Skiing in Austria - Januray 2014.

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Night skiing in Soll, 9th January 2013. Filmed on Drift 1080p HD Headcam.



Night skiing video taken from the Stockl lift in Soll.

Soll - Ski Welt, March 18th-24th 2012.

Another sunny day on top of the Hohe Salve. Myself, Martin, Eddie, Brian, Katie, Mick and Steph, had a top week in Soll. Very warm in the afternoons, with the home run getting choppy sometimes but all ski-able.   

Avalanche debris on the lower slopes of the Hohe Salve. We weren't sure if it was natural or man made? We did hear various blasts during the week so maybe the Ski Welt people thought with the mild weather it was safer to release some of the snow higher up. 

Somewhere below the avalanche site, on the way back to Soll near the Siller lift.

Oops!

Mick and Steph, showing off their new skills in the main bowl by the Stockalm, Hexen6er, Rinner and Salvenmoos lifts.

Empty slopes below the Hohe Salve chairs.

Nice view over to Westendorf from the Hohe Salve again.

Snow angels or exhaustion?

The small church at the top of the Itter gondola. I'm ashamed to say that this is the first time I've bothered to go over to it in the six years or so that we've been coming here!

Martin, Steph, Mick, Katie, Brian and Eddie, on the eight man automatic chair at Scheffau.

Martin, Katie and Eddie, out with the huskies at the Igloos and Ice Bar at Brixen im Thale.

"Which one is the toilet?"

Katie and Brian enjoy a non existent drink in the ice bar! (bit pricey). 

It's nice inside, but everyone was outside in the sun.

Mick and Steph in one of the ice bar's "booths". Note the skins on the seats.

The "instructors", haha.

High on one of the Alm hut roofs over in Westerndorf.

This late in the season you have to expect some varied piste conditions.

Thankfully it was just ski-able across to Westerndorf.

Westerndorf summit cross with ski tracks along the arete!

Images from Soll, January 2012

Bluebird day over the Hohe Salve, in Soll.

Fresh tracks under the Stockl Lift - Ski Welt.

Making fresh tracks in a natural (ish) halfpipe near Soll in Austria.

Amazing amounts of artificial snow to ride over!

Lorna, Lenny and myself enjoying a drink below the Hohe Salve - Hochsoll. 

The wee ones showing no fear.

Lenny winning first prize overall at the ski school!

A very quiet home run down to Soll, before the tea time carnage starts!

Icicles...

Austria skiing videos - Soll, January 2011.

xxxxx

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!

Austria here we come!

At last the time has almost come to go to Austria skiing after missing out on the recent good conditions we've been having in the Scottish Ski areas. This will be our fifth trip to Soll and as such we should recieve our five year badge for being loyal visitors to the village. Not sure if the local Burgermeister will present them in person though! The Skiwelt are has 279 kilometres of piste, of which 264 is open just now. To be fair they could do with more snow, but there's still plenty to ski on. On our first visit to Soll in 2007, we made a point of visiting the local church with it's immaculately well kept grounds.
It's nice to see at least some small part of the local culture, away from the high tech world of the modern ski infrastructure, even if it'sonly for an hour or two.      

It's also interesting to see how other countries and cultures remember their lost ones from previous conflicts.

As with most things Austrian, they take great pride and respect in their history and traditions. The time and effort they put in to maintaining their places of remembrance is incredible.

Of course it goes without saying that we will be visiting the "Umbrella Bar" on most afternoons! 

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.