TRAVEL / January
TRAVEL / January
Words and photos
by Derk Hoberg
WINTER EXCITEMENT ON THE
AUSTRIAN SLOPES
The better you ski, the more fun this sport becomes. But really
upping your skills means seeking out new challenges and
leaving your comfort zone, even when in the mountains.
The author, who
regularly writes
for SkiMagazin,
SkiExclusive, and
Snow in Germany
and is a two-time
winner of the
Laureus Media
Award, with his
son, Daniel.
A total of 100 kilometres of pistes catering to
all skill levels, 26 lifts accommodating around
50,000 winter sports enthusiasts per hour to
an altitude exceeding 2300 metres, and half
a year (162 days) of skiing on offer. These facts
and figures show how deserving Obertauern’s
reputation is as a true winter sports paradise –
the resort was even used by the Beatles to shoot
the ski scenes for their film Help!
But, over and above the statistics, what really
got me feeling at one with Austria’s ‘snow bowl’
was spending one of my first-ever ski holidays at
Obertauern. I endlessly repeated small jumps on
the specially prepared wave track and nagged
my father to take photos until I had the perfect
shot. I have to admit I was daunted by one of the
steepest descents in Austria as well as awestruck
by the huge quantities of snow in this small
village in the state of Salzburg. Nowadays, I
reminisce about those halcyon days as I bring my
own son to Obertauern and enjoy joining him in
eating up the miles of piste.
That first visit to Obertauern must have
been around the late 1980s. I was 12 or 13, on
a skiing trip with my dad, and back then we
still wore rather bold, one-piece outfits. A lot
has changed since then in skiing, and not just
in terms of clothing. Responsive, carving skis
have made learning to ski a breeze and increase
the on-piste fun exponentially. Wide, freeride-
style skis give those negotiating powder snow
added momentum. And party animals have
long since enjoyed the thriving après-ski scene
in the Alps. While present-day Obertauern
retains its reputation as a vibrant night spot for
skiers wanting to celebrate, it’s also a popular
destination for freeriders and is still very
family-friendly.
Staying guests can choose from a whole range
of accommodation options, most of which are
centrally located and conveniently close to the
lifts. That’s a godsend for long-suffering dads
in particular, who often face a long trek to the
lifts weighed down with their own skis along
with those of their children, while the said
children stumble along behind in their clumsy
ski boots, with two pairs of ski poles in hand,
and start whining before they even reach the
slopes. Our first glance out our hotel window
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revealed a mountain peak glowing in scarlet and
holding the promise of sunny descents as the day
unfolded.
What also makes the Obertauern pistes a
go-to choice is their versatility for families
and advanced skiers alike. Blue beginner runs
abound (61 kilometres in total) and are perfect
for practice and a great alternative for when the
red slopes (35 kilometres) prove too daunting.
In other words, there’s plenty on offer for both
newcomers to the sport and old hands alike
as well as enough scope to approach the next
level step by step before the time comes to try a
red terrain run for the first time. Experts and/
or daredevils need look no further than the
four very difficult black runs. These include
Gamsleiten, one of the steepest and most difficult
slopes in Austria. The entire ski area encircling
the village is just as varied, almost always offering
a choice between a wide, easily negotiated slope
and more challenging terrain that will test you
and help foster your skills and techniques.
SKIING IN THE ALPS – FUN FOR THE
YOUNG AND OLD
The 12-kilometre-long Tauernrunde, with a
series of lifts and pistes allowing skiers to ski a
loop around Obertauern and enjoy ever-new
perspectives, is a special adventure for children.
I felt that way as a child, and my son feels the
same way today. The signposting is clear, and
even younger skiers will have no problem
completing it. The loop can be completed in
either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction,
and all who choose to enjoy it are rewarded with
the feeling of having achieved something great.
Reflecting on the Tauernrunde brings to mind
the famous Sellaronda in the Italian Dolomites.
There, too, I covered every inch of the far more
extensive and varied 26-kilometre loop with
my father. Spending time together among the
peaks, we enjoyed the good food in the huts of
South Tyrol and the impressive vistas of the
spectacular Sassolungo, Marmolata, and Sella
Massif. Easily accessible despite being further
from Munich than Obertauern, the Sellaronda
is already on my list this winter, with en-route
stops including Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Arabba,
or Val di Fassa, all of which offer premium hotels
Baltic Outlook
/ 2019 / 71