Obergurgl first timer

I am off to Obergurgl next week (7th) with my wife and kids (8yrs and 5 yrs) for the first time. Can anyone give me information about the resort and current conditions ?

Thanks

Hi there - ironically Obergurgl was our first ever ski holiday. We stayed at the Haus Gurgl which was up by a cracking little bar and eatery the name of which I can't remember. (Strumpl bar or something)
The main ski school meeting points are in front of the Hotel Eidelweiss which also houses a cracking outdoor bar. I think Obergurl is a great place to learn because it has some of the best snow in Austria due to it's height and is a relatively small area which is simple to navigate. If memory serves, you should start on a little green run at the bottom end of the town with a T Bar drag. However by day 2 you'll be on the Gaisberg lift enjoying a lovely blue run back down to the front of the Eidelweiss.
The festkogl has some magnificent views and there are a couple of lovely mountain eateries at the top of the lifts.
There is a little spar supermarket which has everything you'd need.
A few practical tips if I may

1) Your little ones will ski down at Bobos ski school which is bit of a walk from where you will start your lessons. This is something to consider because unlike France the lessons have a morning AND afternoon session so if you haven't got lunchtime supervision you need to let your instructor know that he needs to have you back to base for lunch to pick up the little ones. We had one day where he got us back late for lunch so we were late picking up our little girl at Bobos and she was in tears bless her. Discuss this with your rep and they will explain all the timings for you. You will also need to drop the little ones off 5 mins before the start of lessons in the mornings to give you time to walk up to yours.

2) Get up as early as you dare on day one and be first in the cue at the rental shop. With four of you to kit out - it will take a while and you don't want to be in a rush and a panic to get the kids to their lesson and then find your way to yours. We were a bit too relaxed on the first morning and everything was a bit of a last minute panic as a result. If you have the chance to get your skis, boots and poles the night before grab it.Trust me it will be worth the hassle even though you've just flown/bussed in and just want to crash out and have a beer.

3) Finally get all of your clothes and kit ready for the day the night before to save time in the morning. Some may say this is a bit OTT but with little ones, you'll know how tricky it can be getting them up and ready at times. Well multiply this by about 5 when ski wear and ski gear is involved.

Please don't let above things make you wary - they really don't intend to - I just hope a few of the lessons we learned as first timers skiing with young children will help you.

One last thing - scenery - Obergurgl is absolutley beautiful - it will literally take your breath away. One reccomendation I have especially with young children is to take an afternoon off after a few days skiing (Instrcutors don't like it but who cares - you're the customer) Take an afternoon off -get the gondola from the opposite end of the village to Eidelweiss up to the mountain restaurant on Festkogl (normal boots not skiing gear) and have a nice lunch, couple of beers and let the kids run around and throw a few snowballs. We did and as first time skiers it was one of the most enjoyable afternoons we had sitting with a beer admiring scenery that almost brought me to tears it was so beautiful watching you little ones just play in the snow and the mountain air.

Thank you for the information, I can't wait to get there, it sounds fantastic.

thanks for info ...off there on Sunday so will try and post info on return ...like the idead about lunch and snowballs !!

I hope you have a wonderful time, it's one of my favourite places on the planet.
If you get a chance to go up on a piste basher for dinner at the Nederhutte, jump at it.
Travelling on a sunday? Are you going with Esprit?

We had a lovely time there as well. The instructor was great with my little girl, really kind and patient but funny as well, and a fantastic skier.

I'm sure you will have a great holiday :D

Ally

Not sure about current conditions, but if anywhere in Austria has snow it will be Obergurgl.

As said its a beautiful resort, although there isn't masses of tree cover - Obergurgl has more than Hochgurgl.


I personally wouldn't recommend it for ski-ing kids due to:

1. Many of the instructors don't speak very much English at all. Some of them are fine for teaching adults to ski but if you want to have long conversations with them about the local area or wheres best to go for a meal, forget it. Some speak perfect English,but seem to be reserved for the pricier one on one tuition! Most of the barmen, hoteliers etc speak perfect English,mind.
2. Its very popular amongst German families, British and Russian couples and older families - very few English kids. I did my first 2 days boarding (I'm a two planks man usually) with the ski school a few years back - they put me and a middle aged bavarian lady with the kids - i was with about 6/7 german kids (aged 7 or 8) in the morning and with 10 or so german kids (aged 10-12ish) in the afternoon, but when I was put with the adults on the second day it was about 50/50 english/german. Again, I notice our hotel had a creche facility for the smallest kids - I never once heard an English voice coming out of it. Also check your hotel/ chalet allows kids to eat evening meals with you - many do not in the Tirol.
3. No easy ski down for absolute beginners - the route down from Obergurgl is fine for intermediates, but can get VERY busy at peak, has floodlight pylons and snow guns dotted all over and a few parts that can get fairly hairy after the ski schools have finished the slalom course thats often on that slope. The route down from Hochgurgl (a free, 2 minute ski bus away or a mid mountain gondola link) is my favourite - a long red with very tight bends, unfortunately the lower half suffers from terrible ice and slush even in good conditions.
4. The kids ski shool slope being located down the valley from the main ski area, I guess beause of point 3.
5. Two of the resorts biggest plus points are the Night ski-ing (tues/thurs i think) and the weekly ski demo, both weather permitting. After a days ski-ing at that altitude, your little uns may not be up for going back out on the hill, and the ski demo area can get very cold indeed. Last time I was there a sudden wind got up, they had to evacuate the mountain via the scariest gondola ride I've ever had, cue tons of screaming kids and panicky brits/russians that didn't speak the lingo (the chairs have speaker systems, which are difficult to decphiper even as a fluent German speaker, as much of the area depends on their own little version of German!)

Having said that, I don't have kids, and I'm basing my opinion purely on what I saw as a solo traveller and comparisons with the number of (english)kids at other resorts i've visited - Ally G's kids seemed to enjoy it!

The resort does also have many plus points -

-Great food virtually everywhere - in the hotels we are talking very long (2 hrs sit down is normal!), rich, plentiful meals most nights.
-lift system thats so modern its untrue, mostly high speed heated bubble chairs, many with magic carpet on/off
- Great on-slope bars, from the huts to the igloos, to the already mentioned restaurant at the peak of hochgurgl (if taking kids up, not one to ski down - the direct route is a red mogul field, the easy route is very narrow, busy and at times you feel like your abou to fall off a cliff - I always take the red route)
- Very, very pretty village.
- Always snowsure, and Soelden down the road - which has a Glacier and ski tunnel, and can be included on the pass.

Very informative post.

Our experience wasn't like this when it came to the kids but the reason is that we went with Esprit which is a British company totally geared towards the children. I didn't witness what you did but I suppose it just goes to show what a difference it makes who you travel with.
Also, it's been four years since I've been there so a lot may have changed (particularly a couple of new lifts which I'm looking forward to trying out).

After reading your post I did a bit of searching and have found out that you get one day at Solden on the pass. I didn't know this, thanks for that :thumbup:. Whether we do or not depends on quite a few factors but I'd like to give it a go.