We dachten te gaan fietsen 🚲

Het zonnetje schijnt en dit voelt aan als de perfecte dag om op de fiets te gaan zitten. Fietsen door het dal in Zillertal. Het viel even iets anders uit…
Vroeg in de ochtend en nog met watRead more
Het zonnetje schijnt en dit voelt aan als de perfecte dag om op de fiets te gaan zitten. Fietsen door het dal in Zillertal. Het viel even iets anders uit…
Vroeg in de ochtend en nog met wat kippenvel op de blote benen 🥶 pakten wij de trein naar Jenbach. Vanaf hier pakken wij het prachtige treintje ‘De Zillertalbahn’. 🚃 🏔️
Met een grote glimlach op ons gezicht reden wij naar het eindpunt. Met het doel om vanaf daar een fiets te huren en door het dal terug te fietsen. 🚴♀️
Maar helaas, het verhuurbedrijf was gesloten. Dus de fietsen waren nu even niet te huur. En nu? We hebben de benenwagen gepakt. 🚶♀️ 🚶♂️
Alsnog waanzinnig mooi, wandelend door het dal met overal om je heen bergtoppen. 🏔️
Helaas niet de hele route kunnen wandelen, want dat was helaas een paar km teveel. Maar het treinritje terug naar Jenbach was gelukkig net zo mooi als heen🤍
Al met al, we hebben kunnen genieten. Zon, bergen en een trein. ☀️ 🏔️ 🚃. En misschien hier en daar wat rode huid, au🦞Read more
Nach einer kurzen Siesta wollten wir diesen herrlichen Nachmittag für eine kleine Unternehmung noch nutzen.
Mit dem Radl ging es zum Einstieg des Huterlaner Klettersteig. Olli und Sonja wollten den Normalweg hoch und mich dann oben treffen.
Durch einen kleinen "Irrweg" hatte es bei mir etwas länger gedauert und so traten wir gegen 17 Uhr gemeinsam den Abstieg an.
Ausklingen ließen wir unseren ersten Tag mit einem leckeren Essen im Hotel.Read more
12:30
I sleep well - better than I’ve slept in a good few days. There’s still a bit of waking in the midst of a coughing fit, but I get back to sleep more quickly and easily than I have of late. I sleep till nearly 08:00, and spend a gorgeous hour waking up and mooching. I’m not hungry, so skip breakfast, and slowly get ready for the day. My experience is that getting ready for the first day’s skiing on a trip always takes about 3 times as long as any other day on the same trip. Several times, I’m think I’m ready to go, but realise I’ve forgotten something.
I end up heading out at 09:30, and jump on the Penken cable car, right next to my hotel. There’s some snow falling in the town centre, which makes it likely there’s heavier snowfall up the mountain. The Penken cable car runs up to 1,800m. The French resorts with which I’m most familiar (Tignes, Val D’Isere, Courchevel, Meribel are all stationed at that kind of altitude, allowing you to ski back down to the resort once you’re done for the day. Here in the Zillertal, the resort hotels are typically on the valley floor, and require a lift to reach the snow line. In the very snowiest of years, there are a couple of ski tracks down to some of the resorts, but they’re the exception. On the way up the mountain, we pass through some thick cloud and some heavy snow, but emerge above it. It looks like the cloud level is around 1,600m, so staying above that promises better conditions.
I grab another lift further up the mountain, to around 2,000m. In the queue for the lift, I have a gander at other folks’ skiing outfits. I’m never been one to worry too much about what my ski gear looks like. Function most definitely > form. I also don’t replace it when there’s a new trend to follow, but only when it’s knackered, and no longer does the job. It appears though, that my clothing this year is bang on trend. I bought myself a new North Face coast in olive green a few weeks back, and this kind of drab, military style colour is apparently very popular this season. There’s a snowboarder kid, maybe in his early 20s, in front of me in the queue for the chairlift. He’s cool. He’s very cool. He’s achingly cool. He’s wearing the same jacket as me, and his ski pants are very similar in colour to mine as well. His palpable shame when he realises the 47 year old is basically his clothing twin is (for me at any rate) totes hilarious.
