Slope off for the ideal skiing hols
THE Arlberg region in Austria dubs itself The Cradle of Alpine Skiing – and with good reason. Early members of its famous ski club, founded in St Christoph in 1901, helped to develop downhill skiing.
When I visited the slopes around this Alpine idyll last winter, I quickly understood how they had become so inspired.
The first hotel in the village was founded by a shepherd in the 1300s to provide shelter to travellers crossing the Arlberg pass. A few more have popped up since then, but not many, lending it a more serene atmosphere than its larger, more boisterous neighbour, St Anton.
I settled in at the refurbished Hotel Arlberg in St Christoph, which is run by English firm VIP Ski. The hotel has bags of charm, good food, spacious rooms and wonderful hospitality. Even better, it is right next to the lifts.
For while St Christoph is small, it is linked with the vast Arlberg ski region, the largest in Austria and fifth biggest in the world. Its 88 lifts and cable cars, almost all of them high-speed, and some blessed with heated seats, whisk skiers to 305km of pistes and 200km of freeride terrain, which should keep the most avid mountain enthusiasts satisfied.
A trio of drag lifts by the hotel lead to runs perfect for children, first-timers and nervous novices.
On the other side of the hotel is the four-person St Christoph chair, which took me to the top of the Galzig, where I found wide, well-groomed blues on which to find my ski legs again.
Even in an unseasonably warm mid-December, there was plenty of snow cover and acres of corduroy to shred.
After my warm-up, I hopped on the 10-person Schindlergrat gondola, which took me to the top of the Schindler Spitze, beside the 9216ft
Valluga, the highest peak in the region. Non-skiers can take the cable car to the peak of the Valluga to soak up the views, but those who want to ski there must be accompanied by a guide.
But a guide is not necessary from the Schindlergrat, where a fast and fun red run awaits. It takes you back to the Galzig or you can follow on down the mountain into the neighbouring ski village of Stuben, where ambitious riders can travel on to Zurs, Lech, Oberlech, Stubenbach and Warth.
All the lifts in these resorts are covered by your Arlberg ski pass – just give yourself enough time to get back before the lifts shut or you could face a pricey taxi ride.
I toured the many entertaining reds around picturesque Zurs before heading back to the top of the Galzig, via Stuben, for a very civilised lunch at the Verwallstube. Be sure to book in advance for one of the best classic Wiener schnitzels in the region (€24.60).
After lunch and a few more turns on the slopes, I headed down Happy Valley, the set of red and blue runs from the Galzig that lead to the base. These are a favourite of British skiers, possibly because they also pass St Anton’s legendary apres-ski venues.
One of the biggest, MooserWirt, kicks off the party at 3.30pm daily, with 80s hit The Final Countdown blasted from the speakers, followed by more dance music and Europop. The venue is geared up for fun, with loads of space inside and out for a boogie.
Skiers can get back to St Christoph from MooserWirt by taxi (a five-minute ride) or on a free bus from the bottom of the slope (mind those final few hundred metres of skiing after a drink).
Covid measures will be in place when the resort opens on December 4. Jet2 flies between Edinburgh and Salzburg.