Postcard from Sportgastein in March 2010

Sportgastein is the highest ski area in the Valley, it goes up to about 2700m
Mix of weather at Sportgastein

Sportgastein - take it from the top
The fast Gondola whisks you up to the top where the views are stunning. If it’s a bright sunny day then its certainly a great place to be. Undulating Reds and a Blue take you back to the middle station and its Red and Black down to the base station. The black is a bit hairy and scary when its icy. Today’s weather was a bit mixed so lunch took a bit longer than usual. We went to the Valerie Haus which is next to the cross-country at 1600m. The food is fine but the service is slow which is a bit unusual in this part of the world. I think the Valerie Haus was originally a shelter for people climbing in the area and was named after Marie Valerie, the youngest daughter of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth (Sissi).




On the black in Sportgastein 

15th March 2010
Falling snow and high winds curtailed ski operations early today. Most of the high lifts were closed. Visibility was OK at start time but deteriorated as the morning wore on. It’s really weird when you lose track of what is up and what’s down and you find yourself hitting the ground head first. Oh well, at least it was soft powder. And, of course, there is always tomorrow.

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