At 2,000m, it’s cold and blustery, but visibility is good. Heading off down the mountain, I quickly determine I’m in the wrong ski boots. This is not uncommon when I rent equipment. It often takes me a day to get to the right boots for my trip. Happily, there’s a rental shop at the top of the Penken lift, so I stop in, and swap my boots for another pair, before heading further up the mountain again. These boots, sadly, are even worse. It’s like my feet and particularly my right foot are in a vice. Not fun. I stop again at the rental shop, and have a slightly strange conversation with the rental shop dude about the shape of my feet (diamond like, if you wish to know). Anyways, he recommends a different pair of boots, as well as a bigger size. By comparison, they’re like putting on a pad of pillows.
Back on the slopes, things are much improved. I run a couple of times up and down the main Penken slopes. They’re very busy though, so I head over to the Ahorn Bahn. Being in a valley, Mayrhofen offers skiing on both sides of the valley. Ahorn is the other side of the Mayrhofen valley, and offers wider runs typically. Up the mountain, I head down a run. Almost instantly, a blizzard hits. Visibility quickly deteriorates until I can barely see 10m. If I were familiar with the runs, that wouldn’t be such a problem, but I have the sum total of fuck all idea where I’m going. I get to the bottom of the run, and decide to declare beer o’clock, and to see how conditions are going to develop through the day.
15:30
Back in Mayrhofen, I stop for a Weissbier, which hits several spots. I suddenly remember that I’ve not eaten today, and need to feed. I head to a cool little bar/café called Ellies, and settle in with another beer, and a brilliant burger. Smoky, charred, and tasting of properly good beef. YUM. The waiter dude grabs my empty food tray, and asks if I want another beer. What a sensible idea…
Weather apps are predicting that the snowfall is gonna continue for the rest of the day. I declare skiing done, and look at ways to spend my afternoon. It would be very easy to head straight to one of the many après-ski venues in downtown Mayrhofen, but I resist the urge (for now). My hotel has a more than decent spa attached, and the idea of some jacuzzi and sauna time is enticing…
23:45
The spa is great! I spend a decent whack of time in the hydropool. It’s hot enough to relax my muscles, and the water-jets are all kinds of saucy. I follow this up with a sauna. I correctly determine this is a clothing recommended sauna, so keep my boardies on. The hotel’s a very chilled out kind of environment. I happily pad back to my room in my dressing gown.
I put my head down for a nap, but my chest isn’t playing ball. I just can’t find a position that will let me drift off without a hacking cough every couple of minutes. Scheiße.
Around 18:00, I give up and have a bath. The bath in my room is a slightly strange sitting affair. I think it’s to minimise the amount of space required, but also has the benefit of ensuring the legs are completely covered by hot water at all times.
Cleansed, I head out for a pre-prandial beer. There’s an après-ski bar attached to the hotel, but the music emanating from it is woeful. I head intsead to Mo’s, where a two piece acoustic couple are doing cool things with guitars and vocals. I happily perch at the bar, and have a couple of Weissbiers.
By 19:30, I’m more than peckish. I didn’t ski the whole day, but have still put a reasonable shift in. I’m seated at a large, bench table with some other solo skiers, and quickly befriend Dave, Charlie and Rod. We chat away contentedly - previous ski trips, snow conditions today and tomorrow, life back home… The food is great - definitely a cut above what I’m used to on these kinds of trips. The main is a rack of lamb which is served with an incredible lamb jus. V tasty…
I finish dinner around 21:00. My Vikings are live in TV at 22:00, so I’m planning to watch as late as I can manage. The game’ll probably finish after 01:00, and I doubt I’ve got that in me. I decide a post-prandial walk is in order, so head out for a wander. It’s cold, and the pavements are starting to get super-slippery as they freeze. I head to the bottom of Mayrhofen, and loop back around to Main Street. This takes me past the Scotland Yard pub - my second monikered pub in as many trips. I don’t know what it is about Scotland Yard that folks outside of the UK think is highly redolent of traditional London. The sign confuses me - “Scotland Yard - Irish Pub.” I briefly consider stopping for a pint, but it’s pretty empty inside. I wander if it’s even open.
Back at Strass Hotel, I grab a beer in the bar, and chat to some folks sitting up at the bar. It looks like the snowy conditions are setting in for the next couple of days. Mornings are looking better for skiing than afternoons, so I’ll plan to be up in decent time tomorrow. Back at my room, I open a beer, and kick back to watch my beloved Vikings. The game is tighter than it should be. I head to be around midnight, with the Vikings up 20-17. GO VIKES.Read more
Heute etwas chaotisch zum Parkplatz der Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen zu kommen, da die Stadt durch Almabtrieb und hunderte von Gästen voll war.
