Soll

fannymagee · 18-01-2014 10:43am

Aww you're so welcome, it was lovely to meet you!! You missed some fun & games in the underground last night, lol!! Safe journey home, hopefully see you out here again soon! ;-)

Snoozerface · 18-01-2014 12:46pm

Thanks a mill for the update Mahoney_J. Accuweather is showing a lot of snow is due - hope so! I've skied 5 times, 3rd time to Soll & there always been snow in the village & slopes but we always get sunny weeks. It's looking like the week of Feb 1st we'll have a snowy week... Can't wait!!! Still super nervous about my knee & skiing again but hopefully I get my nerve back.

Hahaha Fannymagee and I thought the crocodile game was the highlight of Under ground bar! ðŸ˜œ

fannymagee · 18-01-2014 7:03pm

Well it's one way to clear the bar, lol! Snoozerface, Alan is ready and waiting for your Arrival, he´ll be propping up the bar in the Underground till you get here. Hopefully fully clothed, lol ;-)

SpaceCowb0y · 19-01-2014 12:59pm

Any information on what conditions in Soll are usually like in March? We are trying to plan our second trip of the season for the week of the 15th - 22nd of March and after poor conditions over Christmas in Slovakia were hoping to find something better next time around?

Also how good is the resort for snowboarding does anyone know?

fannymagee · 19-01-2014 3:43pm

Well I can't vouch for the snow at that time, although Paddys weekend last year had arguably the best conditions of the whole season, but one thing I can say for sure is there are two big parties planned for that week, so it will be fun!! There is a rope race at the middlestation on the 15th, and Paddys day is just generally funny :-) I'm not a boarder, but there is plenty here for experienced boarders. It's a bit limited for absolute beginners but if you can handle your board you'll be fine

SpaceCowb0y · 19-01-2014 3:48pm

Yeah we were away last March too and conditions were great, seems everywhere got good dumps late last season, hoping for something similar this year!

Good to know there is a few big things planned around the time we're thinking though too! We've all got quite a few trips under our belts so it would be mostly freeride zones we'd be looking to anyway! Is there any snow park in the resort?

fannymagee · 19-01-2014 4:17pm

Yeah there's one snowpark here at the momen, there's usually 3, but there are others in the SkiWelt if you have a google- westendorf, ellmau & sheffau anyway...

fannymagee · 19-01-2014 4:21pm

Ps Spacecowboy if you're into freeriding take a look at the video I posted on the Soll, where the magic happens thread. It's the second post, and if you skip the around halfway through there some nice boarding footage from late march last season

SpaceCowb0y · 19-01-2014 4:39pm

fannymagee wrote: »

Yeah there's one snowpark here at the momen, there's usually 3, but there are others in the SkiWelt if you have a google- westendorf, ellmau & sheffau anyway...

fannymagee wrote: »

Ps Spacecowboy if you're into freeriding take a look at the video I posted on the Soll, where the magic happens thread. It's the second post, and if you skip the around halfway through there some nice boarding footage from late march last season

Oh wow... if we get over and there is enough snow for a person to willingly throw themselves off a lift i will be over the moon ha!

moving_home · 19-01-2014 9:24pm

Delighted to see this thread. We are heading to Soll for a week on 22nd February. Will be following this thread eagerly for weather updates :-)

stevire · 20-01-2014 9:57am

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Also how good is the resort for snowboarding does anyone know?

Resort is fine for boarding, the main park in Soll is mickey mouse compared to Penken Park in Mayrhofen but fine all the same and never busy. There are a couple of flat spots on some of the pistes to watch out for, just keep your speed up and you'll be fine. From what I remember these have flat spots: 51a (around the back of Hohe Salve), 43a, 40 blue, 30, 2a.

In terms of freeriding, it's not as widespread as many other resorts but there is a bit. You could plan a day trip to Fieberbrunn, takes about 30mins to get to from Soll:
http://www.powderbeds.com/blog/general/fieberbrunn-austria-s-best-kept-off-piste-skiing-secret

fannymagee · 20-01-2014 10:19am

Hexense6er from above

Snoozerface · 21-01-2014 5:24pm

Web cams looking great today! Seems like there'e been a good dump of snow and more due..

http://www.bergfex.com/soell/webcams/c1962/

You should have some good conditions this weekend moving_home, can't wait to hear how you get on.. I want some reports next week, We head out Feb 1st!

