Mountain Layout — Skiing

Here is a larger, more detailed map.

Here is an interactive Saalbach-Hinterglemm trail map.

Saalbach Hinterglemm offers one of the best interconnected lift systems in Austria. Even expert skiers deter-mined to put as many miles under their skis as possible, would find themselves hard-pressed to cover the area from one end to the other in a single day—never mind stopping along the way to enjoy the skiing.

Lifts cover both sides of a long valley. The most central spot is Saalbach. Go up the valley for one day’s ski excursion and down the next.

Experts should head directly for the Schattberg X-Press gondola. The black run directly beneath the lift is a good example of why expert skiers keep coming back. It has good grade, it’s bumpy and it’s long.

For another uniquely European experience, turn left at the top of the Schattberg cablecar down the Limberg-Jausern trail. This is the longest trail in the area and worth tak-ing just for the sake of adventure. Vorderglemm at the bot-tom of this run represents the southern boundary of the area. You can cross up to the other side of the valley on the Schönleiten cablecar.

Experts who turn right at the top of Schattberg (Schattberg-East) and go up the short Westgipfel gondola to Schattberg-West can enjoy a mountainside of ad-vanced trails leading down into Hinter-glemm. There’s plenty of tree skiing on this broad swath of mountain, and the run all the way down is worthy indeed of an expert’s interest. Rather than heading back up the two lifts to Schattberg-West, cross over to the Zwölfer and let the cablecars take you back to the summit. Ski down and continue up-valley.

The runs down to the midstation from the top of Zwölfer (6,509 feet) are nice and very bumpy. There are lots of fine cu-tovers into untouched sugar for powder monkeys (snow permitting, of course). From the top cut over to the Seekar T-bar, which has advanced runs from the top and an excellent powder bowl off to the right.

The entire north side of the valley is one intermediate run after another down an open mountainside. Spend a day in the Hasenauer Köpfl and Reiterkogel area. If you head further to the left up the valley toward Spieleck-kogel, you will stand about as high as you can in the valley (6,522 feet).

Advanced intermediates will enjoy taking the long Kohlmaisberg cablecar, which begins in Saalbach near the old church. From the top, there’s a long 3-km. advanced run down into Saalbach. Be-cause of the relatively low height (5,886 feet from the top) of this area, all the runs seem to skirt or cut through beau-tiful forests. And at every juncture, there’s the ubiquitous hut where you can enjoy a drink and a spectacular view.

For a top-to-bottom basher, cut over to the Bergeralm chair lift. From the top enjoy the challenging 7-km. Bergeralm-Schönleiten run (Nos. 57 and 67 on the trail map) down to the valley floor to the Schönleiten cablecar. The eight-person cablecars will whisk you all the way to the top of Schonleiten. From the restaurant in Schonleiten, you can enjoy the most spectacular view in the entire valley, and one of the truly memorable panoramas in the Alps. If you care to digest your lunch over some bumps, round the ridge toward Leogang and ski the three T-bar lifts. They’re short but sweet.

Beginners should take the Bernkogelalm chair lift from Saalbach and change lifts to make it all the way to the top of Bernkogel. The run from the top to the midstation is gentle, wide and very confidence inspiring. In fact, this is where the Austrian ski instructors take their classes of first-timers. The adventurous will find manageable, broad runs down from the top of both the Kohlmaiskopf and Bründkopf lifts.

For the 2006/07 season, the resort is planning two new lifts: the 8-seated cable car Westgipfell III and the 6-seater Schönleiten Gipfellift which will replace the Kar- und Weißbachlift. For a sneak peak at the new lifts check out the 2006/07 trail map.

Mountain rating
There are only a few runs that are strictly for experts, but there’s plenty of challenging terrain in the Skicircus to keep excellent skiers occupied. There al-ways seems to be a tree glade beckoning somewhere.

Intermediates have discovered Nirvana. The north side of the valley is a canvas of intermediate runs for the intermediate skier to choose his or her favorite brushstroke. There is really no part of the Skicircus that is off-limits to the intermediate with the exception of the run under the Schattberg X-Press gondola. You can enjoy all the pleasures of exploring the entire circuit without hitting a dead end.

Beginners and advanced beginners will find Saal-bach Hinterglemm much to their liking. There are plenty of broad slopes, even from the top, that lead them on a gen-tle curve miles down into the valley.