Dann mit der Bahn hoch auf den Penken - bitte beachten dass
Eure Hunde einen Maulkorb brauchen.
Tolle Fahrt mit der Gondel 🚡 nach oben.
Wir haben uns für den Weg 22 entschieden der uns zur Penkenalm führen soll. Das Wetter ist ok - sehr bewölkt aber perfekt zum wandern 🥾
Auf dem tollen Weg kommen wir an tollen Seen und Aussichtspunkten vorbei.
Am Gipfel landen wir an der Granatkappelle - die müsst ihr gesehen haben. Tolle Architektur von außen und von innen ein Traum im Holz.
Dann vorbei am daneben gelegenen See zu unserem Ziel.
Kurz zuvor entdecken wir die Granatalm.at - kurze Planänderung und Einkehr dort.
Mega gemütlich- tolle Atmosphäre - zwischen Tradition und Moderne
Das Essen ist phänomenal und der Kaiserschmarren zum Nachtisch die Krönung
Dann geht’s gemütlich wieder auf den Rückweg und mit der Gondel 🚠 nach unten
Toller Tag mit einer tollen WanderungRead more
16:00
I wake to a dump of maybe 20cm of snow. That’s in Mayrhofen town centre, so I’d expect there to be 2-3 times that up the mountain. Today should be a spectacular powder day, as long as visibility stays good enough.
I manage to sleep through the night. Huzzah etc etc. I feel much more refreshed than the past couple of mornings. I’m up and out of the hotel by 09:00, and at the very top of the Penken valley by 09:30. The first run down into the Horberg valley is a thing of absolute beauty. I can see that I’m heading into cloud and heavy snow, but where I am right now, there’s 30cm of fresh powder under my skis, and the sun is just about shining through some light cloud. It’s about as perfect as skiing conditions can get. There’s such a satisfying sensation as skis cut through fresh powder. I’ve not experienced anything else quite like it. It’s highly addictive. I cut across a few different runs and lifts.
Around 11:00, I deserve a break, so stop at my new favourite piste-side café for a coffee. There are sadly no Aperol antics today, but I pass the time looking at how the conditions are changing around me. I’ve never seen weather on the mountain quite like it. In each valley, the conditions are markedly different, and they’re changing rapidly. Where this valley was sunny a few moments ago, it’s now a blizzard, and visibility is down to a handful of metres. I can see that in the next valley over, the sun is pushing through.
I decide to leave the slopes, and do some off-piste skiing. Now, normally when I’m skiing on my own, I stick to the groomed pistes. It’s a self-preservation thing. The powder just off piste is too alluring though. It’s comfortably up to my knees, and cutting a swathe through it down the mountain is a properly fun way to spend time.
Around 12:00, a lot of folks on the mountain stop for lunch. Despite not having breakfast, I’m not particularly hungry yet, so carry on skiing, taking advantage of the slopes and lifts being quieter. I finish maybe 4 runs in the space of an hour, and am conscious that the speed at which I’m moving has accelerated. I use a ski trail tracking app, which tells me that I’ve hit 80 kph this morning. I’m not a speed freak, and top speed is hardly a measure of how well I’m skiing, or how much fun I’m having - but it IS a measure of how confident I feel on the mountain.
I stop for some lunch around 13:30, at another slope-side restaurant. I treat myself to a gluhwein, and then another. Lunch is currywurst - a bratwurst served with a spicy curry gravy. Banging. I stop for nearly an hour, and getting back up and onto my skis is a bit of a challenge. My legs have seized up pretty effectively while I’ve been sitting down. They start to unfurl after a few minutes of shouting at them. On one of the lifts, I bump into Brian and Steve, who I met on Saturday afternoon. We ski together for a few runs, before heading in our respective directions.
