A daily peep inside ...

My web find ;-)

Admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:55:01 +0000

I may not be the first one to proudly share my web finds but this video is definitely worth watching! Check out this onystudio production on obviously great holidays in Zell am See-Kaprun.

An absolutely amazing video – and apparently it was shot exclusively with a Panasonic lx3 camera.

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A hot tip: Heading towards the winter sun

Monika Embacher — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:08:22 +0000

Surrounded by pristine white: especially during the recent few weeks of winter Zell am See-Kaprun has displayed its most beautiful sides. Rays of sunshine make the blankets of snow on the summits of Kitzsteinhorn and Schmittenhöhe as well as down in the valley sparkle like diamonds and invite holidaymakers and locals alike to discover this nature’s spectacle on an expedition. Passionate fans of touring skiing like me cannot afford to pass such a great opportunity by.

In Zell am See-Kaprun, you do not have to search long until you find the perfect trail. My hot tip for touring skiers is Imbachhorn – one of the most beautiful touring ski mountains in Fuschertal valley. But before setting out, it is absolutely essential to check for possible avalanche warnings e.g. at http://www.lawine.salzburg.at. When everything is fine, there is nothing to stop you from closing the bindings of your skis and setting out on a ski tour you will remember for a long time to come. By the way: you should not venture out alone. Contact one of our experienced mountain guides. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses can be found at our website.

And then off we go! The starting point of my favourite tour is Judenhof at a distance of about 10 kilometres from Zell. The ascending trail passes Ponyhofalm inn at an altitude of 1,367 metres. From there, the way leads us through spruce wood across plain slopes to Rosskopf at an altitude of 2,152 metres. We traverse the mountain just below the summit and then continue to descend down into Hirzbachkar cirque.

After that, the trail leads us uphill once again to a mountain ridge located southwest of Imbachhorn surrounded by the picturesque Alpine panorama. Once we have arrived at the ridge, we can already spot our destination in the north at an altitude of 2,470 metres. But watch out! Some of the slopes are exposed to avalanches. This is the reason why it is so important to plan this tour carefully and check on the conditions before setting out. Having arrived on the summit, we are rewarded with an absolutely stunning panoramic view. The snow-covered summit of Kitzsteinhorn sparkles in the sunshine and Lake Zell as well as Schmittenhöhe are a true sight for sore eyes, too.

The tour ‘Zurück ins Tal’ (Back to the valley) boasts special treats for fans of touring skiing. They can dash through perfect deep snow at Hirzbachkar cirque, head for Rosskopf before returning to the valley via Ponyhofalm inn. Today has been an absolutely perfect day for a tour – as it almost always is. When looking back at such an exciting day I cannot help but look forward to the next weekend. Just a few days of work and I’ll be setting out to conquer one of our lovely mountains again…

[View with PicLens]

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What was I thinking when I agreed to participate in the Aufi Owi race?!

Christine Aberger — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:34:53 +0000

This was the question on my mind on Friday morning when I woke up to discover that this was the day of my first touring ski race (Aufi Owi).
Less than three weeks ago, I was fooling around with my colleagues and faster than we could say Jack Robinson our names showed up on the starters’ list.
Now, our problem was that many of us had been in the bindings of touring skis for the last time during their duty at the Austrian Armed Forces and others (like me) were completely new to the discipline. Consequently, it seemed wise to all of us to have a little training session. After office we set out for Maiskogel. Well, actually first to the ski hire shop and then to Maiskogel. My first challenge was to get onto the skis and start at a moderate pace (and for highly motivated beginners it is not that easy to take it slow). Some of us had the hang of it pretty quickly – to be honest: I was the only exception. I had some issues with the material and … my legs. To cut a long story short: I was behaving like the first man on skis.

About an eternity later I reached Eisbär bar (six kilometres and 500 metres of altitude which is the distance of the Aufi Owi race) and thought: ‘Yay! Something to drink and I am finally done with this torture.’ Not a bit of it! My dear colleagues set their sight to the next hut and sprinted on – without even giving me the time to object!

