Bad Hofgastein - Saturday is changeover day

When the tourists go home and the new arrivals turn up

TW getting ready to go.

View to the Graukogel from the Baerstein Alm

Sunny and cold

When you are here for a while it gets to feel like Groundhog Day. Every Saturday morning people are packing their cars and the coaches are loading up - its changeover day! That should mean that its going to be quiet on the piste. However, if it is sunny, and the snow is good, the villagers are going to be out in force along with various ski clubs from miles around.
As the skiers are Austrian they are, by definition, going to be good and will probably be fast. There will nearly always be local ski races on the Haitzingalm piste on a Saturday Today they were racing ski-bobs on the steepest run. There is normally a quiet period on the slopes in the morning when the World Cup Downhills are on and the locals dive into a local alm to watch the race. This week the race was from Kitzbuhel and the Haitzingalm was noisy with disappointment. The Austrian racers fared badly and the French triumphed.
On a sunny Saturday its probably best to head for one of the outlying ski areas like Sportgastein at the end of the Valley or the standalone ski area on the Graukogel but today we had a good, proper Austrian Ski day up above Bad Hofgastein. Look up the Hill before moving off! And look out for what is behind you!

Max the cat does not like to be disturbed in his hanging basket

Bad Hofgastein - my Ski Technique under the microscope

On the Piste - House for rent above Angertal

I think I can ski around the mountain pretty well and have have developed a method that seems to suit me and is pretty economical. I tend to go for the steepest part of the piste and go at a good pace.  The other day, by chance, we met a couple of people from Marlow having lunch in the Felding Hutte. Turns out they are good skiers and used to be ski instructors in an earlier life.
I spent a day skiing with them in Dorfgastein. They volunteered some comments on my skiing.
My pole planting they described as like windscreen wipers, apparently this is not good!
I do not lean forward enough and am too upright.
I do not properly complete my turns.
I need to edge the ski's more by angling my ankles.
Oh, and I ski too fast. I need to use more of the piste and spend longer on ski's and less time on the lifts.

Grossarl - over the hill from Gasteinertal

Oh well, not much to worry about then! So if you see someone doing neat turns at moderate speed on the pistes of Bad Hofgastein - it will not be yours truly.

Have to say I have taken their comments on board but whether this old dog can learn new tricks is debatable.

Ski bikers - MTB'ers are hitting the slopes

It's all go at the Junge Stube on a sunny Sunday

January snow loads the trees in Bad Hofgastein

It is not all downhill in Sportgastein. Langlauf in the valley

Looking down on Grossarl on a sunny morning

Bad Hofgastein in January 2013

The Angertal Snowman

On the Graukogel Mountain 11th January

Snuff Machine in Bad Gastein

The snuff machine is a 'must to avoid' in Austria. Firstly, you have to position your nostrils over the machine and then the operator of the machine sets it in motion. There is normally a loud bang at the moment when snuff is fired in a jet straight up into your sinuses. This is a particularly fine Schnupfmaschine at the Graukogel Middle Station.

A little hut on the Graukogel in Bad Gastein

Sunny Sunday in Gastein - 13th January

Looking down on Bad Hofgastein

New snow cannons above Bad Gastein

There was a time when the the first week in January was a quiet and cheap period to come skiing but that was before the Russian ban on Christmas was lifted. They work to the old Julian Calendar so their Christmas is 13 days late. This means there are three 'peak' weeks, Christmas, New Year and Orthodox Christmas. Happily the revellers have returned home. Today, the Austrians were out in force, recapturing their mountains, and there was a jolly atmosphere about the place. Mind you, it helps when the sun is shining and the ski conditions are excellent. One of this seasons innovations is the planting of Snow Cannons on the west facing slopes above Bad Gastein. In the summer we saw them constructing a huge reservoir and today that water has transformed the skiing on the sunny and exposed pistes. The steep reds test the technique and the cruising blues are good for the less confident. We may have the Swedes to thank for the improved conditions. They own a number of Hotels in Bad Gastein and it is a popular destination for Scandinavians. Allegedly the Hotel Owners complained about the snow conditions and threatened to sell up if they were not improved. Whatever the reason, we certainly have another decent area to ski in.