Around 15:30, I decide I’ve done enough for today. It’s been a long and tough, but massively fun day. The weather could have been a sticking point, but I’ve actually enjoyed the changeability. It’s certainly kept me on my toes. I stop at a final slope-side bar to celebrate the hard graft I’ve put in. An Aperol Spritz, and ooh - they have teeny bottles of Jäegermeister! Yup, deffo have one of those…
22:30
I head out for a walk around 18:00, and stop in at Mo’s for a beer. The atmosphere’s pretty raucous. I’ve been advised that Christmas Eve tends to be the day/evening of most celebration, and everyone seems to be going for it. The music is eclectic. Avant-garde, even. Predominantly Euro style covers. Still the beer’s cold, and the company’s not too shabby.
Dinner is excellent. The main course is a beef Wellington type affair, and I’m impressed at the kitchen’s ability to produce such high quality food so consistently for so many people.
I briefly consider another walk/beer combo, but the day’s arduous activity is catching up with me. By 22:00, I’m jaded and yawning. I read for a while, but my eyes are heavy with sleep. Zzzzz…Read more
Bei herrlichem Sonnenschein sind wir heute kurzentschlossen ins Zillertal gefahren, um das lange Wochenende zu genießen
Ankunft in unserer tollen Unterkunft den Alpin Appartements bei
www.zillertalapartments.at
Tolle Appartements zwischen Ramsau und Mayrhofen
Das Abendessen war die Krönung des langen Tages. Wir haben kurz geschaut was es tolles in der Nähe gibt und sind zum Paulerhof gefahren
Essen - mega
Service-mega
Wieder hingehen - ganz bestimmt
www.paulerhof.atRead more
16:45
Bastard cough is coming back. Nutsacks. I’ve got some Doxycycline at home, so will dive in when I get back tomorrow. It’s another gorgeous day on the mountain. The sky is the craziest blue, and there’s a warmth to it that I’ve not felt the past few days. My legs feel much better this morning, and I ski for a good couple of hours before needing a break. When I do feel the need for a sit-down, I park up at Moslbahn, and grab a Weissbier. The sun’s strong up here, and I actually bang some sunscreen on.
Back on the slopes, many of the pistes are starting to cut up. It’s been a few days since the last fresh snow, and there are bumps popping up all over the place. I get to the bottom of quite a steep red run, and can feel it in my knees. 20 years of playing hockey on early generation astroturfs has left my knees in a fairly shocking state. I’m absent an anterior cruciate ligament in my left knee, and have no cartilage left in my right. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised how well they’ve stood up to 6 days of skiing. Rather than call it quits, I head back over to the Penken Valley, where there are a series of long, sweeping blue runs. I fill my boots.
I grab some lunch at the Panorama Bar - a Bauerngrostl. No? Me neither. It shares DNA with a corned beef hash. Smoked meat, fried potatoes, sauerkraut, and a couple of fried eggs. It’s a big bowl of awesome.
I’ve planned to call it a day around 14:30. I’ve got to get organised this afternoon, as my transfer is alarmingly early tomorrow morning, and I want to get out to watch the Brighton game this evening. I squeeze in another 3-4 runs, and whilst the temptation is there for just one more, I know that’ll be the case whenever I stop.
Back at my room, I have a stinking hot bath, largely as a physiotherapeutic mechanism. It’s a brilliant way to relax. Guess I better do some packing. BORING.
22:30
I have an early dinner, and just overlap with Rod, Charlie and Dave to say goodbye. We exchange numbers. This is a regular Christmas jaunt for them, so who knows - maybe we’ll bump into each other again in future. I head out in search of football. I’ve seen tons of places advertising Sky Sports, but this evening’s game is on Amazon, which complicates matters. After a fruitless search at Ellie’s, Scotland Yard and Mike’s, I give up. I watch the game on my iPad back in my room. It’s not the best of games, and finishes 0-0. Brighton have the better of it, but can’t buy a goal. Our form is pretty disastrous at the moment. We’ll come out of it, but our push for a top 6 finish is stuttering.
The game finishes a littler after 22:00, and I need to be up at 05:30. Scheiße.Read more
14:45
Utterly bored of cough now. Woke me up multiple times through the night, and was awake for a couple of hours between about 02:00 and 04:00. Bored bored bored. I’m almost out of medication for it, so will top up later.
On the up side, VIKES WIN, VIKES WIN! Sounds like it woulda been a fun game to stay up for, and given I’ve had a wretched sleep, I probably should have done.
