Hintertux, Austria
17-21 April 2019. Easter Weekend
Skiing in April? The only way to go! A fantastic long Easter weekend with friends Milena and Roman, and their boys Miša and Matej.
Gordon has just flown in from Texas less than 24 hours earlier, and Alex has just completed the long-dreaded upper school exams, but we are keen to go and Wednesday afternoon we whizz 6 hours from Prague to Hintertux glacier, in our Great White Whale van. The kids spend the entire trip playing Terreria in the back seat. A true hoilday for them!
Our hotel is amazing - the 4+* Berghof Hintertux. Superb service, food and facilities made it hard to leave for some! we make it just in time to enjoy the first of our four gourmet-style 5 course dinners, not to mention the life-restoring pilsner beer!
Thursday Gordon, Jana and Alex (who has a sore throat and a bit of a cold, probably in reaction to the difficult exams he has just taken!) take it easy; and on the return of he other kids from the slopes, Alex challenges them to a cut-throat game of Talisman whilst the parents sample the spectacular views and succulent PImms from the terrace bar... (Daddy joins Alex in the game but the brutal kids quickly dispatch his fumbling wizard...)
Friday all but Jana hit the glacier. Gordon manages to putter down a few slopes but then somehow loses his rental skis. Oh well, they turn up eventually.. :-) Alex has a spectacular morning crash which totally tears up his jacket, but he is unharmed (apart from a slightly sprained shoulder which only affects him that evening). After a morning of R&R, Jana takes the lift up the glacier, and we enjoy the stunning views from 3250m. The others murder about half the trails on the mountain before we all call a halt around 16:00. Back at our hotel, we sample the delights of the pool, the extensive spa and another stellar meal.
Saturday is pretty much a repeat, including the unbelievable weather, small crowds and perfect ski conditions. Gordon skis in the morning, and after lunch, Jana & Gordon opt for a walking tour of the ice caves at the summit whilst the others tackle the nastiest slopes Hintertux has to offer. Well, turns out they had it easy as the caves are quite a hike down, down some more, down steps and ladders, and all back up again. In ski boots! But this makes the spa and whirpool all the more welcome on our return!
Sunday all but Gordon and Jana finish off whatever slopes still await them - ending in a continuous run from the summit all the way down to the base (about a 2000m descent!) -- bringing Alex's total skiing to a bit over 80km, and the others above 100km! Sadly we need to depart, and around 1500 we hit the highway for the 6 hour drive back to Prague. (avoiding an accident-casued total stoppage on a German motorway outside Munich by Gordon cutting across the verge to an exit to our rear!)
An insanely fun Easter, with special thanks to Milena for organising a top notch hotel and the family for looking after Alex on the slopes.