Austria - Sportgastein - Snow and Sun

When it's good, its very good!

High and Wide in Sportgastein

Down in the valley

At the head of the Gastein Valley, nestled in the Hohe Tauern Mountains is the Sportgastein Ski Area.

With the top station at 2,686m and the valley station at 1,590m it is pretty snow-sure. When the sun is shining and the wind has passed its a wonderful place to ski. Typically, the warm-up run will be a long blue down to the middle-station. Then we work our way anti-clockwise around the mountain, up in the gondola and then down undulating red runs. Its easy to be caught out by the sudden drops. Breaks are taken at the Restaurants at Gondola Middle-Station with its sunny terrace, the Bottom Station or at my favourite the Valerie Haus a short walk away.. The Black run to the bottom is a bit of a challenge. It is what the Austrians call a steilhang and we'd call a gully. Got to be done though!
At the end of the day we fight for a seat on the bus home, hot, tired and usually a just a bit sleepy.

Valley view - In the foreground is the red to the middle,
down below are the Langlauf loops.