Mayrhofen: Austria

I have just sat down at my desk, with my computer, after what was an amazing week away on our We Love Mountains snowboard demo at Mayrhofen in Austria. What an anticlimax! My legs still ache, a reminder of what a hard charging six days we had.

We all made our way there by plane, which if you have already flown to Innsbruck, you will know that the scenery as you approach the mountains is absolutely amazing. You feel as if you are going to crash straight into the mountains, because you are landing right in the heart of them. The transfer is only just over one hour, as it’s mostly on main roads. Mayrhofen is situated at the bottom of a large valley, and as you arrive, you will think that there is not any snow, as the village is quite low and you can not see the slopes from there. Don’t let this put you off though, because once to get on the gondola, you’ll see how much terrain there is to cover! Your lift pass will cover a huge area of the Ziller Valley, and there is also a free bus that takes you to other resorts further along the valley. We stayed in Mayrhofen, so a great starting point is to get the Penken Bahn Gondola and explore the main mountain. This side of the mountain has a great deal to offer all abilities, as there are easy blue runs, tree runs and steeper red runs. There is also the Penken Park, which is one of the best parks I have every seen. It was originally put there by Burton Snowboards many years ago, but it’s recently been taken over by Vans (it’s not like Vans to try and cash in on something ten years too late!). It’s got everything, quarter and half pipes (150m), a boarder cross course, 10 kickers, 20 rails/boxes and 1 pipe. You will see some really good snowboarders and skiers in this park as you travel up the chair lift that services it, its like watching a DVD! What’s even better is that there’s an easy section on the left side as you face up the mountain.



For all you steep run lovers, you’ll definitely need to get yourself on the famous Hari Kiri. This is the steepest gradient prepared piste in Austria. If that’s not enough to get you interested, then maybe the fact that it is 78 degrees might make you want to have a go,that’s about the angle of the average computer monitor screen! It is situated on the orth facing, backside of the Penken, between runs 3 and 5. You will need to be an advanced rider though. There is a sign that says for good riders only, so know your limits! You’ll definitely get to see someone flailing down it head first, but remember that we all had to start somewhere! There’s some easy access off piste under the lifts in the Rastogel area. This is right at the top of the mountain, so it usually has good coverage. The good thing is that it doesn’t get tracked out very quickly, so it’s a good place to head if it dumps. Remember to take care and carry avalanche equipment though, I set off a slide here and it was pretty big, so be careful and test the snow pack before you set off.

The only downside about the Penken area is that the lift up from the village can get very busy and the lift down can also have long queues. My advice would be to get an early lift, then at the end of the day, get a beer and wait for the queues to go down. There’s no ski to the resort in the Penken area either, but you can ride all the way down from the Ahorn area. This side of the mountain tends to be less busy and there are no lift queues! The Ahorn area is great for beginners and intermediates, but there’s not a lot of terrain to keep you entertained. You should definitely have a pint in the White Room, a huge igloo bar made from snow. All the runs are easy to get down and navigate, so that’s why I’d recommend it for beginners. The run to the resort is a laugh, especially if you have a race down it with your mates. Charging through narrow ski tracks and sweeping bends at high speed is always a winner! Beginners might want to get the lift back down to the resort because there is a short section of the run that it quite steep, which might be a bit off putting. You can see the steep section as you are walking to the lift and it does looks quite steep for a red run.

If this isn’t enough to keep you entertained, there are other resorts accessible by the bus service. Finkenberg is worth a visit, but it’s not always in great condition because it is low. There is also the infamous Hintertux Glacier. This is an absolutely amazing resort, which we’ll be covering later on in the season, as there is plenty to say about it, it needs a full article to itself! No one can go to Mayrhofen without taking part in the crazy après ski! You forget just how crazy it gets, they know how to party, so you must join in. If you’re up for a laugh, the Ice Bar is a must. It’s probably the craziest place you’ll go to, but it’s worth it just to see people ‘raving’ in their ski boots and passing a man dressed as a stage diving white wolf over their heads (not sure where a white wolf man fits in to the equation, but that’s what we’ve seen every time we’ve been there). If you like something more chilled out, then the Scotland Yard is a nice place to have a quiet(ish) drink. The building is quite old and worth a look at. There are also some calmer café bars on the main road, Q Ku café bar is very friendly and serves good food as well. Moe’s Bar is also good for food and drink and if you feel like partying the night away, there’s also a Club under the Brucke Hotel. Most of us stayed at the Bruke Hotel which was excellent. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The rooms were of a good size, the food was of a good standard for the price we paid. Special thanks to the proprietor, Mrs Sneeburger, yes really that is Mrs Snow Mountain, for her assistance in this Board Test as most of the equipment was shipped straight to her hotel to avoid death by excess baggage charges.

Resort Stats:
Top lift: 2500 metres
Longest run: 9km
27% Easy
59% Intermediate
14% Advanced

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