Fannymagee, did you hit the slopes today?

fannymagee · 21-01-2014 6:14pm

Soll today, a welcome top-up!! Ah its on the way, i can feel it in me warthers, lol! We're doing surprisingly well here though, I skied to Going over the weekend and there was a big difference in conditions over there- I was glad to get back!! Although the upside is I have thighs of steel now, lol

fannymagee · 21-01-2014 6:29pm

Nursery slopes yesterday, for Snoozerface! They're in nice condition- I was thinking of you when I was over Ellmau direction, the snow over there was much softer, so a lot harder on the aul knees! Hopefully by the time you get here it'll be all ship shape though, it recovers surprisingly quickly with a bit of snow :-)

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 12:03pm

Soll today:

SpaceCowb0y · 22-01-2014 12:29pm

@fannymagee do you know much about the resort ischgl? Friends of mine are starting to lean more in that direction now but it seems crazy expensive, although i must admit the mountains look unreal!?

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 1:16pm

Ooh Spacecowboy, they're two very different resorts!!

So it completely depends on what you want, and if your frineds are leaing towards Ischgl they may hate Soll! Soll is definitely a resort that completely draws some people in, and they fall in love with the place on arrival, and others just don't 'get' it-

Soll is a very ancient village, very laid back, good fun and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Ischgl is basically the opposite! Very commercial and blingy, hence the cost. Yes the skiing is amazing, (and is at a higher altitude so more snow sure) but it can also be really busy and fast paced and (IMO) lacks the personality, warmth, and 'all about the mountain' atmosphere of Soll.

They're two great resorts, but so different that they're not really comparable. Have you looked at Mayrhofen? that might be a bit of a compromise between the two? Higher altitude than Soll, but less commercial than Ischgl, and a great snow park for you all to play in?!

Aaaaagh, decisions!! I don't envy you lol ;-)

SpaceCowb0y · 22-01-2014 1:33pm

fannymagee wrote: »

Ooh Spacecowboy, they're two very different resorts!!

So it completely depends on what you want, and if your frineds are leaing towards Ischgl they may hate Soll! Soll is definitely a resort that completely draws some people in, and they fall in love with the place on arrival, and others just don't 'get' it-

Soll is a very ancient village, very laid back, good fun and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Ischgl is basically the opposite! Very commercial and blingy, hence the cost. Yes the skiing is amazing, (and is at a higher altitude so more snow sure) but it can also be really busy and fast paced and (IMO) lacks the personality, warmth, and 'all about the mountain' atmosphere of Soll.

They're two great resorts, but so different that they're not really comparable. Have you looked at Mayrhofen? that might be a bit of a compromise between the two? Higher altitude than Soll, but less commercial than Ischgl, and a great snow park for you all to play in?!

Aaaaagh, decisions!! I don't envy you lol ;-)

Hmm... i was hoping for Soll myself but two of the lads (who are both cashed up) are pushing for Ischgl now as they heard its rated 2nd best resort for boarding in Europe apparently? I'm easy on where we go but i'm budget conscious also! proper snow bum ha!

I was in Mayerhoffen last season and it was ok, we were stuck in the next village so it was a mission getting into town and up the hill every day with our gear but the park was great! don't think i'd go back though!

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 1:50pm

Ah sounds like Soll would be right up your street!! (And also doesn't sound to me like Ischgl is the vibe you're looking for?) Everything is just so much fun in Soll- maybe you should ditch them and go on your own lol ;-)

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 1:54pm

Actually I've just realised you'd arrive on the day of the Rope Race! It's for charity and the best day out of the season, absolutely hilarious. There's nothing like a faceplant when you're coming down a slalom course at speed and tied onto two others, lol!! Maybe you three could enter on your boards- better than any snow park ;-)

SpaceCowb0y · 22-01-2014 1:56pm

fannymagee wrote: »

Ah sounds like Soll would be right up your street!! (And also doesn't sound to me like Ischgl is the vibe you're looking for?) Everything is just so much fun in Soll- maybe you should ditch them and go on your own lol ;-)

