THE INCREDIBLE HULK OF SKI RESORTS - BIG AND GREEN. WHY WE LOVE THE SKI WELT, TIROL AUSTRIA
UK skiers love a stat. Biggest, longest, highest, snowiest – the list goes on. And whilst we often think of French resorts dominating the lists, there’s a region in Austria that brings to some serious numbers to the game of resort top trumps. This place is BIG.
Lying just an hour from Innsbruck, the ‘SkiWelt’, ‘SkiWorld’ in English, boasts 83 lifts spread over 270km of runs – more than enough to compete on size with anything France can offer. Even its full name is big - SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental reflecting the incredible 9 base resorts to choose from including family friendly Söll and oh so pretty Ellmau.
True the altitude can’t compete, the area tops out at 2500m, but 225 of those 270km have state of the art snowmaking. Not that it’s always needed - there’s regularly plenty of natural snowfall too, resulting in knee deep powder at the edge of the pistes.
But doesn’t snowmaking use huge amounts of energy, so accelerating the demise of lower altitude resorts? Not in the SkiWelt which is both big and green. Since 2002, 100% of the electricity for all facilities has come from hydroelectric power. Solar energy has also been increasingly used in recent years, notably from 2008 on the "Sonnenlift" at SkiWelt Brixen, one of the first completely solar-powered facilities in the world.
Throughout SkiWelt, there are no fewer than 16 natural reservoirs, all perfectly integrated into the local fauna and flora, and this water is “recycled” for snow-making. They are supplied mainly by snowmelt, rain and spring water. Interestingly, mechanically produced snow in Tirol is pure drinking water in a different form. When the snow melts in spring, the water is returned to the natural world in a natural way, thereby irrigating the various wild plants. No fewer than 65 snow groomers prepare the pistes every night in SkiWelt; these were equipped with a GPS system five years ago. Such devices allow snow depths to be measured and then, if necessary, fresh snow can be distributed precisely to where it is actually needed. This means that every year since 2017 SkiWelt has saved around 25% of its water requirements, electricity and costs.
Perfect for night owls
If you really want more skiing, the SkiWelt has the most extensive night ski operation in Austria. Easily accessible from Söll, the night skiing offers a great range of terrain over a mix of slopes. If you’re lucky to ski at night whilst the snow is falling, it can make for a truly magical experience. It’s the stillness and the change in sounds that makes it so special, the sense that this is something unique. One tip though, wear an extra layer – the temperature really drops when the clock moves beyond 8pm.
Truly Family Friendly
When it comes to skiing with kids, SkiWelt really delivers on its reputation for family friendliness. It’s easy to access too - a modern and fast gondola whisks you up from Söll, and from there the mountain opens up with a variety of routes to further explore this huge ski area. Pitstops are also well catered for, over 80 huts and mountain restaurants dot the slope meaning you are literally never more than 10 minutes from a steaming hot chocolate.
Keeping skiing affordable for families
In the early and late seasons SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental offers free ski tickets from three days for children up to 15 years of age. Young families with toddlers up to the age of three can whizz down the slopes all winter long at low cost, because Mum and Dad only need one lift ticket. Valid for 3 to 14 days, the ticket is transferable and may be used alternately by one of the two parents. This sort of flexibility is typical of the SkiWelt’s thought through approach to family skiing which makes all the difference to hard pressed parents.
Alpeniglu® Igloo Village for mini eskimos and more
A magical spot at the mountain station in Hochbrixen is one of Austria’s largest and is easily accessible even for non-skiers. There is an igloo church, a restaurant and a bar with brightly coloured drinks served in ice glasses. Families can also enjoy a cool fondue on the crystal-clear ice table, or perhaps even find a romantic niche for an evening without the children.
Green – in a good way
Right from the very beginning, SkiWelt has invested in groundbreaking projects. 1970 saw the installation of Europe’s longest funicular railway at SkiWelt Ellmau, and then in 1988 came Europe’s first 8-seater chairlift at SkiWelt Söll. Since 2002, 100% of the electricity for all our facilities has come from hydroelectric power, 25% of it’s water requirements, electricity and costs.
The power of the winter sun
Photovoltaic units are to be found increasingly on buildings and lifts, The first systems were installed here back in 2008. Since spring 2022, after the rebuilt valley and mountain stations, the Ellmau lift operations have also been powered with solar energy. With 350 kilowatts peak, in the future, the systems will be able to save up to 50 percent in external electricity and energy costs. Renewable energy is also used to heat SkiWelt’s office buildings. In addition to pellets and biomass, we are increasingly using waste heat from lift systems, snow guns and transformers, often with the assistance of heat pumps. Since 2008, the Choralpe mountain restaurant has been kept warm with waste heat from the SkiWeltbahn and Choralmbahn.
Space to express yourself, and easy to find your way home
The slopes of the SkiWelt are gentle in the main, compared to their enormous French counterparts. But the sheer volume means even during popular weeks of the season there remains plenty of space to spread out and ski your own line, and the pistes invite fast sweeping turns of the type that are just not possible in many big and busy resorts. If fresh snow falls during your stay, there are plenty of interesting off-piste variations through the trees – and very few skiers to share them with. Plus, the fast lift system means more time skiing and less time travelling around as can be the case in some mega resorts. Although the huge area spans nine base villages it still feels like a single ski area, and wherever you base yourself it’s very possible for good skiers to get to the furthest reaches of the area and back home in one day – hot chocolate stops permitting.
For those who really like to clock up the kilometres. the KitzSkiWelt tour links the SkiWelt and KitzSki areas to create the world’s longest ski circuit.
True, you won’t find the steep couloirs and mega mogul fields of other big resorts, but that’s not the point of the SkiWelt. The point is to deliver a total mountain experience, from the charming villages to the high speed lifts, superb mountain restaurants from cosy huts to fine dining, wonderful alpine views, and a huge ski area with space for all. It’s simply a perfect destination for many skiers.