And we’re ’Hof... me and Eddie The Eagle
IT’S not often you get to share the honeymoon suite with a skijumping legend but these things happen when you visit Mayrhofen in the Austrian Tirol.
Admittedly, I was being shown around the honeymoon suite of the Schneekerhutte mountain lodge at the same time as Michael Edwards, aka Eddie the Eagle. Our honeymoon experience was over before we could even pop the cork on a congratulatory bottle of champagne.
Eddie, who jumped to fame in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, is an adopted son of ‘Hof. An accomplished skier, he loves the dramatic surrounds of the Zillertal valley and enjoys Mayrhofen’s 136km of pistes, which he says offer something for everyone. He was in town to speak about his Olympic experiences at the Altitude Comedy festival, which has since moved on from the resort.
Eddie’s not the only famous skier you might find yourself next to on the slopes in Mayrhofen. Peter Habeler, a native son of the village, was the first climber to ascend Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1978. His feat, previously considered impossible, was achieved alongside Italian climber Reinhold Messner.
Today, the Habeler family runs a ski school in the village and visitors can grab the opportunity to hear Peter’s stories by skiing around the mountain with him.
Another person who thrives on the buzz of Mayrhofen is Kirk Field who runs the annual Snowbombing music festival. Now in its 17th year, Snowbombing introduced DJ-led dance music to the Alps and draws 6,000 music fans here each April.
Mayrhofen is located where four valleys converge, which Field believes gives it a strong energy. That energy will certainly flow during Snowbombing 2018 with Liam Gallagher, Craig David and Dizzee Rascal announced as headline acts.
The festival has cleverly evolved to match its audience with a mix of dance sets for younger fans, tribute bands like Antarctic Monkeys for maturing guests and a whole range of fun activities from snowga and chairlift speed-dating.
TOURISM is the very lifeblood of the Tirol. One euro out of every three spent in the region is from tourism so it’s no surprise that the people of Mayrhofen take the ski industry seriously. The resort invested €50million in the high-tech Penkenbahn cable car two years ago and works creatively to ensure snowy slopes.
100 pc of pistes are covered by snow cannons and water cooling towers have been built so that snow can be made with less than optimal temperatures outside. Snow-farming, as the locals call it, is a delicate balance between production and cost so that resort bosses are ‘not just blowing euros out of snow cannons’.
On the mountain, Mayrhofen’s ski terrain is spread across two sides of the valley – Ahorn for leisure, Penken for action. Ahorn is where beginners and families go to gain confidence while Penken offers more advanced skiing up to 2,500 metres.
‘Hof is linked with Hippach, Finkenberg and Lanersbach/ Eggalm to create 136km of pistes - those in the know begin their day with warm-up runs on Ahorn before moving over to Penken.
The Vans Penken Snow Park, long regarded as one of the best and largest in the world, is the jewel in Mayrhofen’s Tirolean crown. It offers eight different sections for freestylers and snowboarders, including fun, advanced, medium and pro areas with obstacles such as the rainbow box, wall ride and multi-jib ‘Beastbox’. A kids area, located just a few metres from the big park at the Mittertrett lift, features smaller obstacles for aspiring tricksters.
Mayrhofen is part of the Zillertal 3000 ski region and while the slopes around ’Hof cater well for all levels, those who want to venture further can invest in the Zillertaler Superski pass for access to the rest of the region including the 3,250m Hintertux glacier.
Mayrhofen also features extensive off-piste terrain on the Penken side with a number of routes beneath the 150er cable car and much to keep advanced skiers busy.
The village, like others in the Tirol, cleverly manages to cater for families and groups in search of apres. Nightlife lovers stay in the centre close to shops, restaurants and bars while families can stay slightly outside of the village in guest houses that are predominantly small and family-run.
So while party animals jump around to ‘techno umpah’ in the Ice Bar at hotel Strass, families can experience the traditions and peace of the valley just 500 metres away.
Staying outside the centre means guests have to take a ski bus or hotel shuttle to the lift station each morning but perhaps that’s a small price to avoid some of the dance moves on display in the Ice bar each evening.
While Mayrhofen will no longer host the popular Altitude Comedy Festival (co-founded and curated by Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell) it does offer a range of activities and events to cater for everyone.
The new Pistenback toboggan run on Ahorn mountain will appeal to families, as will the new ice-skating rink on the terrace of the Penkenbahn cable car which offers excellent views in a central location.
Snowboarders will enjoy the new ‘Groms Open’ event on January 6 while those who rate their skills on the slopes will want to try the Harakiri piste. With a 78pc gradient, it’s the steepest groomed run in Austria.
Speed freaks can race each other on three GS courses at Unterberg then race to one of the resort’s numerous photo spots to capture and share their image of the day. For spectacular scenery, ski to the photo spot at the top of the Schneekar chair lift.
The hipster set will definitely want to lounge around at the White Lounge igloo village, chilling out in deck chairs whilst sipping cocktails. At night, the Igloo hotel offers seven suites. Alternatively, check into Snow Hotel Manni to enjoy its roof top hot tub. Mayrhofen is home to some excellent spas for post-ski or post-festival recovery.
There are great snow-shoe and winter hiking trails in the area. For a ski day off, walk from Penken’s Kombibahn cable car to Granatkapelle for good views or take the family to Wintermagic Zillergrund, home to nature walks, an ice chapel, mini igloo, snow caves and sledding hills. Stop off at the Hausling or Klaushof guesthouses for warm drinks in between activities.
Finally, check out the resort’s new mountain app. It may not pinpoint exactly where Eddie the Eagle is skiing on the mountain but it will suggest routes, help you navigate slopes and offer insider tips on this fun-loving resort.