Zauchensee and the Salzburger Sportwelt ski region deep in snow
Just back from a weekend in Zauchensee, south of Salzburg and east of the snow capital that is currently the Austrian Tirol. So after leaving all the powder behind in the Innsbruck area and the Zillertal Arena ski region in Tirol we drove straight into masses of the stuff in Zauchensee, Ski Amade. It snowed all yesterday and then heavily this morning - the clouds then broke and there were some great conditions on offer - powder lines everywhere.
Powder all over Austria - December 13th - Zauchensee, Austria - image © www.skiingaustria.co.uk
This time I watched from the car park - the fall that I had on the first day at Axamer Lizum had remained a minor irritation for 8 days and then on Friday suddenly erupted to leave me unable to walk. Red wine and pain killers have brought back the ability to walk but today was too early to get back on skis - I have spent too many winter days over recent years in Innsbruck hospital casualty for my liking - this year has to be different. So far the December powder skiing in Austria (both Salzburg and Tirol) have been incredible, the best I can ever remember.
That’s my boy, Josh gets his first Stiegl in Zauchensee
…and a short video from the resort on Sunday:
Great photo of Josh! the perfect Austrian , Blond & blue eyed, thinking about having a beer.
Austrians are crazy about blond hair and blue eyes, as soon as you whip off his hat in public there are gasps of ‘echter tiroler’. In fact he is just Josh - born to ski and smile. But yes I have high hopes for him and when you see him like this it is another piece in that big jigsaw of life that has slotted into place - he avoided the Almdudler mats! He was getting snowed on this weekend in Zauchensee and seemed a little more interested in the stuff than in Innsbruck in October - at that time I was ready to book in for a DNA test. So all in all at 7 months Josh is on the perfect trajectory.
Had a look at the Axamer webcam today & the weather looked great. Did you manage to get up there or are the bones still creaking from the spill the other day??
Unfortunately I had to turn down a great powder day in Zauchensee due to the injury - one of the strangest I have ever had. I knew I had creamed my thigh on the 2nd rock but it did not bother too much. Then Friday, bang, my leg went black and I couldn’t walk - seriously I was immobile. Had a bit of Austrian red over the weekend and seem to moving far better. The leg is not going to win me any Speedo modelling contracts but I came to the tragic realisation some years ago that the rest of me was unlikely to win too many casting admirers. So for now the last time I skied was 4 days ago in Zell am Ziller - if that is my last ski this season at least I know it was in one of the best places I could hope for.
i think you’ll be alright to hobble to the bar in Saalbach! if not a wheelchair will be provided
It was no Hermann Maier (Nagano) crash but I managed to find a big rock to land on. That said I will be back on skis before you know it and even if it is a wheel chair then I will get winter reifen fitted and be zipping around Saalbach - rest assured this is no Innsbruck 07, Mayrhofen 06 or Stubai Glacier 05 fall. I will be back for sure.