I'm actually considering it funnilly enough, if they don't find a cheaper way to do Ischgl then whats been suggested so far i'll have no choice! Although i've never gone boarding on my own before so not too sure how much craic i'd have on my toblerone. I'd certainly get the most out of the mountain instead of the bar though ha

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 2:02pm

See my post above about the rope race- it'd actually be a great day to arrive, you'd meet lots of the local workers/ board bums, and I'll be there so I can defo introduce you to a few!! My friends will also arrive from Dublin that day (7am flight to Munich), so depending on numbers it could possibly work out for shared transfer! (Or train/shared transfers are very straightforward anyway, you'd be in the resort by lunchtime). And there's always lots of Irish around that weekend for Paddy's so you won't be alone for long (whether that's good or bad, lol!). It's defo an option to consider...

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 2:03pm

And I promise I don't say lol or use smileys in real life ;-)

Snoozerface · 22-01-2014 2:05pm

Loving the pics this morning Fannymagee!

Watching the forecast everyday, looks like there's a good bit of snow coming your way!! Thanks for the advise about Ellmau.

Are you out there the week of the 1st?

S

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 3:00pm

Hopefully Snoozerface- the snow HAS to come, it's just a questions of when! it's the warm wind coming up from Italy that's the problem- if that would feck off we'd be good to go! It could be a season of very late snow, or the big dump could happen in Feb... Time will tell! I don't think I'll be there on the first, but I could be back before the end of that week- I'll let you know closer to the time. Have to come back to Dublin for a few days, so need to look at flights etc but we'll do a crocodile game inthe Underground if we overlap!!

Fattes · 22-01-2014 3:41pm

I"schgl is basically the opposite! Very commercial and blingy, hence the cost. Yes the skiing is amazing, (and is at a higher altitude so more snow sure) but it can also be really busy and fast paced and (IMO) lacks the personality, warmth, and 'all about the mountain' atmosphere of Soll."

You know Ischgl is as old as time, it's on an old trade route between Switzerland and Austria and has been used by smugglers for hundreds of years to take advantage if different tax rates between CHF and Austria. In fact Swiss customs officers actually still patrol the slopes a few days a week!!, the reason it's expensive is it's linked into nearly 300km of piste, has the most modern lift infrastructure in the alps, has some incredible off piste and is probably one of the liveliest resorts in the Alps. It's price point is supply and demand and quality driven.

Soll is no different to 99% of Austrian resorts old farming villages in Alpine pastures that now derive a larger % of their income from tourism. Very few of them take themselves seriously it's about entertaining their guests. Most offer endless list if on and off snow activities and the only differences is Cost, quality of terrain and snow reliability

fannymagee · 22-01-2014 4:03pm

Yes, it certainly is all that (as I said it's a great resort) but the likes of Paris Hilton and her ilk hanging out in Pascha etc has definitely increased the supply and demand from a different calibre of ski tourist, and consequently diluted the 'authentic Austrian' feel of the place, IMO.

I can completely see why Ischgl appeals to the friends, and Soll appeals to Spacecowboy- they are completely different resorts on many levels, and appeal to different people for different reasons.

BUT, this thread is about Soll, and I was asked my personal opinion, so that's what I gave. I wouldn't encourage anyone to come to Soll if Ischgl is what they're looking for. You'd be hard pushed to find a bottle of Bolly in Soll :-)

Fattes · 22-01-2014 4:12pm

Wow lovely inverse snobbery there!! Ischgel regularly features
In the too 20 resorts in the world. The price premium is for the ski terrain and lift infrastructure not the bars.

Plenty of old world Austrian charm left in the village away from the posh spots

SpaceCowb0y · 22-01-2014 4:14pm

To be honest all i want is good off piste snowboarding! I tend to be they type to stick beers in my backpack rather then pay in the pubs on the slopes!(i drink quite a bit while i board) I never eat out and just pack a sandwich! I am the ultimate budget boarding bum haha! I try and find accomo where i can cook in the evenings and spend what i do have for Aprés. Once the powder is good i'm a happy camper.

Soll

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