On this last ascent I promised myself that this was the last time ever that I had set a foot on this mountain. And then finally, I arrived at our destination. After a short break we were looking forward to ride down to the valley again – equipped with headlamps, this did not seem too much of a problem. Until I remembered that I had not stood on skis for the last 16 years. On the bumpy ride down to the valley, I repeatedly regretted that my good old snowboard was at home instead of on Maiskogel with me. But when I start something I finish it! Even though I returned safe and sound, I decided to cancel my participation in the race. But overnight, ambition got hold of me and I was surprised to hear myself tell my colleagues: ‘I’ll participate if I can do it under 35 minutes.’ So, on Wednesday we dropped in at the ski hire shop again to get skis, boots, and poles and ascended Maiskogel once again. And I couldn’t believe my eyes upon my arrival at Eisbär bar: 35 minutes.

Actually, I am not really sure whether to consider it a lucky fact that I did the distance in my target time because it eliminated all excuses… Now I definitely had to participate in the Aufi Owi race and braced myself for the consolation prize, a huge pretzel, wodering whether I still had some veal sausages in the fridge.

And then the moment of truth had come!

As a child I had participated in many sporting competitions. And either I had plainly forgotten about the unpleasant feelings at the start or had pushed it to the very back of my mind. Now those sentiments came back on seeing the other starters collecting their starters’ numbers.
Good news was that the race demanded each team to master 500 metres of altitude. Which meant 250 metres for each member (more than enough for me anyway).
As many as 220 participants had gathered in the starting area. It was not easy for me to find my place in this jam – I was on hold since my team partner Oliver started first and I definitely did not envy him at all. When the starting gun was fired, the field set out at an incredible pace. I had expected that there would be really fast athletes, but that fast…?! Oliver told me after the race was over that he had ended up in the third row which proved to be a bad coincidence since the following racers were breathing down his neck and prompted him to set of faster than he had planned – which, after all, was rather advantageous for our finishing time.
And then it was my turn. Originally, I had decided to make a controlled, moderate start and blah blah blah: I sprinted off like a madwoman. Of course, it dawned on me pretty quickly that I could not keep up this speed, so I slowed down but still had to stop once or twice to catch my breath. I had remembered to bring something to drink but despite taking the race a little more slowly now, my zeal did not allow me to take a sip. As soon as I had found my rhythm, everything seemed to work out nicely.
Originally, I had wanted to make up my mind on where to put my climbing skins before arriving at the turning point, but somehow I had completely forgotten about this so I just got off my skis, removed the skins, hung them around my neck, closed the bindings again and dashed down the piste. Due to my amazing skiing technique, it did not matter anyhow that the skins were dangling around my neck – I would not break any records anyway. Going down the slope was a piece of cake but just in front of the finish they had added a little obstacle: instead of being able to concentrate on not skidding across the finishing line on my backside, I had to climb a little hill as well! I think the photo says more than a thousand words, doesn’t it?
When I had caught my breath again, I would not trust my eyes: with a total time of 56:28,3 we might not have been among the favourite teams but for us it was an amazing performance! I have never climbed a mountain faster and we even stayed under one hour. We came in third from last but that did not matter. I cannot remember when I have been so proud of a time and glad to have participated in a race at all. I was wearing a broad smile on my face until Saturday night for sure.
And the best is yet to come: not only the team coming in last received a pretzel but we got a prize, too: a backpack and a bottle of booze for each of us!
And to top it all there was a prize game for all participants. Do you want to guess who was chosen as the winner for the first prize among the participating women? Me! Now I am the proud owner of a Tissot watch sponsored by Uhren Schmuck Hartl in Kaprun - thank you very much! Isn’t this just unbelievable? There couldn’t be a better way to reward me for my will-power and efforts!
Next year I will participate again! Aufi Owi 2011 here I come!

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Nocturnal slalom race in the pedestrian precinct of Zell am See

Christine Aberger — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:39:30 +0000

Visitors of Zell am See are rather bewildered when they take a stroll through the pedestrian precinct and see that huge amounts of snow are unloaded here. Elsewhere, municipalities are desperately struggling to get the current snow chaos under control and we flood our pedestrian precinct in snow?

But wait, here comes the answer: tonight the ‘Nite Race’ – a nocturnal slalom competition - is taking place in the town centre of Zell for the second time.

What does it take to make a pedestrian precinct a high-speed race track, you wonder? Fritz Unterganschnigg, member of the winter sports club of Zell am See, is the perfect candidate to answer this question. After all, he and his team have been busy with the preparative measures for this event for as many as four months already. Not only did they have to erect a take-off ramp and stands for the spectators, but they are currently preparing the race track with a total of 30 truck loads of snow, too. 50 busy helpers of the winter sports club accomplish this incredible performance within a mere four days!

