I was among the skiers who booked last-minute trips to Austria this weekend on
the back of reports of record snowfalls.
We were rewarded by Alpine sunshine, ankle-deep powder and quiet pistes –
conditions that better any of the three ski breaks I took last season.
I visited Kaprun and Zell am See where resort staff were surprised by the
number of skiers who had joined lift queues from 8am, hoping to be among the
first up the mountain.
The skiers were cashing in on exceptional snow conditions, thought to be the
best for 20 years.
On Saturday, the fresh snow glistened in bright sunshine in Kaprun, while on
Sunday, further snowfall in the morning gave way to a sunny afternoon. The
pistes could not have been better – a solid base and a topping of fresh snow
– no patches of ice or exposed rock.
The conditions are a stark contrast to recent years, which have seen the
resorts endure a mild December and in some cases, a green Christmas.
In the last two weeks around 180cm of snow has fallen in parts of Austria and
brought forward the opening
of 26 resorts. Early snow has also dusted parts of France, Switzerland
and Norway.
Austria’s resorts celebrated the start of the season with piste-side parties.
In Kaprun, revellers braved temperatures of -10 degrees to jiggle to live
music, and take advantage of free massages, free ski and boot tests, and
flowing gluehwein and Jagatee, a potent concoction of rum, schnapps and tea.
The ski lifts will be operating seven days a week in Kaprun and Zell am See
from next weekend, but not all hotels, restaurant and bars will open until
the week before Christmas.
That said, there’s plenty of availability. An English couple staying at Hotel
Rudolfshof Vitality in Kaprun told me they had paid £80 each for flights to
Salzburg with Ryanair and E313 each for three days’ half-board
accommodation, a three-day ski pass, massage and a half-day skiing lesson.
The Rudolfshof is not offering the package beyond November 23, but has similar
packages available until Christmas. Other hotels and B&Bs in Kaprun and
Zell am See are also taking bookings, with prices well below those for
breaks over Christmas and February.
For skiers who can get away, a last minute booking before Christmas could
prove to be one of the best value ski breaks this season.
Need to know
For more information about skiing in Austria, visit the Austria
National Tourist Office website, which has details on snow conditions,
and ski packages available.
For more information on Kaprun and Zell am See, which are collectively called
the Europa Sport Region, go to www.europasportregion.info/en.
The Hotel
Rudolfshof Vitality in Kaprun has ski packages from E567 per person
until December 22. This includes seven night’s half-board accommodation, a
six-day ski pass, a free shuttle to the pistes, childcare from noon to 9pm,
and use of the spa facilities, which includes a swimming pool, sauna and
steam room.
I was there too... It was awesome!!
AussieDigger, London,