Having been away for so long in the southern hemisphere in December and January we are having our skiing holiday in March this year. We usually prefer going earlier in January or February since the colder weather then normally results in better snow conditions. In March it feels very warm with the result that the snow gets very soft and heavy after lunchtime.
We flew from Gatwick on Friday 8th at 09:50 on a very good BA flight to Salzburg and picked up our Avis hire car at the airport - a very quirky Citroen Picasso. A very easy 80Km drive south to Viehhofen stopping off at our favourite Spar supermarket in Saalfelden to stock up for the week. We arrived in Viehhofen in very good time where we are again staying at the HPB properties. I think this is our fifth time in Viehhofen, once in the summer and four times skiing. It really is an excellent location being only 3 miles from Saalbach and about 6 miles from Zell am See where the frozen lake is beautiful in winter.
I thought this was to be a defining skiing holiday as a result of deteriorating knees. Last year I hired a Ski MoJo, a device which is claimed to reduce strain on the knees by up to 30%. It seemed to work well but unfortunately one of the fastenings broke loose on the 3rd day so I was not able to use it all week. The Ski MoJo has become very popular and hiring is now not so easy in the high season so I took the plunge and bought one. It certainly works and once you get over the palaver of putting it on, there is definitely a reduction in pressure on the knees.
The weather was not great for the first two days (Saturday and Sunday) with low cloud and even some rain. Apparently the week or so before we arrived had been very sunny and warm which meant that a lot of snow had melted. However, there had clearly been very significant snow falls earlier in the season and the "base" of snow is still considerable - a few bare patches at the bottom of the slopes but overall till very good snow conditions. Those skiers amongst you will know that on cloudy days, whilst you can see miles across the valley, it is sometime difficult to see the detail of the snowy piste in front of you.
On Monday the weather improved with a fair amount of sunshine and wonderful views all around. It is still warm and with temperatures around 7/8C the snow is getting soft quite quickly. Combined with tired limbs this means that we have not skied a great deal in the afternoon.
Having spent the first three days skiing around Saalbach, on the fourth day we headed for Hinterglemm and were rewarded with some great skiing and superb views. We both agree that Saalbach-Hinterglemm is an excellent ski area with very friendly people and a relaxed atmosphere. Skiing is never going to be an inexpensive holiday but Saalbach is very good value without sacrificing the quality and the extent of the skiing. One thing of note this year is that of ski fashion and it would appear that the era of grunge has gone! All of the youngsters are now in brightly coloured skiwear and Rosemary and I feel as if we are back in fashion!
We flew from Gatwick on Friday 8th at 09:50 on a very good BA flight to Salzburg and picked up our Avis hire car at the airport - a very quirky Citroen Picasso. A very easy 80Km drive south to Viehhofen stopping off at our favourite Spar supermarket in Saalfelden to stock up for the week. We arrived in Viehhofen in very good time where we are again staying at the HPB properties. I think this is our fifth time in Viehhofen, once in the summer and four times skiing. It really is an excellent location being only 3 miles from Saalbach and about 6 miles from Zell am See where the frozen lake is beautiful in winter.
Having spent the first three days skiing around Saalbach, on the fourth day we headed for Hinterglemm and were rewarded with some great skiing and superb views. We both agree that Saalbach-Hinterglemm is an excellent ski area with very friendly people and a relaxed atmosphere. Skiing is never going to be an inexpensive holiday but Saalbach is very good value without sacrificing the quality and the extent of the skiing. One thing of note this year is that of ski fashion and it would appear that the era of grunge has gone! All of the youngsters are now in brightly coloured skiwear and Rosemary and I feel as if we are back in fashion!
