David here with another skiing trip to tell you about… well, it’s the reason I love to live in mainland Europe! I’ve just come back from a long weekend in the Austrian resort of Wagrain, part of the Ski Amade area.
I actually spent a full week here a few years ago over new year, but I think its fair to say thanks to the glorious weather we had, I experienced better skiing of over this weekend, than I did back then.
We stayed in a fantastic aparthotel in Moos, just outside of Wagrain. The ski bus stop was 20 metres from our front door, which was about as convenience as it gets.
Grafenberg
Saturday was day one for us, so we headed to Grafenberg which is the mountain that connects Wagrain to the nearby town of Alpendorf. So there was a lot of exploring to do. This is also the mountain where most beginners ski lessons take place as there is a good selection of blues and reds here. As well as a few nice black runs for the adventurous.
The network of runs and lifts here is really well laid out to enable you to do a lot of skiing in a short space of time. We didn’t quite ski fully into Alpendorf but about halfway – we had plenty to keep us occupied on the Wagrain side. It was a gloriously sunny day, but cold day so the snow conditions were superb and hardly any queues at the lifts.
I think the best run for us was the ‘home run’ from the very top of Grafenberg all the way down into the town. We found a route slightly less travelled which included a bit of a ski route (unmarked, ungroomed, but controlled run) and spent Saturday afternoon tearing up and down this until the lifts stopped. What a great way to spend the day!
There is a really nice apres ski bar at the bottom of the mountain, but it was a bit too packed for us middle-aged skiers so we found another with a bit more space. I guess I’m getting to old to party…
Grießenkareck
We spent Sunday on Grießenkareck, or the ‘flying mozart’ side as we have come to call this mountain – after the main lift that takes you up to the top. Grießenkareck connects Wagrain with Flachau. So between both mountains there is a lot of capacity to travel and explore the area. And we surely did! Another sunny day which really is the icing on the cake!
I spent last Christmas in Flachau, which is a really nice town and ski area. But it does get quite busy. I think many people don’t go much further than the blues and relatively light red runs of Flachau which is a shame, because just over the top of the mountain they could ski the slopes of Wagrain too – though the runs are quite considerably steeper here.
We did a few runs into Flachau then back up to the top and down into Wagrain until our legs couldn’t take it anymore. Then we hit the Kuhstall, which is the number one spot in town for apres ski! Suddenly I didn’t feel too old for it anymore!
In short, Wagrain is a cracking ski resort, with lots of varied slopes – best suited for those with a bit of ski experience. There are some really lovely wooden huts dotted all over the mountains for lunches and hot chocolates. I can say for sure I will be back again this season!
