progress report from Obergurgl

Caron,
I'd like to see some photos please, as well, if you can spare the time to sort them out and upload them. I'd like to see how much Obergurgl has changed since we were there.

I'm sorry to hear you were having trouble ski-ing, because of your leg, and I hope things go better for you on a snowboard.

Ally

So, second time in Obergurgl and a lot has changed. In particular, as I mentioned in another thread, they've shifted the whole ski school to where the infamous rope lift was which is now the best button lift I've ever been on (although very busy at school start times obviously). I envisage massive price hikes in the surrounding hotels and chalets, the convenience is unbelievable. You can still choose to meet at the Edelweiss I believe so this makes life easier for both ends of the village.

The snow was wonderful, the piste bashers were out from 4pm until 8am constantly. Unfortunately, we didn't really get the best weather but were actually quite lucky with the temperatures. On our last day it was -22 and only two lifts were open so, as you can imagine with kids, we didn't do a huge amount. The day we left we managed one last walk-on for a couple of much enjoyed gluweins at the top of the Festskogl gondola and it was -18. I wouldn't have liked a week of that.

There is night skiing on a Tuesday. It was only our second day so I passed but the boys did the circuit twice and came back absolutely buzzing. A highlight of the holiday for them (probably because they didn't have to keep stopping for me!)

We were in the same chalet (Verwall with Esprit) and you honestly couldn't get a better location. Our rooms were big and we had a beautiful view. Some of the staff and certain aspects of the chalet left a lot to be desired but not holiday ruining.

The bar at the top of Hochgurgl is stunning, we'd heard a lot of worrying talk about the black and blue down from there but my boys did both and, apart from the very steep top section of the black, thought they were both reasonable.

We didn't do the Nederhutte dinner on the piste basher this year as it clashed with nye which we thought would be good in the chalet, but every Monday, Wednesday and friday they have live music (4 till 6:30ish) and plenty of dancing on tables. We got a skidoo up and back instead of skiing which was absolutely brilliant fun. That was a great evening. The Austrian staff everywhere were fantastic, very friendly and extremely efficient.

My favourite hut anywhere has always been the Nederhutte but I think Davidshutte may have taken over. The skiing around that hut was the best too, definitely the quietest. Talking of which, it was extremely busy, particularly on the many roads/tracks in Obergurgl. Despite this, there was never a queue at the lifts. Good work. The new gondola (the Hohe Mut Bahn) from the village is also exceptional.

Prices varied from place to place. 6 euros for a gluwein at the bottom of the slope into the village but 3.50 euros in an umbrella bar in Hochgurgl. Overall we spent less in bars and restaurants than we did in Tignes.

To summarise, I loved it and didn't want to leave but a little voice in my head says my preference not to revisit is correct and Graham, after years of nagging me to go back, agrees.

Onto the next adventure, 81 days…

photos to follow

Thanks Caron,
It sounds as though you all did very well, especially your boys, what with managing the night ski-ing and going down that black from the restaurant at the top of Hochgurgl.

I think it's one of the problems with high altitude resorts - you get guaranteed snow but you may be unable to ski because the wind closes the lifts, or it's too cold, or there's a blizzard. Ideally you need a resort with a bit of high and sheltered low altitude ski-ing.

Ally

we're no photographers as you know but here are some of the area

Top Mountain Star bar views. Dolomites in the background here














down into hochgurgl


view from balcony. ski school meeting time. kids nursery slope in the middle of the shot


davidshutte area





my boys waiting at the bottom of a slope as usual


from the Top Express down the valley (I didn't take these, I was looking skyward!)


back to Obergurgl


and over Hochgurgl

Nice pics Caron, it does look a bit like the surface of the moon up there!

The photos look fine to me Caron, and there seems to be plenty of snow :D

Ally

Great pics Caron

ta very much :thumbup:

Tony_H wrote:Nice pics Caron, it does look a bit like the surface of the moon up there!

Hochgurgl is very like that, in fact, it's very hard to tell where the pistes are. The day I lost the family was after doing a run where we got into a bit of a tight spot, we did it again and I was told to go left. I got to the top of a left which turned out to be an unpisted but well tracked steep section and I was just about to set off down it but thought I'd wait to see the boys appear somewhere down it first, which they didn't. After a few minutes of umming and ahhing I decided to go straight ahead where I found them round the corner. We all agreed in the chalet that the signposting wasn't great, however, you can ski all over without getting into any danger.