The Olympic flame comes to Bristol and Bath this summer. But Olympic stars of the future are on the slopes of Austria at the Youth Winter Olympics, near Innsbruck, this week. Inspired, Travel Editor Anne Gorringe puts herself to the test in the Austrian resort of Bad Hofgastein . . .
A mountain hut on the slopes above Bad Hofgastein, Austria
This Sunday (Jan 22) sees the bobsleigh teams take to the tracks for the final event in the 10-day-long games for 15-18 year-olds. I was in Austria as the Youth Winter Olympics kicked off, and heavy snowfalls kicked in.
When the Olympic competitors take to the bobsleigh this Sunday for the final event in the Youth Olympic Games, I’ll spare them a thought.
I know what it’s like to hurtle down a track clinging on to a sleigh. Well, Ok, to be precise, toboggan. And I’ve got to say, it’s the most fun night out I can remember…
As I hurtled along a snowy forest path that looked like something a out of Narnia, shrieking with laughter, it was the first time I’d been on a wooden sleigh since I was nine. And, what a fabulous way to turn back the years.
You can’t beat a toboggan to get back from a night out!
I was staying in Bad Hofgastein, a spa resort just 80 minutes drive from Saltzburg airport, on a Ski Freshtracks weekend holiday organised by the Ski Club of Great Britain. The town is little known to the UK market, has over 220km of pistes.
After a day’s skiing we decided to sample some of the best après ski around– dinner in what is billed as Europe’s oldest mountain restaurant, the Bellevue Alm.
It’s was a 20 Euro taxi ride away from our hotel to the next door village of Bad Gastein, but worth every penny.
The taxi deposits you at the bottom of a hill where the only way up is on a one-man chairlift. On the way, you dangle over tall snow-covered pine trees before the twinkling lights of the restaurant are suddenly spotted as you reach the top.
Arriving at the restaurant is such fun… and that’s even before a drink!
After a meal of, what else, but a traditional meat fondue at € 26.90 a head… washed down by bottles of red wine, a glass of Schnapps arrived, for ‘Dutch courage’.
Er, that’s because a toboggan ride down is quite a scary prospect, at first. The trick is to dig your heels is to slow you down. Effective, but a little hard on the muscles!
Suddenly you arrive at the top of mountain and the Bellevue Alm
No worries, we were staying at the four star Kur Sport & Palace Hotel, just a five minute stroll from the luxurious Alpentherme health and leisure complex. A dip in the thermal waters proved perfect for easing off those aching muscles before hitting the slopes again. Wonderful..
Swim in the open air surrounded by snow at The Alpentherme Spa
The spa also has a family pool and kids of any age can swim inside an impressive multimedia ‘mountain’ where films are shown as you swim – though they are, of course, in German.
Talking a bikini on a ski trip had seemed strange, but without it I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy my favourite part of the visit – swimming outside in the warm mineral waters, which worked a treat to ease those aching muscles. At dusk the pool was lit by the spectacular glow of lights as snowflakes gently fell onto my hair. Magical.
Back inside the complex, it was time to strip off. As in other Austrian saunas, ‘au natural’ is the rule of the day. Was I really ready to get to know my male colleagues that well? I was saved by the discovery of the ‘lady’s zone’ at the Alpentherme. Inside this little haven relaxing lounge beds and free tea are on offer as well as an extensive selection of treatments.
But, everything in moderation. After a final relax in the warm Jacuzzi I decided to check out the spa’s bar… and a glass of the local beer!
Ski Club leaders Vicky and Vanessa were with us all the way
If you don’t want walk across the park, the hotel itself has its own pool, though I confess, I didn’t find time to try it, I was too busy on the slopes. Ski buses run from just outside the hotel and reception staff speak English and are very helpful.
With a total of around eight weeks skiing under my belt, I class myself as a confident ‘intermediate’ on piste skier. The beauty of these trips as that everyone is grouped with others of the same standard and Ski Club Leaders accompany each Freshtracks holiday. and are on hand both on, and off the slopes.
Vicky and Vanessa organised us into two ‘ability’ groups, organising a taxi to get us from our hotel to the slopes and arranged a group ski lesson with the lovely Roland from the Ski Race Academy Gastein for my team.
Instructor Roland lets me catch my breath on the snowy slopes above Bad Hofgastein
This came at an added cost but proved invaluable as the buckets of snow that fell throughout our January trip meant that visibility was poor. It was wonderful to be with someone who knew the area so well. It also meant that, with an avalanche risk, some of the higher runs were closed. No matter, he planned ahead and took us on a circuit which ended nicely at a fabulous hut for lunch.
And, he so instilled me with confidence that, when he said, “follow me…” I, like the others in the group, happily obliged. Following in his tracks off the side of the slope as he gave us our first mini taste of off piste skiing. It was brilliant! And, when we collapsed in laughter when we, quite literally, disappeared under mounds of snow, he was there to dash over and dig us out.
…Ski Club leader Vicky shows the right way to ski off piste!
- Anne went on a Ski Club Freshtracks weekend break to Bad Hofgastein. Freshtracks have other trips going to the resort in March, including a girls-only ski and spa weekend trip, flying with BA from Heathrow, See www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiclubfreshtracks.
- She stayed at the four star Kur & Sport Hotel Palace see www.kurhotelpalace.at
- Ski lessons were booked with the www.skirace-academy.com
- For more information on the Alpentherme Spa in Bad Hofgastein, www.alpentherme.com
- Unterbergerwirt – Feng Shui Restaurant, www.unterbergerwirt.com
- The oldest mountain hut in Europe, where the group had dinner and tobogganed down the mountain was the Bellevue Alm at Bad Gastein www.bellevue-alm.com
