The Final Countdown ... has begun! With only 30 days left to the day we begin our first descent of the Everest Challenge, we can now detail our actual course. The ski season has started strong: lots of snow, with all the thrills (and, alas, spills) that that entails.
The first step to success is preparation, so with no further ado, here is more or less exactly what we will do when we get to Austria:
The Guides
Our team of guides is headed up by Patrick Meixner, a one time professional skier for the Province of Salzburg, who chased hard on the heels of Austria's world class national team. Now a ski instructor of ski instructors he runs his own ski school with equally fantastic guides. Having run this event for 10 years for us he knows what it means to people to achieve the challenge they have set for themselves no matter what their level of ability.
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart UK to resort airport (Munich if you're on the group flight. Salzburg is closer, but we thought it best to avoid the discount carriers that fly into that city).
Transfer to ski / board hire shop, then on to Bruck. Dinner, accommodation, meet the guides and full briefing at Hotel Lukashansl, Bruck near Zell am See.
Day 2
Departure for Leogang from hotel at 07.45am and take the first lifts up to the Leogang side of the resort. From there we will go up and ski down the other resorts that make up the famous "SkiCircus" area: Leogang, Saalbach and Hinterglemm. After a good 6 hours of caning though this region, we will descend to the Alpine town of Schönleitenbahn to take our transfer to Zell am See.
Leogang
The start at Leogang is punctuated by wider yet shorter, less challenging runs making the area appropriate to those for whom the Challenge is the first ski outing of the year. By mid morning, we will be upping the ante: Depending on your ability, either the blue Maisabfahrt run or the red Asterabfahrt route provides enjoyably lengthy paths down to Saalbach. Snowboarders will like this area for its lack of flats and many online pundits give particular props to the three Asitz descents.
Peak Number 1
Name: Berghaus Asitz (1758m)
Resort: Leogang
Peak Number 2
Name: Kleine Asitz (1870m)
Resort:
Leogang
Peak Number 3
Name: Grosse Asitz (1914m)
Resort:
Leogang
Peak Number 4 (1910m)
Name: Wildenkarkogel
Resort:
Leogang
Saalbach
We will start with some scenic and comfortable descents down the ancient Bründlkopf and Kohlmaiskopf peaks which are reputed to be enjoyable. There may be a chance to hit some black descents here, though more advanced skiers will find these runs slightly easier than black in other resorts.
Runs will start to get a bit more challenging as our legs warm up around midday. In the afternoon, we will be in the Hinterglemm end of the SkiCircus. For those not up for the Zwölferkogel-Nordabfahrt run, the Jausernabfahrt run from Schattberg to Vorderglemm represents the highlight of the ski area and culminate in the home run which all participants will take into the tiny town of Schönleitenbahn from where we will transfer to Zell am See.
Peak Number 5
Name: Bründlkopf (1879m)
Resort:
Saalbach
Peak Number 6
Name: Kohlmaiskopf (1794m)
Resort:
Saalbach
Peak Number 7
Name: Bernkogel (1740m)
Resort:
Saalbach
Hinterglemm
Peak Number 8
Name: Reiterkogel (1819m)
Resort:
Hinterglemm
Peak Number 9
Name: Hasenauer Köpfl (1791m)
Resort:
Hinterglemm
Peak Number 10
Name: Reichkendlkopf (1942m)
Resort:
Hinterglemm
Peak Number 11
Name: Spieleckkogel (1998m)
Resort:
Hinterglemm
Peak Number 12
Name: Zwölfer (1984m)
Resort:
Hinterglemm
Peak Number 13
Name: Schattberg West (2096m)
Resort:
Hinterglemm
Ski's and boards off! Our pick up will be patiently awaiting us at Schönleitenbahn at approx. 2pm. Now onto the peaks above the Zell am See including the mountain of Schmittenhöhe. Expect well groomed, but steeper and definitely more challenging runs. This year, 100% of the resort is already open and under thick powdery snow. The scenic descents overlooking the iconic lake at Zell am See, look amazing in photos. Can't wait to see them in real life.
Peak Number 14
Name: Sonnkogel(1850m)
Resort:
Zell am See
Peak Number 15
Name: Schmittenhöhe (2000m)
Resort:
Zell am See
Peak Number 16
Name: Hirschkogel (1720m)
Resort:
Zell am See
Return to hotel for dinner and accommodation.
Day 3
Depart hotel for Hinthertal at 8.00am.
Group ski / board Hochkönig area, coach pick up Mühlbach at 11am.
Hochkönig
Big, quiet and uncrowded, this area is a gem of powdery intermediate red and blues that is so far off the beaten path of ski tourism that it is almost impossible to find anything written about it in the Internet. I will be sure to make notes and ensure I have something to say about this area next year!
Peak Number 17
Name: Gabühel (1634m)
Resort: Hinterthal
Peak Number 18
Name: Bürglalm (1593m)
Resort: Dienten
Coach transfer to Stubnerkogel, Badgastein.
The Badgastein region and its adjoining areas slopes are impressively extensive, and mainly quite challenging – great for intermediates who are happy on real red runs and seriously mogully (remember its afternoon on a Saturday) black runs. It's also worth mentioning that these mountains offers a huge amount of off-piste action. So those of us who like the pow pow should be return here on Free Ski Sunday – pending of course what we see as we slip through during the Challenge. Expect long, relentless runs that challenge the intermediate and skiers/boarders of all levels will find the going rough with legs that already would have endured 15+ hours of skiing in the past 48 hours. Boarders need to be aware of drag lifts and possible flats that could wreak havoc with your finishing time (particularly if you have placed bets with skiers)!
(btw, if you are secretly wondering what the Austrians mean by "bad" – it means "spa" in German. A little for shadowing of the natural hot spas in which we will be soothing our sore muscles at the end of the day!).
Peak Number 22
Name: Stubnerkogel (2246m)
Resort: Bad Gastein
Peak Number 23
The Village of Urlaub
Name: Schlossalm (2050m)
Resort: Bad Hofgastein
Peak Number 24
Name: Hohe Scharte (2300m)
Resort: Bad Hofgastein
Group ski / board Badgastein to Bad Hofgastein.
Pick up in Badhofgastein approx. 17.30pm and onto Thermal Baths Bad Hofgastein. Depart approx. 19.15pm.
The Thermal Baths
A special characteristic of the Gastein Thermal Water is its elevated radon levels, a noble gas with soothing effects on the joints and respiratory passages.
The vapour bath, in its turn, utilises the radon rich air (radon!!!?) from the galleries in order to successfully combat numerous respiratory ailments and optimally regenerate the body.
Long story short, we will probably be looking forward to some r & r after all that skiing.
There is of course the obligatory beer and schnitzel, so we will have a celebratory finish dinner at Hotel Lukashansl.
Our hotel. Learn more about it at http://www.lukashansl.at/en/winter.htm
Day 4
Free skiing / boarding or free day. (yey!)
Depart hotel to airport for flights and go to work the next day (boo!)
