THE ULTIMATE FAMILY RESORT?
James Gambrill is on a quest to find a ski region that can grant all his family’s wishes – and he finds it, and more, in Austria’s SkiWelt…
Comprising of nine ski-in/ski-out villages, the SkiWelt region has been a favourite with families for years (Photo Tim Marcour)
Skiing as a family can be tough. Kids love the snow, but the logistics of sorting out kit and lessons, retrieving lost passes, dealing with an especially cold day or when they would just ‘rather go swimming’ can turn an idyllic family time in the mountains into something more stressful than everyday life.
But, as with so many things, the key is in the planning. As a veteran now of many family holidays with young, and now not-so-young, kids, I’m all too aware that it’s getting the key details right that makes the difference between an unbeatable holiday, and a week of woe.
If your kids are of school age then the choice of when to go skiing is rather limited. Christmas and Easter both have huge merits when it comes to a family ski trip, but many families still opt for the mid-February half-term, when the snow conditions are likely to be optimum and the weather hopefully has a touch of spring in the air.
That, of course, means it is always going to be busy, so the first thing to look for is a resort with plenty of mileage to escape the throngs.
If the kids are going to be in ski school you’ll need to factor in timings. Often a half day of lessons suits best, as kids can stay engaged and interested with the ‘learning’ and you’ll get time to ski together as a family too, which (hopefully) was one of the key reasons to go skiing together!
Remember too that for kids, especially younger ones, this is a real winter experience. For many living in the UK snow is rarity, and kids will want to spend time doing other things on snow as well as skiing, so factor that into your resort choice.
Needless to say, regular hot chocolate stops are vital – nothing revives tired legs and cold toes quite like a cosy mountain restaurant – and most resorts these days have plenty of piste-side options.
Travel too is a key factor. You’ll likely be carrying all of your kit with you, so an easy transfer is important and means everyone arrives less tired and more likely to enjoy the first day’s skiing.
Considering all of the above, there is one place that stands out among the crowd: SkiWelt. And so it was that my family and I, including my three kids aged between eight and 11, found ourselves bound for Innsbruck for our annual family ski getaway…
The Gambrill junior team sample the delights of this epic region
A REAL MOUNTAIN PLAYGROUND
Comprising of nine idyllic ski-in/ski-out villages, the Austrian Tirol’s SkiWelt region has been a family favourite with Brits for many years, and it’s not hard to see why. What’s impressive is the way the region has kept investing to keep itself at the top of the family skiing bucket-list. Fast and efficient lifts clear the queues even on busy days (it's one of the fastest lift systems in the Alps), and the relatively low altitude makes for short lift rides, so everyone can get back on snow and having fun.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that lower elevation means poor snow, however – the area’s snowmaking is incredible, with coverage on all the major runs. The gentle Sound of Music-esque alpine pastures also need less snow coverage for good conditions than some of the rockier areas of the Alps, something to consider when comparing snow depth.
Access is a cinch. SkiWelt is a short hop by coach or car from Innsbruck airport, and reachable by train from the UK for those looking to travel in the most eco-friendly way.
Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for many families as they look to safeguard skiing for their children in the future, and SkiWelt leads on this with some seriously impressive eco-credentials, from solar powered lifts (100% of its lifts are powered by eco-electricity) to recycled water for snow making.
We were based in Söll, the largest of the four Wilder Kaiser villages set along the valley road, where a modern and fast gondola whisked us up to Hochsöll (1,500m). From there the mountain opens up with a variety of routes to explore this huge ski area. There’s a sense of ‘friendliness’ that pervades the region, the scenery is stunning (you're surrounded by more than 70 peaks above 3,000m), but less daunting than in some higher mountain areas, and everywhere there are tracks through the trees and little areas to explore that gives the feeling of a real mountain playground.
And boy what a playground. Miles of wide, mellow pistes on which to gain confidence (including free nursery slopes), numerous pacey reds and blacks for more experienced skiers, plus three fun parks, eleven fun slopes with 'ski parcours', speed measurement runs, even ski movie routes.
Söll is the night skiing mecca, with 10km of slopes lit up (Photo: Dietmar Denger)
MAKING MEMORIES
Skiing by day is all well and good, but what about when evening falls? A huge attraction of the SkiWelt is the night skiing area above Söll – it’s Austria’s largest, with 10km illuminated slopes. Kids will have days when they just don’t want to ski all day, but for the hard-pressed parent on limited time this can be a tough compromise when time on snow is so precious. But with night skiing, you can have an early finish, head back to the hotel for a rest and refuel, then get kitted back up again for an evening slide.
For us, night skiing was a truly magical experience – the stillness and light makes for a very special atmosphere that differs from the daytime, and it’s something our kids often talk about, even months after. Yes, it’s a few degrees colder than in the daytime, but that just makes the post-ski dinner in a cosy mountain hut all the more special.
Something else that is etched in our kids’ memories is the witch’s house at the middle station of the Hohe Salve, where children can brew their own potions in a giant cauldron – and the Igloo Village, too, a magical world made of ice at Hochbrixen that makes for a truly special hot chocolate stop.
As for me, I loved exploring the pretty villages that form the base for SkiWelt. Despite the fact the villages look like almost like a theme park, with their perfect pitched roofs and onion-domed churches, there is no denying this is an authentic place, where the locals have skied for years and are proud of their heritage, their region, their food and their love of welcoming visitors.
We came in search of a stress-free, fun-packed week. What we found was that, and so much more.
The Ski Club now has a Rep in SkiWelt from January to March. Families can drop the kids off at ski school and explore the area alongside other Members and the Rep to find the best pistes and hot chocolate stops! Visit skiclub.co.uk to find out more.