St Anton, 31 Jan - 7 Feb 2004

A snowHead

Here is a quick little report from my ski holiday in St Anton last week with the DickieTours gang, which I put together as an email postcard to my friends. Well, I consider you snowHeads as my friends now, so here it is.

Holiday was fantastic - one of the best ever, at St Anton in Austria, where the world cup is this coming week. They had 11 days of snow before we got there, but it was sunny without a cloud in the sky all the time we were there, although a few top lifts closed early on cos of high wind. Fantastic, couldnt have been better. Hotel Montjola very good, far better than we are used to, although a bit far out of town to be bothered to go out after dinner. Got a few pictures, but not scanned etc yet, so you'll have to wait.

Managed 7 days of skiing, not the usual 6, as we were in resort by 9:30 am Saturday cos of the ridiculously early flight. Some of the time legs not working properly (probly tired) but some of the time skiing fantastic - felt I was the best in the world one afternoon and could ski anything, dancing down the slopes in the sun. They have a speed trap, on a not particularly fast bit, and I was clocked at 78.86 kph. Thats quite some speed on your feet. Its nice to know just how fast i go.

However, one afternoon, could have been seriously hurt, when my bindings fell apart and let me fall about 200m down a steep face into a gully. Luckily the snow was soft and I missed all the rocks and trees. Not happy with that or the €200 cost of having to get new bindings. I have fallen further in the past at LAke Louise, but on a flat groomed icy black piste with nothing to stop the slide till teh bottom. This one was steep semi offpiste with rocks and trees. To start with it was just annoying, cos the snow was soft, but after a while I began to wonder if I would ever stop, or hit something hard as I was bouncing and tumbling down the mountain. I felt OK when I stopped, but was winded so couldnt move or say anything for a while which was worrying to the others, although I thought I was OK. It was only after I was all sorted, and looked around to ski on that I realised just how far I had fallen, and how near to rocks and cliffs I was.

St Anton is my favourite ski place, of all those I've been to before. In fact, St Anton has gone up in my views from the best I've been to, to the best in the world ! Although the snow in Alpey Dee last year was a bit better, it cannot match for the available skiing or the nightlife and jollyness. The apresski in St Anton has to be experienced to be believed. I have learnt that I can ski while pissed. The last night I dont even remember going back to the hotel. It starts up the mountain mid afternoon and about 8:00pm its time to go home, with still about half a kilometre to ski down the mountain in the dark, after dancing on the tables at The World Famous Mooserwirt ! I have also learned that I cannot do the moonwalk in ski boots. Other fun and games to be had in the apres ski include bar diving and human skittles.

All together now, with the actions, Einz, zwei drei vir, a Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut.... MacDonalds, MacDonalds..... Ah, that Europop trash techno oompah music in the Moose......
Laughing

A snowHead

I have fond memories of St. Anton from 1992 and 1993. It's where I joined the SCGB - the repping service was wonderful. And as for the Mooserwirt - glad it hasn't changed!

It's not a begginers resort though, hence didn't consider going back until Vic could do it justice. Shame that SCGB is now no longer allowed to Rep there, it disuades me from going back as I do enjoy skiing with reps & their apres ski.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Im gonna be in St Anton for one week from the 21st Feb. Have ski'd Italy and France but last two years have been in Austria, it beats them all........Soll, a party town and some pretty extensive ski-ing...........Saalbach, which was a lot more cosmopolitan than Soll but not too expensive with some glorious ski-ing. If anyone is going there, be sure to check out the run down to Leogang. So this year we are looking forward to the challenging ski-ing and the legendary apres ski that St Anton has to offer. I've read conflicting reports regarding lengthy queues and any other info on this subject would be greatly appreciated!..............

You need to Login to know who's really who.

No bad queuing while we were there Mugwump. Worst would be perhaps 5 minutes in th emorning to go up the bottom cable car. And the occasional 5 mins at the Zammermoos lift out the bottom of happy valley.

But otherwise splendidly queue free all week. Smile

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Awe Martyn, thanx...... I been lookin forward to this trip for a long time and am glad to hear your views! I will post my findings on here when all is done!