The programme guarantees an entertaining evening and in order to get into the right mood for the VIP race at 7.30 pm, you can drop in at the après-ski party starting at 4 pm. The starters’ list of the VIP race boasts famous names like Mark Girardelli, Hans Enn, Bojan Krizaj, David Zwilling, Bartl Gensbichler, and many more.

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Ballooning in Zell am See-Kaprun and surroundings!

Birgit Arnold — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:04:47 +0000

Airfield of Zell am See, 31st January 2010, 10 am. For my colleague Andrea who works at the tourist information, too, and me this meant that our balloon start had to be scheduled for 10.15 at the latest. Nope, wrong guess. It was not until we had a serious talk with the clerk of the weather that the conditions allowed for our balloon to start from Hinterglemm at noon – finally.
But waiting was definitely worth it!!! Andrea and I met at the airfield of Zell am See at 10 am. And as it is right and proper for true balloonists we were allowed to help with the preparative measures. Actually, I have to admit that we were feeling a little queasy when the huge envelope was rising from the ground at our sides. But chickening out was not an option, of course – not for two girls like us!
Our courage to climb the basket definitely paid off. The motto of our fist balloon trip was ‘Towards the Sun of Zell am See-Kaprun’. The sky had not cleared up yet so that we had to rise through a thick layer of clouds first before we found ourselves in a different world altogether. We felt the warm sunshine on our faces and had a stunning view at a thick blanket of clouds below us which was only pierced by Austria’s highest mountain – ‘our’ Grossglockner. A little later we spotted the summits of Kitzsteinhorn and Grossvenediger, too. We were gliding through the sky peacefully and besides a slight breeze which made the balloon rotate a bit everything was perfectly calm. In order to descend back to Salzachtal valley we dropped through the clouds and found ourselves just above Niedernsill. Our balloon pilot chose a snow-covered meadow in the immediate vicinity of Zell’s airfield as landing spot.
For Andrea and me it was an absolutely unforgettable experience! But there was even more to come! At a ceremony at the airfield restaurant, we received a certificate documenting our first ride in a hot-air balloon.

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9th Winter Triathlon in Zell am See-Kaprun

Christine Aberger — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:45:47 +0000

On 23rd January 2010 the 9th Winter Triathlon took place in Zell am See-Kaprun. For the first time the triathlon was a World Cup competition in the International Triathlon Union (ITU) as well as the Austrian country championship and the regional championship of the province of Salzburg.

In radiant sunshine about 100 participants competed against each other. The worthy winner with a time of 1:12:01.98 was the Italian Daniel Anton Ioli closely followed by Austrian Sigi Bauer (1:12:24.28). In the women’s valuation it was a narrow decision: the two Austrian triathletes Romana Slavinez and Klaudia Meisterhofer fought for the lead until the very last metres. In the end it was Romana Slavinez who carried victory home in 1:25:29.98 with a lead of merely 1.50 seconds on Klaudia Meisterhofer.

Please click here for the overall results (available in German only).

More photos of the triathlon can be found on Flickr.

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A hot tip: Spectacular stunts and jumps at the Snow Nights!

Christine Aberger — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:23:03 +0000

Freestyle skiing is more than just a sport! It is a way of life! Breaking with obsolete traditions, trying new things, pushing your own limits: it is said that in the 1950s Norwegian ski jumpers started to include tricks and stunts in their jumps. Another opinion is that the USA or Switzerland is the home country of freestyle skiing. You see, it is quite controversial where this trend sport has its roots.

But here in Zell am See-Kaprun, freeriders and freeskiers are sure to find everything they could possibly wish for, too. After all, it is no coincidence that best international riders are meeting for the Austrian Freeski Open at Mellow Park on the glacier of Kitzsteinhorn. Another series of events you cannot afford to miss if you are curious to see what professional freeskiers can do on their boards is the ‘Snow Nights’.

For nine weeks, Wednesday evenings are reserved for the freestylers. Until the beginning of March the ‘Snow Night’ kicks off on the piste at the valley station of cityXpress at the foot of Schmittenhöhe. At 8 pm boarders and freeskiers show the spectators what ‘free spirit’ means for them. Breathtaking action, cool music, and great fireworks guarantee for one-of-a-kind entertainment.

