Fear not! If there's no snow, just keep on climbing
The dry lower slopes of Tyrol made Kevin Gleeson seek his licence to thrill higher up
Thermals? Check. Goggles? Right here. Licence to kill? Probably not but more of that later. Snow? Surely, right? There is an awful lot of consideration that goes into choosing the right ski resort but whether there will be snow on the piste is typically a given.
Yes, we all keep an eye on the latest snow reports ahead of our planned trip but mostly it is just to add to the excitement as you count those little snowflakes symbols which accompany the daily forecasts. But no snow at all?
Well unfortunately this has been the outlook that has greeted many resorts at the start of this year’s season – with some across the French and Italian Alps having to postpone opening to much later than usual. And while conditions are as good now as they have been all season, most resorts would still like to see more snowfall over the next few weeks. So what are you to do?
Well if you don’t want to take any chances, aim high would be my advice. Back in December as my car climbed higher into the blue skies of the Ötztal mountains in the Austrian region of Tyrol, passing green fields and freely flowing streams I couldn’t help worry about what exactly I was going to do for four days in a ski resort with no snow.
Our resort of Hochsölden is perched halfway up the mountains between the party town of Sölden in the valley below and the majestic mountain peaks in the distance. At 2,090 metres, it is the second highest resort in Austria in the Crystalski portfolio.
Add to this a system of more than 300 snow-making cannons and access to two glaciers, Hochsölden is one of the most snow-sure resorts there is. As we arrive in this tiny hamlet of luxury ski-in, ski-out hotels, the gleaming runs stretch out in front of me and my earlier fears are gone. There is very little else to do here aside from ski, to be honest, but if you do fancy downing Jägerbombs with the boarders or a spot of shopping down in Sölden, there are regular shuttle buses into the town or a taxi will set you back around €20.
However the hotels here are great for whiling away an evening in front of a roaring fire and enjoying the Tyrolean hospitality and breathtaking views. Almost all of them offer wellness centres too. Ours, the Hotel Hochsölden, has a beautiful slate-lined pool and large outdoor Jacuzzi both with amazing views of the surrounding Alps.
The food and the welcome we received in the hotel were equally superb but there is so much more that helps this particular hotel stand out. With a ski-hire shop in the basement and the slopes right on its doorstep, we were able to squeeze in an afternoon practice run almost on arrival. Early the following morning, though, it was time to hit the slopes proper and with almost 150km of runs, there was no time to waste. I won’t lie – some areas were a bit on the icy side for my liking but overall conditions were great considering those being experienced by other resorts at that time. Ski-legs firmly found, we stopped off for lunch at the Hühnersteign which roughly translates to the less exotic sounding chicken coop. Specialising in chicken, of course, there are also plenty of traditional Alpine dishes on offer here and when I’m not out on the snow a personal highlight of any ski trip of mine is soaking up the brilliant atmosphere in many of these wooden huts that can be found among the mountains and valleys of ski resorts.
The added bonus here is spotting the various pieces of James Bond paraphernalia dotted around. Back in 2014, producers of the spy franchise scoured Europe looking for impressive locations for their latest big-screen offering, Spectre. The following day we would set out to take a look at some of the spots used in the hit movie but for now we were hitting the slopes again for the afternoon before I wrapped up the first day of skiing in the outdoor hot tub with a glass of wine.
Daniel Craig would be proud.
The next morning we set out to take in the Big 3, the three highest peaks in the resort. The wide variety of skiing on offer and the quality of the 33 modern lifts make it easy for skiers of all abilities to get around this area.
We take in the views below from the viewing deck suspended high over the valley at the top of the Tiefenbach glacier before heading down the glacier’s wide, red slopes at speed to Wirtshaus Giggijoch
Aim for the resorts at higher altitude and hopefully you won’t be too disappointed
for lunch. For once, I should perhaps have forgone the traditional dish on offer for the steak that my companion assures me tasted as good as it looked. From here it was time to set off in search of some of the locations that drew the filmmakers of Bond to the area after an exhaustive months-long search of the surrounding Alps.
I must admit I haven’t been a fan of 007 since my childhood and the days of Roger Moore but nonetheless I can’t help but have that infamous tune running through my mind as we head for the top of the Gaislachkogl mountain in one of its ultra-modern gondolas and step off at the Ice Q restaurant.
The restaurant gets its name as it resembles an ice cube sitting glistening in the sun on top of the snowy peak. In Spectre, the Ice Q features as the exterior of a futuristic hospital from where arch villain Christoph Waltz aims to take our hero down but in real life it is a stunning gourmet restaurant that wouldn’t look out of place in any Hollywood movie. And for fans of architecture and food it is a mustvisit if you’re in the area.
If you’re thinking of heading off skiing over the next few months, I do of course wish that wherever you decide on, there is plenty of fresh snow waiting for you. As I’ve already said, conditions are improving all over Europe at present and hopefully will continue to do so for the duration of the season. But keep an eye on those snow reports and if things are looking a little doubtful, remember to aim for the resorts at higher altitudes and hopefully you won’t be disappointed. In the past I have been a bit of a lazy skier and have tended to stick to the resorts that I know but, in a good way, I have been both shaken and stirred by Sölden and will definitely be back.