An Australian in Austria
5th December 2023 | Grace Burnfield, Ischgl, the Tirol.
Last modified on December 9th, 2023
Grace Burnfield and her partner, Luke, are from Perth in Western Australia. They’re touring Europe at the moment, including taking in a spot of skiing. Ischgl seemed the best place to head to and so it proved to be.
Ischgl – seems to have everything you could want in a ski resort, except maybe the expected number of vowels.
It’s been 25 years since I have skied in the Austrian Alps.
Having been four years old the first time with memories centered around the excellent hot chocolate offered at ski school, I really didn’t know what to expect.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
It may surprise some Europeans that Australia does in fact have ski fields.
Australia’s snow fields are clustered on the Eastern side of the country in the Victorian and New South Wales mountains.
Depending on conditions, the snow season runs from about June to September.
The runs are a little shorter and the season is a bit more unpredictable with the icier slopes so it’s a good incentive not to fall.
It can get pretty busy during peak times but if you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s not a bad way to meet other singles filling up the chair lift.
Across five days in Austria we enjoyed 8-hours of uninterrupted skiing daily, with some beautiful sunny weather and soft snow that made for some incredible memories as we hit a range of new and exciting slopes.
We stuck mainly to the ‘beginner’ slopes, but there was 10-fold on offer for the intermediate and expert skiers.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
We chose Ischgl, having never heard of it before, for its early season opening, trying to squeeze a ski on to the end of a holiday.
The first night here we managed to get our ski passes with about 20 minutes to spare and make it to the Top of the Mountain concert featuring Demi Lovato, the Avril Lavigne for Gen Z.
With two rather terrible wine spritzers and flask of schnapps, snow-chilled, in hand, we were “sorry, not sorry” to dance while the snow fell in perhaps the most unique and beautiful festival experience to date.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
There’s a spring concert to close out the season as well, so here’s a shoutout to the events team at Ischgl for stellar ingenuity.
Included in the lift pass is a hop on and off 260 shuttle service along the Paznum, taking skiers to and from lifts and accommodation across Landeck, See, Kappl, Ischgl and Galtür.
Services operate on a 30 min interval during ski times and feature some seriously impressive bus driving through the many icy turns of the valley.
This is is a good thing to consider if you want to avoid the added expense of booking accommodation in the centre of Ischgl.
We stayed in a self-catered spot in Kappl for a fraction of the cost of some of the bigger Ischgl resorts.
A good tip though, if you are doing self-catered, a lot of places shut on Sunday.
Be sure to you plan ahead so you don’t end up ravenous and trudging through the snow for a pizza that’s cold by the time you get home.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Our concerns about a lack of snow in the early season were brushed away on day 1.
Fresh, powdery snow has made for a cracking few days of skiing.
Not to mention not having to line up for a lift and usually having the treat of an entire gondola or 6-person chair to ourselves.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Ischgl even topped up some of the slopes during the sunnier days with their impressive arsenal of snow machines.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
My partner is a relative novice and while I’d call myself a competent skier by Australian standards, residing at least a 5-hour flight and a decent drive away from a slope…. I don’t have a bar on the children of Europe.
The Idalp resort, boasting wide, shallow slopes has been ideal to get out ski legs in order and get back to basics.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
At the risk of sounding too gushy, our time here has taken my breath away.
The Silvretta Arena caters for all ski abilities with a plethora of blue, red and black runs intersecting numerous Eis Bars and restaurants offering the best… and würst… of Tyrolean cuisine. 🤣
Just what you need after a morning of carving those slopes.
I particularly appreciated the cosy Christmas vibe of the bavarian-style restaurants, something we don’t see much of in Australia.
Something to note if you are an energy buff, Ischgl’s entire network of ski lifts and snow making machines are run off 100% eco energy, making them carbon neutral.
I’ve also noticed a few e-chargers around the hubs, so if you’re wanting to drive electric to Ischgl, it looks like you’ll be catered for.
I would suggest investing in a good shovel though, as we’ve seen a few partially-buried vehicles.
And so our time in Austria came to an end and the next time I will be putting my skis in again will likely be in Australia.
Australian ski slopes don’t really have a bar on Austria, but I’ll stand by it still offering the same, fun snowy holiday especially if you’re a kid and don’t know the difference.
It’s a long and expensive trip to Europe from the Southern Hemisphere which is why I think a lot of skiers, particularly West Australians, tend towards Japan, for it’s ample fresh powder at a closer distance.
And what’s not to love about ramen at altitude??
With our improved skills, sore muscles and spirits full, all I can say is we have no regrets and will be back in the Alps one day.
On an added positive note, my partner has caught the ski bug thanks to Ischgl.
I guess I can keep him now.
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Ischgl, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
