Soelden (+ Oetz Valley) Tyrol, Austria - February 19 - March 5, 2022

[edelweissmaedl]

I was fortunate to be able to spend two weeks in Austria vs. one this season. The first week was with the DC Ski Club which meant flying from DC to Munich and then a charter bus took us to Soelden. We stayed at Hotel Tyrolerhof which offered breakfast and dinner (half board) and was walkable to the Gondola station. Soelden is located in the Oetz Valley in Tyrol, Austria and borders Italy (although the Timmelsjoch Pass is closed in winter). Soelden offers 144 slope km of skiing (90 miles) and has 3 mountains around 10,000 ft in height.

Weather conditions were variable the first week with temps starting out a bit warm, but cooled off and we had several nights with snowfall. Being peak season the slopes were a little more crowded than preferred, but still better than my general findings at my east coast resorts this season. I opted to buy an 11 out of 14 day ski pass ahead of time which translated to a 41 Euro per day ticket cost, which I found very reasonable.

My roommate and I decided to take a semi-private lesson the first two afternoons which I found very beneficial as the instructor was very carving focused and we had the space that is often lacking (due to crowds and/or slope width) at home to practice. I felt like some great tips that resonated/finally clicked pre-trip on the forum here (carving turns should look like ribbon candy and keeping hips up and over) plus the instruction really helped me jump ahead in skill.


Ski Lessons

There are 33 ski huts on the resort translating into many meal/drink options across the resort. I find regardless if you stop for a cafeteria style or sit-down meal the food quality, selection and price are all better than what I find at home. Lucky find this year was a special hut called Gampe Thaya, that is very farm-to-table in focus. They have their own chickens for eggs, make their own cheese, don't serve soda and only accept cash for payment. We made it there for lunch on Friday of week 1 and it didn't disappoint!


Tyrolergroestl with Gampe Chese and two fried eggs

Topfenstrudel (similar to Applestrudel, but with farmer's cheese)

 

[edelweissmaedl]

Although skiing was the main goal we found some time for variety on the trip as well. Conditions were poor on Tuesday so we decided to move up our planned rest day and took the bus to the Aqua Dome (thermal bath) for some relaxation and amazing views.



Night skiing and sledding is only offered on Wednesday nights and we found a little time after dinner to squeeze in one 7km sled run before closing. The run was definitely fast and we were glad we took our helmets along!




Friday visibility was also a bit spotty in the morning so we visited the 007 Elements Museum at the top of the Gaislochkoglbahn in Soelden (bonus entry ticket was included in the multi-day ski pass) to let the sky clear.

 

[edelweissmaedl]

Week 2: On Saturday February 26 I checked out of the Hotel Tyrolerhof and hopped on the ski bus to Tumpen (a small town closer to the entrance of the Oetz Valley). I was meeting up with friends that have done a ski week together for nearly 20 years and I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in 3 years ago. The accommodations in the sport hotel we rent is not as glamorous, but easy on the wallet. 135 Euro for my lodging for 7 days can't be beat. The group does a big food shop ahead of time, orders bread delivery from a bakery each morning and assigns breakfast and dinner duty as we have a group kitchen and dining to use. Week 2 gave us cold temps and sunny skies, but no new snow which translated to skied off hardpack most afternoons.

We choose our daily resort based on logistics and weather.
Day 1: We decide to go to Hochoetz because most folks just got into town the evening before so the thought is to keep the drive to a minimum. It offers 41 km/25 miles of slopes and has a reputation for being more of a family resort. The parking lot is fuller than expected so we have to drive up the road to the higher lift. Peak elevation is lower than Soelden at only 6600 ft. The drop in elevation is noticeable in regard to the skied off hardpack we encounter on most slopes. I skied one off-piste run with nice soft snow, but don't feel as brave as others in the group to spend more time in the powder. It's obvious that the off-piste skiers find the 20cm of powder terrific and that the groomer skiers aren't as impressed.



Day 2: Rested up, the group is willing to travel further to Hochgurgl which tends to be a group favorite. With 56 km/35 miles in slopes it has a bit more to offer in size and top elevation is back around 10,000 ft. We find a great parking spot and the slopes don't feel too crowded. Snow conditions are definitely better and there are nice wide groomers to cruise on. Off-piste powder however is harder to find as most has been blown off. We lunch at the Top Mountain restaurant braving it at an outside table. This is also the location of the motorcycle museum which I still have not managed to visit. Only downside is that the wind really picks up in the afternoon which makes it hard to keep my toes warm. We end the day with a drink at the Top Mountain Star Bar overlooking Italy before our last run down the cleared out slopes to the parking lot (a group tradition).



Day 3: We head back to Gurgl, but this time to the "other half" Obergurgl which is a bit further down the road. Technically Hochgurgl and Obergurgl are one resort each boasting 56 km or a total of 112km in slopes. A gondola connects the two area, but due to travel time we tend to spend the whole day at one half or the other. Snow is decent, but some areas are more noticeably skied off than the experience at Hochgurgl the day prior. I do tackle more black runs in better form than I had two years ago and my friend comments I've really improved since we last skied together which makes me happy my 2021 Taos Ski week, associated lessons and Soelden lessons seem to be paying off. We meet for lunch at the Hohe Mut Alm which has amazing views and it's sunny enough to sit outside again.



Day 4: Rest Day - most folks decide to either visit the Aqua Dome or go on a short hike. I opt for visit 2 at the Aqua Dome. A sunnier day means the thermal bath is less crowded as more folks are enjoying other outside activities.

Day 5: Back to Soelden for me and first day at Soelden for the group this year. We get a parking spot at the Giggijochbahn Gondola station which is a change as we normally have to park at the further Gaislochkoglbahn station instead. Snow isn't quite as good as week 1, but probably still the best snow of the week. We head over to the Tiefenbach Glacier first thing and I am surprised to see the snow guns running, but suppose it makes sense to keep the snow up since the part of the resort stays open the longest for the season. I want to get one more meal in at Gampe Thaya and head that way after getting some glacier runs in. Gampe Thaya is packed due to the sunny skies so we end up settling on an indoor table to move lunch along. This time I get my favorite dessert Kaiserschmarrn. I also find out they sell their cheese and chocolate and stuff some in my pockets to take home I get in a few more runs and call it a day.



Day 6: Kuehtai is the resort of choice for the last ski day and the only resort we haven't visited yet. Not everyone is excited and some would have preferred a repeat of Soelden. I'm torn because Soelden seems like a safe bet, but I haven't been to Kuehtai in 3 years and am curious how I will like it now that my skiing has improved. I side with the majority and we drive to Kuehtai. I am hopeful that the snow is better than it was at Hochoetz on Day 1, but it only sits a few 100m higher. First run is on slope 13 and the hardpack is hard to manage at the given pitch. I opt for other slopes most of the rest of the day and although its not the worst of the ski days I do feel like my technique has gone out of the window given the less than awesome conditions. I am glad I feel like I was more confident on the terrain I had to work with, but at the same time week 2 helped me realize I would rather ski easier/better conditions to keep working on my technique, versus pushing myself for the sake of it and at the risk of slipping into old ski habits.



Day 7: Time to check out of the hotel and head home. Traffic is back on changeover day so we pick a hut to hike to which ends with a sled ride back down. We drive to a small town called Gries and hike 5 km up to a hut called the Nissl Alm. The food isn't the greatest, but the sled run is longer than the hut we walked to 2 years prior.

 

[marzNC]

Thanks for the trip report! Combining a ski club trip with a week with friends who do independent travel planning seems like a great combination.

 

[edelweissmaedl]

Thanks for the trip report! Combining a ski club trip with a week with friends who do independent travel planning seems like a great combination.

The odds of such a 2 in 1 combo trip happening again is probably close to zero, but it was really cool to be able to compare the pros and cons of a ski club trip vs. personal trip back to back. It was only my second ski club trip (a Taos Ski Week Club trip was my first).

 

[alison wong]

It was only my second ski club trip (a Taos Ski Week Club trip was my first).

How did you find the Taos ski week club trip with D.C. ski club?
Asking because I am thinking of going with this club next year for Taos.

 

[SkiGAP]

I love Soelden and the entire area. Glad you had fun and could make it 2 weeks!

 

[Emski528]

What a fun trip! Thanks for sharing!

 

[edelweissmaedl]

How did you find the Taos ski week club trip with D.C. ski club?
Asking because I am thinking of going with this club next year for Taos.

Here is their site. https://scwdc.wildapricot.org/

Their 2023 Flight Trips won’t go online till May/June. The latest newsletter has a preview schedule and I already heard they may flip Taos and Break dates which puts Taos in early March.