TALES FROM THE TIROL: SCHELLERLAUFEN

Now you may have read elsewhere on PlanetSKI that our editor, James Cove, is doing a bit of skiing this week.

Visiting a bunch of resorts in the Tirol that he has never heard of.

Partly to escape the crowds and partly simply to ski a bunch of little known resorts.

Meanwhile his (far) better half, AKA Kisia Cove, is doing something more traditional.

Meeting the locals:

On Sunday she was in the village of Nassereith to celebrate the farewell to winter as “Schellerlaufen”.

This ancient custom, based upon the fight between the bear, representing spring, and the bear beater, symbolizing winter, is celebrated every third year.

The Schellerlaufen has been declared a “World Cultural Heritage” by UNESCO.

The graceful figures in the “Beautiful Pageant Trains” named “Kehrer, Roller, Scheller and Spritzer” (sweeper, jumper, ringer and sprayer) perform with their silk robes in Baroque and Rococo style.

We will have a full report from Kisia shortly on this stunning event, but in the meantime here are some pictures from today to give you a taste of what is to come.

Lets just say PlanetSKI is getting into the Tirolean traditions as we base ourselves in Innsbruck for the rest of the winter: