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Springtime Skiing in the
Austrian Alps
 For many skiers, when springs makes its
appearance in early March, its time to put away their skis and bid a
wistful goodbye to the winter. The once-crowded slopes become
deserted as the sun begins to shine hotter and longer each day, the
après-ski bars quiet down, and the resorts empty out and close for
the summer. Only a few of the luckier, more ardent or more
knowledgeable skiers are left to take advantage of one of the most
enjoyable periods of the skiing calendar: the spring.
What’s so great about spring skiing
Spring skiing has many perks not enjoyed by those skiing in deep
winter, but the glaringly obvious one is: fewer people. By the time
February rolls around, the slopes are emptying, many of the resorts
are closing and the few which do stay open are offering bargain
rates to attract the last-minute holidaymakers. Less competition on
the slopes and low prices? For spring skiers, it’s almost
unthinkable not to take up advantage of such an attractive offer!
Spring skiing also offers a far different experience from its deep
winter equivalent. For one thing, the snow itself is different. Over
the months, the snow has accumulated, pressed firmly down,
stabilized. Instead of the thick powder snow of winter, spring
skiers are treated to slopes decked in corn snow, a large grained
layer of fresh snow over hard-packed, icy slopes. Whether it’s more
fun to snow on powder or corn snow is mostly matter of personal
opinion, but there are many who vow that corn snow skiing is one of
those ‘must-ski’ experiences every halfway decent skier should have
at least once in their lifetimes.
Another advantage of late season skiing is that for every
lower-altitude ski field being turned into slush with the advent of
spring, there is another, higher-altitude ski destination just
coming into its prime. The fresh, white thickness of late spring
snow transforms valleys and peaks which were previously inaccessible
earlier in the winter into tantalizing, virgin slopes for the
exploration of the intrepid late-season adventurer. Skiing the
higher snow fields and glaciers offers conditions much like those in
deepest winter. Unfortunately, this also includes the occasional
blizzard when Old Man Winter decides to pay a return visit. Still,
for those with a good weather sense and an adventurous spirit, or at
least a decent ski guide, keeping a sharp eye on the weather is a
small price to pay for some of the most exquisite skiing of the
season.
Love skiing, but hate waking up early to catch that first ski lift
to the slopes? Late-a-beds can still have their fun on the slopes if
they wait until spring. This late in the season, there’s absolutely
no reason to get up anytime before 9 am — unless you fancy slipping,
sliding and ultimately falling down a slope that’s more ice than
snow, thanks to the daily nighttime freeze/daytime thaw cycle
(which, incidentally, is also to be thanked for creating the corn
snow itself). During this period, a long, leisurely breakfast is
almost obligatory while you wait for the sun to work its magic and
draw out the sting from those icy slopes. Then, from about
mid-morning until about mid-afternoon, the snow is all that you ask
for.
By about 3 in the afternoon, its time to head off the slopes, as the
sun gets too enthusiastic and starts
turns the slopes in big puddles
of mush. At this point, the true magic of spring time skiing becomes
apparent — when you step off the snow fields of the higher mountains
and head for lower altitudes, you can leave winter completely behind
you and descend into a valley where spring flowers are blooming in
the meadows, birds are busy building their nests and everyone is
walking around in shorts and t-shirts.
Speaking of shorts and t-shirts, another really great point about
spring skiing is that you can wear just such skimpy attire on the
slopes. As the sun blazes down on the slopes, many spring skiers
doff their three layers of winter gear and swoop down the slopes in
just a sweater or t-shirt — or for the more brazenly daring, not
even that. Once you’ve enjoyed the freedom of skiing while wearing
nothing much, you may never again want to wear a parka while you’re
skiing!
Where to go for spring skiing in Austria
 There are plenty of places to ski in Austria. Much like Switzerland,
the country is a veritable winter wonderland, with a generous
scattering of excellent resorts sprinkled over the three major
mountain chains — the Northern Limestone Alps, the High Alps and the
Southern Limestone Alps. The mountain elevation in Austria is
generally lower than in Switzerland, the resorts still receive
abundant snowfalls as the winters tend to be colder, particularly in
the east.
All these resorts offer great skiing during the early spring months,
but as March turns to April and then to May, many of the
lower-altitude resorts give up fighting against the encroaching
warmth and close. To continue skiing, you need to move higher
up the mountains. The further up you go, the longer the ski resorts
stay open and some penultimate resorts, situated near ski fields too
high up to ever thaw, stay open all year round.
