Very cold in Austria ! 15th - 22nd February 2011.

Another amazing week in Soll, Austria last week! For the first few days the temperatures were on the plus side making the snow a little slushy in the afternoons but still ski-able. There was some talk of panic as to wether they would get new snow or not, although we would've been fine whilst we were there. However by wednesday the temperatures dropped, averaging about -10 even -15 ish occasionally during the day and with it lots of fresh snow. This improved the conditions greatly and filled in all the green bits too!   

Looking down from the Hohe Salve gondola after the first nights dump of fresh snow. Note the Salvenmoos area below is now covered completely. We only had one pea soup day which with heavy wet snow was hard on the legs. After that it was sunshine and blue skies but very cold.

 

Lorna comtemplating the next run down to the Silla, heated chairlift; the last lift you take before you drop down into Soll through the trees.

Looking over the Igloo's and Ice Bar at Brixen on our way home from touring over to Scheffau.

The church and resteraunt at the top of the Hohe Salve and the Black run down (although it doesn't look it from this angle!).

Martin and the kids on the new automatic, heated, coverd chairlift at Scheffau.

The ski hire shops upgrade their stock every season so you can be gauranteed to get the best equipment without the hassle of lugging it halfway across Europe. Having your own boots is good though, although I must invest in heated boots on day!  

Lennon and Lorna under the Hartkaiser Bahn at Ellmau on the day of the Hahnenkamm race at Kitzbuhel, just around the valley. Again the sunshie belies the fact that it was very cold!

Soll, Austria, 9th - 16th January 2010.

A selection of photo's from our week in Soll, Austria. This was our fourth time and it gets better and better. As usual we stayed in the excellent Hotel Tulpe, managed by Joe, Linda and Thomas (El Cowboy) the Barman.

The morning view looking out from the balcony over the Hochsoll Gondola station, the "home run", and up to the Hohe Salve at 1829 m.

Halfway down the Hohe Salve looking down the Red run to the Hoch Soll top station. The red gondola on the left is the Hohe Salve lift.

          

            

Skiing down from the Stockl lift.

Daniel and his "class", somewhere in the Ski Welt with the Hohe Salve rising out of the cloud in the distance.

                                    

Inside the bar at the Alpen Igloo Village in Brixen.

          

Martin and me trying to look cool in an iglioo!

                                  

Daniel, Francis and Doreen taking a light refreshment outside the igloo's.

 

Lorna commenting on my 5 Euro Vodka cocktail in a 3 Euro ice glass! You get to keep the glass though.

           

My one and only assisted attempt at the rail in the "funpark" above Soll.

                                    

The Almfreid, tucked away in the trees away from the main runs. The woman that runs it along with her husband are both in their eighties and they cook the food to order whilst you sit in their kitchen!

                                    

The food is amazing but unfortuneatly the toilet (above) is a little basic!

                                    

Lorna and Doreen at the top of Scheffau, with the Wilder Kaider in the background.

                                    

              

Myself, Keefsa, Lorna and Doreen, having "another" drink on the way down to Ellmau.

          

          

Rudi and his band, Insanity Sauce, filmed very badly by me across the bar in the Salvenstadt pub in Soll, Januray 2010.

Austria - Skiing in Soll and the SkiWelt. January 10th - 17th, 2009

Another week of amazingly good weather in Austria. Also back in Soll again, part of the SkiWelt, so we're getting used to finding our way around. With nearly 300 kilometers of piste and 70 Ski huts, restaurants and après-ski bars (that's one approx. every 3.9 km!), it's a fantastic area and can take a full day to cross from one end to the other.

My new ski gear for 2009! Actually this is "Monti", part if the kids ski instructors set up. The guy wearing it seemed to be having a good time though!

This is Rudi, one of the instructors from the Hochsoll Ski School who is also setting up, "Bike and hike Wilderkaiser" this summer.

From left to right - Huw, Doreen, Rudi, Lorna, Me, Emille and Sandra (taken by Derek!).

Looking at just a small part of the "Wilderkaiser". Maybe one day I'll get up there!

Lorna, Doreen and Huw "racing" towards me just before the batteries died on the camera!

Little people showing the adults how to do it!

Lorna, Doreen and Huw skiing under the Hartkaiserbahn, down to the Rubezhal resteraunt on the run into Ellmau. The Rubezhal is sometimes visited by the rich and famous, so we thought we'd better pop in too! The terrace has a cracking view of the Wilderkaiser, and the whole ski area is part of the SkiWelt.