Sunday 24 February 2013

Inspiring and energising...but risky?



Brilliant blue sky. Minus 12°C at 2500m. Crisp, snow. Incredible views across the mountains and the cloud-filled valley far below. Groomed, empty slopes. Can skiing get better than this? It’s hard to imagine how.

A day’s skiing in these conditions is tiring, inspiring, energising and challenging. Lungs full of cold, clean fresh air. The body exercised. The mind cleansed.

It is hardly surprising that so many visitors come for what is, a brilliant way for a family to enjoy time together. It may not be cheap, but it is probably one of the few ways late teenagers will be enthusiastic about going on a holiday with their parents. It’s a sport that grandparents can do together with their grandchildren.

However, the visitors’ homeward journey is not always as joyful as it should be. Ambition overtakes ability. Enthusiasm exceeds excellence and the results can be painful. So far this season in Austria 27 people have died in skiing accidents, quite a number of them youngsters. The thought of families returning home with one child fewer than they came with, is truly dreadful.

Skiing is a huge business. Millions of Euros are invested every year in new lifts and infrastructure. Thousands are employed maintaining the slopes, operating lifts, in catering and providing equipment. New ski technology and groomed slopes make skiing easier…and faster.

Anyone, however inexperienced, can ride to the top of a mountain and head off down steep “black” slopes at speeds that would not be allowed on many roads. There is no control over who skis down what slope – regardless of its steepness or the skier’s skill.

The freedom of the mountains is a wonderful thing. But when struggling out of the boots at the end of a brilliant skiing day, as well as being inspired, energised and exhausted, one is thankful for another safe return.

Friday 1 February 2013

Amazing feast worth a two-hour climb



Ski tourers heading up the mountain for amazing food
After ten years living here in Austria, one might have got used to the Austrian ability to surprise and amaze. But every so often something crops up which still takes the breath away.

After two and a half hours of plodding up a mountain, only seeing six touring skiers going our way along a deeply snow-covered trail, we reached what is laughingly called a hut. This hut is not accessible by road or ski lift – the only way to get there is along the steep trail we had trodden. It lies on a ridge, facing the huge grey rock mountain of the Hochkönig Massif, with a taller peak, the Eibleck 2354m, to the west.

The Hochkönig Massif and the "Mandelwand"
After removing snow shoes, we walked around the corner to find 20 people basking on the terrace, the sun beaming down from its perch just above the mountain opposite. We joined them and after studying what looked at first glance, a simple menu, were treated to a feast.

It wasn’t just the quality of the food, nor the quantity, which was only justified by the long uphill hike, but the presentation too was better than many a hotel would produce. Roast pork was served with a mass of chantrelle mushrooms, plates of ceps were served with a pile of fresh rocket, Thai noodles were golden and spicy and the freshly-made pancakes, filled with apricot jam, were served with a quartered baby pineapple and orange slices.

The hut, the Ostpreussenhütte at 1630m, is run by Anita and Pago who is the ambitious high-altitude chef. They are open throughout the year and offer, like all good huts, simple accommodation as well as good food, astounding views and reasonable prices.

It would be a pleasant-enough surprise to find a place offering such quality exotic dishes at modest prices in a village or town. But this hut is far from the nearest road. And when a place is so good that it attracts customers who can only reach it by hiking for hours up a mountain, then you know it has something special – and the power to amaze.
The trail to the Ostpreussenhütte passes this farm building - in the background is the Tennengebirge