I’m out the door by 09:00. The Penken lift is barely 10m from my hotel. The incredibly short commute is a real treat. The sun’s trying to shine, though there’s still snow forecast later. At the top of the mountain, conditions are beautiful. The snowfall yesterday and overnight have left incredible powder conditions - just a joy to ski on. My new boots are working out well. Everything suddenly clicks. It usually takes me about a day to get my mojo back, and given yesterday was a truncated day, I guess the timing is about right. It’s difficult to describe the difference. It’s as much about confidence as technique, and I find myself relaxing into turns, where before I’d been tense. It makes the whole process of skiing a massively more enjoyable one.
Around 10:30, I stop for a coffee. I’ve again not bothered with breakfast, and could do with the caffeine hit. I’m slope side, about 2000m up. It’s crisp, but clear. Opposite me, a young couple sit down, and order an Aperol Spritz each. Well played. Definitely a little early for me. Sadly, he knocks her drink over, and in doing so, covers her with sugary Spritz. They have, if not quite a full on row, then at least a moderate altercation. He’s trying to blame her (I think - they’re speaking in some kind of Baltic language), and she’s not having it. From my vantage point, he’s demonstrably the guilty party. I choose not to weigh in.
Back on the slopes, I zig-zag across various of the Zillertal valleys. I don’t have a set route in mind - I’m just meandering as the mood takes me. The slopes are busy. I can’t remember the last time I skied during a school holiday, but some of the pistes are strewn with ski school groups of kids.
After another hour, I’m starting to feel the effort. I stop at the top of Moslbahn at a beautiful sun terrace, and grab a beer. It hits several spots. The sun has properly come out, and the views across the valley are mesmerising. Somewhere in the background, there’s a cool deep-house soundtrack to my beer. It’s an addictive way to spend some time.
I could happily settle in for another beer, but I know I’ll regret it if i don’t make the most of the weather today. I hit maybe 4 more runs, gradually working my way back over to the Penken slopes, and jump on a lift back down to the town centre. I stop in at one of the high street bars for a quick beer, and then pop into Spar to grab some supplies. I’m minded to spend a chunk of time in the spa this afternoon. It’s rapidly clouding over, and snow is starting to fall. Ooh, or maybe a nap. Of such difficult decisions will my afternoon be formed…
22:45
I manage a banging nap. About 90 minutes, uninterrupted by coughs. This is progress. Significant progress. To celebrate, I have a sensational bath, and a glass of wine. Snow’s falling pretty heavily out. I briefly consider a stroll before dinner, but decide a drink in the bar is a better bet. Dinner is once again excellent, and I chat away happily to my table-mates. Dave, it transpires, is about 19 months into the estate administration and probate process for his father’s affairs. We compare notes, and have many of the same complaints about the archaic and inefficient nature of HMRC’s working practices. It’s strangely heartwarming to hear someone else’s similar experiences.
I’m feeling pretty jaded. In place of a walk and a beer, I head back to my room to chill out and watch a movie. Bisto…Read more
Siehe
https://www.zillertaler-hoehenstrasse.com/de/
Die Einfahrt von Süden hat sich als gut erwiesen, auf 1700 m hoch bis zur Mautstation, dann nochmal 300 m Höhe und Aussicht pur.
Nichts für Menschen mit Höhenangst, es geht rechts oft sehr deutlich runter, die Strasse ist schmal. Also wer hier empfindlich ist, fährt die Strecke besser vom Süden und bleibt damit an der Bergseite.Read more
Wir konnten heute Neuschnee & Sonne während den Pisten-Abfahrten genießen. Die Schneebedingungen waren ideal für den letzten Ski-Tag. Nach 4,5 Ski-Tagen beenden wir den Ski-Urlaub und freuen uns auf zuhause!
Wir haben uns dazu entschieden, doch schon heute Abend nachhause zu fahren. So verbringen wir nicht den gesamten Mittwoch auf der Autobahn und können mit dem freien Tag noch etwas anfangen.Read more
You might also know this place by the following names:
Schwendau
Traveler Jammer van de fietsen, maar het is daar erg mooi hoor! 🌸❤️
Traveler Jaaa het was alsnog echt waanzinnig mooi! En met wandelen hebben we op een rustiger tempo nog meer van de uitzichten kunnen genieten❤️
Traveler Dat is zeker zo, alle tijd om om je heen te kijken. Genoeg moois te zien@
Traveler Hihi precies!