New pistes in the Alps are a fairly rare thing these days. Decades ago resorts just kept getting bigger, but for 20 years now most resorts have concentrated on improving their lifts, their grooming, and expanding snowmaking on their existing runs.
So it’s a rare treat this winter – and indeed the biggest news in the whole skiing world for 2012–13 – that two long established, quintessentially beautiful ski villages in the Austrian Tirol have (after merely a decade’s planning!) taken the leap and linked their ski areas to create a bigger, better area between them. They’ve called it Ski Jewel.
The two villages – or we should say valleys – were already long-standing British favourites in their own right. On the one side Alpbach, and its neighbouring hamlets in the wider Alpbachtal – on the other the Wildschönau, where the villages of Auffach, Oberau and Niderau are still the better-known names to Brits, despite the efforts of the Wildschönau tourist board, and they are the village names you’ll see listed in the brochures of companies like Crystal and Inghams (Auffach is new for Inghams this year).
Both resorts have strong reputations for all the right reasons: picturesque scenery, traditional architecture, friendly but efficient hospitality, good, mid-sized ski areas, locally sourced and prepared hearty meals, and all wrapped up in good value packages. They ticked all the boxes individually…
…except that in this day and age the separate ski areas were just not big enough to match the modern-day reputation of the resorts themselves. Whether or not we are likely to ski hundreds of kilometres of piste, that’s a stat we look for these days when we make our bookings, and so way back in 2001 the great and the good of the Alpbachtal and Wildschönau drew up their plans to join together and create a merged ski area, which would put them in the top ten of Tirol’s, nearly 100, ski areas by size, with 145km of piste for all standards, even including 17km of safe off-piste routes. It’s not all about more for experts either; the new area will include 55km of piste suited to novices. The plan has taken 11 years of careful planning and permission-seeking to become reality.
“Together we have a chance to survive” said Peter Hausberger, Managing Director of the Bergbahnen Alpbachtal. Ludwig Schäffer, Managing Director of the Bergbahnen Wildschönau also commented, “For the Wildschönau and the Alpbachtal to have a future they both need to offer a modern and sustainable ski area and a natural experience.”
But equally, both resorts were very conscious that in joining their ski slopes they did not want to lose the values and assets for which they are most loved by their regular visitors – characteristics that are also becoming evermore important as that era of constant ski area expansion slows. Increasingly, when people plan their holiday they make finding a real community with a relaxing atmosphere as much a priority as a giant ski area – perhaps after too many experiences of over-crowded airports, traffic chaos, and then city-like ski centres lacking character or scenic value.
The resorts did not want to lose their reputation for value either; so despite the increased size of the area and the new comfortable gondola lifts that make the connection possible, it has pegged prices at the lower-end for a ski area of its size, being one of the few areas now charging less than €200 for a 6-day adult lift pass. Children don’t pay for a ticket at all until age 6-years-old, and then half-price right through to age 15, when teen discounts become available.
“Our ski pass prices are still well below those of neighbouring ski areas” says Schäffer.
The Connections
The connections that have linked Alpbachtal’s skiing to that of Wildschönau make use of the existing Poeglbahn cable car from Inneralpbach, and a new eight-person cable car to the Schatzberg on the Wildschönau side – creating Ski Jewel.
The new gondola will lead to below the Pechalm, where a middle station has been built, and will then continue on to the top station on the Schatzberg. A new 2km-long connecting piste has been created from the Schatzberg to the middle station.
The new connection has cost the two communities €13.5m, with the hope that it will, in turn, drive future investments within the hotel industry and infrastructure improvements. But not too much.
“We’re hoping for a long-term rise in number of overnight stays” said Adolf Mauracher, Chairman of the Alpbachtal Seenland tourist board.
Opening Party
The final go-ahead for the construction of the new eight-seater gondola was only given in June, but the lift is now complete and ready to open. The first day to ride the lifts that connect Alpbach and Wildschönau will be 14 December, and both resorts are throwing a season-opening party over the weekend from 14–16 December. It’s your chance to be the first to make the connection!
Along with the thrill of skiing or boarding the new region, the event will include free ski testing, daily events, and a party marquee at the Schatzberg lift in Auffach for après-ski fun.
All-inclusive packages can be booked direct, including a range of accommodation choices, lift pass, party marquee access and a free drink, ski bus pass, ski testing and other discounts and deals, from only €100pp for two nights B&B in a room with shower/WC in a small pension, to €290 for four nights half-board in a 4« hotel in Wildschönau (wildschoenau.com). Very similar packages are available if you prefer to stay in Alpbach, where the après-ski event tent is to be located in the Pöglbahn car park in Inneralpbach (go to the Accommodation > Top Offers section at alpbachtal.at).
Ski Jewel In Numbers
Info: skijuwel.com
Years in planning: 11
Investment: €13.5m
Piste: 145km (32km blue, 78km reds, 18km black, 17km ski routes)
Lifts: 47 (7 gondolas, 8 chairlifts, 31 drags, 1 conveyor)
Mountain restaurants: 24
Snow parks: 3
Highest point: 2128m (Wiedersbergerhorn, Alpbach)
6-day adult pass: €197 (children free to age 5, half-price to age 15)