for new skiers too.
After a few lessons you will be flying anyway. You'll love the terrain, the skiing and the buzz there.
Getting down from the Mooserwirt and the Krazy Kangaroo after the apres-ski could be hairy too. It is short blue but gets cut up and you will have to learn how to ski around drunken bodiies to get down in one piece

davmol

You call yourself a snowboarder?!!..TRAITOR:cool:

loobylou

We brought a complete beginner to St. Anton a few years ago. He had a ball.
Personally I think St Antons reputation as a "harder" resort is on account of its off piste possibilities.

rockman15

cheers lads generally what i was hoping to hear.

that piste map is infinitely better than the one i was looking at...direct thank you!