Skiing
The main ski season in Europe is more or less over now. (I say "main" because there are glaciers where one can ski the whole year). It has not actually been a particularly good season, in fact, the weather has been so warm that it raised people's attention about global warming again. So warm in fact, that there was virtually no ski season in Germany at all, other than on the Zugspitze, which is the highest peak of Germany. The ski world cup took place at Garmisch Partenkirchen, just south of Munich and at the base of the Zugspitze. The view was disheartening - the man-made track was the only patch of white in sight. It was still interesting to get to see a major slalom event, although I actually wanted to watch the more impressive and fast Downhill and Super-G races, which were on the previous day.
The lack of snow in Germany (there was not even a white Christmas! How tragic for the Germans) meant that one must search for other skiing locations further afield. I ended up going skiing 5 times, most of them day trips. The snow was not always good, but the final day trip to Fieberbrunn, on a sunny day after a rare week of snowing, was a perfect way to end the season. Here's the list of resorts, if you are interested:
- Zillertal, Austria
- Zugspitze, Germany
- Obereggen, South Tirol (Italy)
- Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis, Austria
- Fieberbrunn, Austria
Other than the resort in South Tirol, all these were day trips and reachable within about 2 hours, although with a bus or in traffic jams sometimes it took longer.
One notable point of the ski resorts here is that there are huts everywhere, where one can buy sausages (or pasta in Italy), beers, and lay on loungechairs and sunbathe. Some are located on top of the mountain and have unparalleled views, and are far superior alternatives to eating at the base of the mountain.
Most Europeans are surprised that I, as an Australian, know how to ski at all. "Can you ski in Australia?" or "Is there snow there?" are the common initial questions. With the beaches and that big rock taken most of the tourism focus, I can understand that our Snowy Mountains are relatively unknown to the rest of the world.
With the boots in the ski shops getting adjusted and the skis back in the basement, I am now looking forward to a more snowy 07/08 season where I can hopefully do some longer trips to some new locations. Day trips are cheap but stressful, afterall!
The lack of snow in Germany (there was not even a white Christmas! How tragic for the Germans) meant that one must search for other skiing locations further afield. I ended up going skiing 5 times, most of them day trips. The snow was not always good, but the final day trip to Fieberbrunn, on a sunny day after a rare week of snowing, was a perfect way to end the season. Here's the list of resorts, if you are interested:
- Zillertal, Austria
- Zugspitze, Germany
- Obereggen, South Tirol (Italy)
- Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis, Austria
- Fieberbrunn, Austria
Other than the resort in South Tirol, all these were day trips and reachable within about 2 hours, although with a bus or in traffic jams sometimes it took longer.
One notable point of the ski resorts here is that there are huts everywhere, where one can buy sausages (or pasta in Italy), beers, and lay on loungechairs and sunbathe. Some are located on top of the mountain and have unparalleled views, and are far superior alternatives to eating at the base of the mountain.
Most Europeans are surprised that I, as an Australian, know how to ski at all. "Can you ski in Australia?" or "Is there snow there?" are the common initial questions. With the beaches and that big rock taken most of the tourism focus, I can understand that our Snowy Mountains are relatively unknown to the rest of the world.
With the boots in the ski shops getting adjusted and the skis back in the basement, I am now looking forward to a more snowy 07/08 season where I can hopefully do some longer trips to some new locations. Day trips are cheap but stressful, afterall!
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