Austria - December 2012 in Bad Hofgastein - surviving Krampus and ski debut 2012/13

Back to snow business - 7th December 2012
The Schlossalm has its winter coat on

St Nick and his helpers
Krampus - doesn't frighten me
Krampus is a bit of a hoot, he is one of St. Nicholas helpers. He wears a fearsome mask and where St Nick is the good guy, on which our Santa Claus is based, Krampus doesn't give presents! His purpose seems to be to frighten the living daylights out of naughty children and a few adults as well!
So, if you are in Austria during the first week of December and you are chased down the road by a fearsome monster wielding a stick, it's probably not the wife. Krampus is a really big thing in the village with a number of groups wandering the streets. They do get very boisterous and noisy particularly when fuelled up with schnapps. On their waists they wear circular bells so you can hear them coming before you get hit by the birch twigs.

Having survived Krampus it was time to take to the ski's for the first time this Winter. Opening day was the 7th December and the bus driver welcomed me as the Erste Schifahrer ( first skier). Not all the lifts and runs were open but there were enough to have a good blow. Mind you, it was pretty nippy, at minus 14, so the balaclava came in handy. Felt very lucky, can't think of a better place to be on a European Winters Day than out in the fresh air doing battle on Austrian snow.
Day One on H2 from the Kleine Scharte to the middle station
Day 2 at Angertal and the Mustangs take a rest
The Waldgashof in Angertal
Location: Bad Hofgastein, Austria

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