For those who love partying as much as skiing, the
Saalbach-Hinterglemm resort is the best place to go. Located in the
Glemmtal Valley about 90 km away from Salzburg, this ski resort is
the second most popular destination in Austria, after Vienna and is
particularly popular with Dutch and German vacationers. Of the two
villages which give the valley its name, Saalbach is the larger and
more vibrant, but since both villages have grown until they almost
form one village, the point is a bit moot.
Given its popularity,
it’s no surprise to find that almost everything you need is on offer
here, with an impressive nine ski schools to choose from, excellent
restaurants, reasonably priced accommodations and some of the best
guides in the country. The entire area, which includes slopes on
both sides of the valley as well as several other mountain faces and
wide-open bowls, is aptly called the Ski Circus. Most of the slopes
are best suited for intermediate skiers, but both beginners and
experts will find a satisfying run or three, and unless you have the
endurance of Superman, it’s probably best to save your energy and
stick to one area a day. Such restraint also means you’ll have
enough energy after skiing to take part in the many drinking parties
and après-ski activities which have made this particular resort so
popular!
Probably the most popular glacier in the country is the Hintertux.
The glacier is located in the newly created ski area of the Ski &
Glacier World Zillertal 3000, a lift system which connects lower-
and higher-altitude hamlets, to produce the largest network in the Ziller valley, and one which offers guaranteed year round skiing.
With 11 interconnected areas offering every possible snow
experience, a free bus network, plenty of accommodations to suit
every taste and facilities for every need, this is the most
comprehensive ski areas to go to for some late season skiing.
For more year round skiing, another popular glacier resort to head
for is Zell am See, located in central Austria about 80 km from
Salzburg. This car-free town next to Lake Zee has a bus link to the neighbouring Kaprun glacier, which runs about once an hour during
the spring. From Kaprun, you can take a cable car to the top of
Kitzsteinhorn glacier, where you can get spectacular views of the
Grossglockner, Austria’s highest peak. If glacier skiing isn’t your
cup of tea, there’s also 80 km worth of trails winding around the
Schmittenhoe mountain behind the town, which is sometimes ski-able
even late in the season, if the conditions are right. Thanks to its
unique positioning, the resort offers guests the chance to go skiing
in the morning, then swimming in summer-warm lake waters in the
evening.
Two other ski resorts popular for spring skiing are Obergurgl/Hochgurgl
and Sölden. The two villages of Obergugl and Hochgurgl are located
in the Otztal Valley near the south Tirol border. Obergugl is the
most famous of the village cluster, not only for its standing in
Austrian ski history, but also because it is one of the prettiest
and highest of the Austrian resorts, sitting pretty at about 6000
feet. Hochgurgl is a little lower down at 7050 feet, together with
the lesser known sister of these two villages, Untergurgl. Nightlife
and restaurants are more varied in Obergurgl, while Hochgurgl offers
the most luxurious accommodations. The high altitude, and a little
judicious snow-making, means the resort offers excellent skiing all
the way until the end of May. Nearby Solden is more resort than
village, with huge chalet style hotels, swimming pools and a
notoriously boisterous nightlife, but in recent years it seems to
have calmed down a bit, and has the bonus of offering two glaciers
for the price of one. There are also plenty of marked trails for a
little variety.
Some cautions before you go spring skiing
 Spring skiing is a wonderful experience, but there are a few things
you have to consider before planning a ski trip that late in the
season. The most obvious is to keep a lookout on snow cover and the
weather. Aiming for the higher resorts is a good way to hedge your
bets, but you’ll still need to be flexible and watch out for cold
snaps or unseasonably hot weather, which may alter your plans
drastically. Fortunately, no ski resort of any repute would go
without issuing a snow and weather report, so this is a fairly easy
factor to take into consideration.
One Austrian weather phenomenon which might put a hole in even the
best laid plans is the foehn. This very warm, dry, wind sweeps over
the country from the hotter climes of the south and occurs most
often during autumn and spring, when it can melt the snow with
heartbreaking speed. Alpine valleys which run south and north are
particularly susceptible. The foehn is sometimes blamed for setting
up the right conditions for avalanches, and for making the air so
dry it poses a serious fire risk to the ubiquitous wooden chalets.
Apart from such cautions however, a spring skiing trip isn’t any
more troublesome or difficult to arrange than the more usual winter
skiing trip. Time the trip right, and with the sharp drop in prices,
the greater freedom on the slopes, the fantastic snow conditions and
the chance to go beach sunbathing after a hard morning’s skiing,
there’ll be no better way to make the most of your spring!
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