Channel 4’s The Jump will be back on our screens today, Sunday 1st February with another sixteen famous faces embarking on a series of challenging winter sports, filmed in locations around Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian Tirol. During this second series how will ex-England Rugby captain Mike Tindall, dancer Louie Spence and Gogglebox star Dom Parker fare alongside pop star Stacey Solomon, socialite Lady Victoria Hervey and Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson?
As we get ready to watch the famous line-up demonstrate their newly learned skills, TV viewers needn’t just be spectators because here are some of the locations in the Austrian Tirol where you can try slalom, ski jumping or ski cross for yourself this winter.
SKI JUMPING
This is probably the most terrifying discipline of all, so it’s no surprise that former TOWIE star, Amy Childs, got cold feet last year and became the only contestant to bail out. Ski jumping requires nerves of steel and a certain mind over matter approach. ‘The Jump’ takes place in a village called Natters, just outside Innsbruck, which is not open to the public. However you can try this elsewhere in Tirol, in the Hohe Salve region of the Kitzbüheler Alps, where you receive expert training and full guidance before you launch yourself off the 15m jump into the air and attempt to fly as far as possible.
The ski jumping centre in Wörgl has 5 ski-jumps, which meet the international FIS standard with 3 smaller ski-jumps (15, 30 and 40 metres) and 1 larger ones (60 metres). ‘Ski Jumping for everyone’ is available at a cost of €50 per person for 3 hours, to book email [email protected] or call +43 664 34 20 663.
How much?
Base yourself in one of the villages of the Hohe Salve region, such as Hopfgarten and explore Austria’s largest interconnected ski area, the SkiWelt. Crystal Ski Holidays (020 3553 7752) has 7 nights on half board at the 3* Gasthof Unterbräu in Hopfgarten starting from £565 per person, including flights and transfers.
SKELETON AND BOBSLEIGH
One of the most thrilling disciplines to watch is the skeleton, when the contestants hurl themselves head-first down an ice track on what is effectively a glorified tea tray and reaching speeds of up to 60mph. With coaching from Britain’s Gold medal winning Winter Olympic athlete Amy Williams, let’s see if this year produces any shining stars like Pussycat Dolls, Kimberley Wyatt in the last series. The skeleton and bobsleigh events take place at the Olympic Bobsled, Luge & Skeleton Run in Igls, which was used during the Innsbruck Winter Olympics in 1964, 1976 and at the Youth Olympics in 2012. If you fancy having a go on the bobsleigh, prices start from only €30 per person in the guest bobsleigh, which holds 5 people, behind a professional pilot. The adrenaline rush couldn’t be greater as you experience this thrilling winter sport on ice, sliding 800m and taking in 10 curves. If you want to ride the full track from start to finish and achieve speeds of up to 115 km/hr, making 14 curves and a difference in altitude of 125m then opt for the taxi bobsleigh. The bobsleigh seats two passengers in addition to two professional pilots and costs €95 per person. For more info email [email protected].
How much?
Spend the week in Igls, close to the Tirolean capital Innsbruck. Crystal Ski Holidays (www.crystalski.co.uk; 020 3773 6651) has 7 nights on half board at the 3* Hotel Bon Alpina in Igls starting from £509 per person, including flights and transfers.
SNOWBOARDING
The line up of events this series includes snowboarding for the first time and all the action will take place in the resort of Kühtai, pictured above and located about 30 minutes from Innsbruck and as one of Austria’s highest resorts at 2020m, boasts a wonderful snow-sure record from December through to May. Snowboarder Jenny Jones, who won bronze in Slopestyle at the 2014 Sochi games, will be putting the celebrities through their paces. You too can test your freestyle skills in the KPark Kühtai, set up to offer an easy, medium and proline with a selection of kickers, rails and boxes and Austria’s biggest superpipe at almost 7m high.
How much?
Inghams (01483 79 11 14) offers a week’s catered accommodation at the Chalet Hotel Elisabeth in Kühtai from £599, including flights from Gatwick (as well as all major UK airports) to Innsbruck and resort transfers.
SKI RACING
The ski racing events on The Jump will take place in Kühtai but if you are looking to build on your ski racing techniques then there couldn’t be a better resort to participate in a ski racing camp than in Sölden. The resort stages the first FIS Ski World Cup race of the winter at the end of October and is also the official training ground for the US ski team. If this inspires you to improve your racing techniques, then check out the Andre Arnold Ski Racing Camps in Sölden. The former World Cup ski racer Andre Arnold runs camps throughout the winter season on selected dates, including 5 days ski training on slalom and giant slalom, with full video analysis and the final ski race with award ceremony.
How much?
The Andre Arnold Ski Racing Camp offers 5 night’s accommodation at the 3* Haus Martina, with prices starting from €670 per person on B&B or from €770 on half board. Daily flights are available with easyJet from Gatwick to Innsbruck, up to 5 times a week with British Airways from Gatwick or fly with Monarch from Manchester up to 3 times a week. For more information visit
SKI CROSS
Last year the Ski Cross event was one of the most popular events that saw Sir Steve Redgrave and Marcus Brigstocke crash out in style and will once again take place again in the resort of Kühati. One of the most popular Tirolean resorts for this discipline is the Stubai Glacier, which sees more than 200 professional training groups train on the 1000m long ski cross course in autumn. The Ski Cross course at Eisjochferner features ten waves, jumps and eight banked corners. From late December the ski cross course is transformed into the Big Family Funslope for everyone to use for free with a valid ski pass.
How much?
Zenith Holidays (020 3137 7678) has seven nights on half board at the 4* Hotel Bergjuwel in Neustift, with prices starting from £477 per person, including half board and resort transfers. Flights available with easyjet from Gatwick to Innsbruck from £115pp return.