Kaprun is staging a great event, too. Every Monday ‘Freaks on Snow’ enthral their spectators with breathtaking stunts on the slope of Schaufelberg from 8 pm. In addition, the members of the vintage skiing association contribute to the programme and fireworks guarantee for more visual treats. It goes without saying that I will be there to witness each and every single trick of the artists on boards. Come and join me!

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‘Train vs. Plane’: one week in the region’s winter white for the ‘art-for-eye’ bloggers

Editors — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:38:41 +0000

Inga and Ben from Hamburg, the winners of our blogger campaign ‘Train vs. Plane’, have arrived in Pinzgau! On 17th January the two passionate bloggers and some friends of theirs boarded the fully occupied plane heading for Salzburg airport. Upon their arrival they were awaited by Attila from the bus company Vorderegger, a Hungarian ‘who is named after the great warrior, but is actually a lot less aggressive’ who got them and some cheerful Brits to Zell am See. ‘Only a glass of beer could have improved the situation’, was one of the comments of the first blog article.

The winners of the campaign – the prize of which was a free holiday in return for blogging regularly about the experiences made in the region - publish their posts every evening after an exciting day on the slopes of the local mountains and at the inns. A special treat besides the entertaining articles are their telling photos! By now the group of friends has had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the many kilometres of deep snow, dash down the pistes on the snowboard, and order regional delicacies like cheese dumplings. Our bloggers were enthralled by the amazing feeling to conquer virgin slopes in the mornings, the friendly staff at the lift facilities, the vast sauna landscape at their hotel…

Carefree ‘powder days’ – that is what the group from Hamburg was looking forward to most. No need to worry! Pinzgau is sure to collaborate. After all, the region boasts 100 per cent of snow certainty! Now all we are still waiting for are the impressions of the bloggers who will make their journey to Zell am See-Kaprun by train. They have not announced the day of their arrival yet but we are already convinced that authentic and witty blog posts can be taken for granted.

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This weekend will have an almost Olympic touch!

Christine Aberger — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:50:42 +0000

On 23rd January 2010 Zell am See-Kaprun is hosting the 9th Winter Triathlon. This year as many as three titles will be awarded since the triathlon is a World Cup competition in the International Triathlon Union (ITU) for the first time ever and at the same time the Austrian country championship and the regional championship of the province of Salzburg. You see: it is definitely worth to participate and fight for the coveted titles.

Meeting point, start, and heart of the event is the cross-country centre in Kaprun. This is where the starting gun for the competitions is fired. The running track with a distance of 6.3 kilometres leads participants through the moors of Kaprun and is followed by the cycling component with a distance of 13 kilometres. After the 10-kilometres cross-country skiing section the first participants are expected to come home after about an hour.

To get in the right Olympic mood check out last year’s photos:

[View with PicLens]

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Movie stars on Schmittenhöhe

Sandra Langreiter — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:55:56 +0000

Publish your downhill race on the web with SkiMovie!
From now on, the ski run at Hochmaisbahn is even more attractive to hobby ski racers: two cameras are recording every skier and snowboarder from start to finish. Only a few seconds after crossing the finishing line, you can analyse your performance at www.schmitten.at or at a card-reader unit equipped with a video screen in one of the pubs and restaurants on Schmittenhöhe or at the information centre at Areitbahn.

The race track in the vicinity of the mountain station of Hochmaisbahn has always been a highlight on Sonnkogel. But to date, time and average speed were measured on crossing the finishing line only. From now on enthusiastic skiers can analyse their more or less elegant swings on the ski run from home or at the après-ski event. The SkiMovie system works with every Schmittenhöhe ski pass. At the starting line of the giant slalom ski run, a non-contact card reader recognizes the ski pass and initiates recording. A camera at the starting cabin documents the seconds before pushing off and the race against time. A second panning camera follows the skiers on their way down to the finishing line. Just a few moments later the video clip is available on spot on local screens and worldwide via Internet.

Sharing your success with friends
A unique feature in Zell am See are the SkiMovie video screens. At the bars and restaurants on Schmittenhöhe, you just have to enter the number of your ski pass and then you can sit down with friends to discuss the entire video while enjoying a nice drink. Just like the popular Photopoint on Sonnkogel, each terminal offers you the possibility to send an electronic postcard to your friends at home to share your performance with them. We also plan to publish a best-of of the videos at www.schmitten.at and will nominate the best performances. The winner can look forward to great prizes at the end of the season.

We declare the competition for the best SkiMovie open!

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