Friday, January 23, 2009

Katschberg

Katschberg

This Austrian resort is located in the Lungau region on the border of the Austrian districts of Carinthia and Salzburg. It an ideal destination for families and weekend ski holidays.

The Katschberg resort is located only a few kilometers from the Villach – Salzburg highway, and is close to more popular resorts, such as Flachau, or Obertauern.

The slopes span two peaks, Aineck and Tschaneck, between which the village of Katschberghöhe is situated. You can reach the resort in three ways. Right before the Katschberg tunnel there is a well-marked highway exit which leads to the mountain pass; this is the fastest and most costly way, but it is also the steepest. It is not recommended in winter conditions, since the road is not quite cleared from snow. However, if weather conditions are good, the road is viable and is not difficult to surmount. The other way is to pass the tunnel (tunnel fee, EUR 4.5) and access the village of Katschberghoehe from the other side of the same mountain pass. This road is a bit less extreme, but it will also take you longer. The third way is the longest, but also the safest, at least when it comes to clearing the roads from snow; after you pass the tunnel, don't take a turn for the mountain pass but go straight to the village of St. Margaretten situated in the valley beneath the Aineck peak. From there, a ski lift will whisk you up to the top of the resort.

The resort is equipped with mostly new, hooded chairlifts with conveyor belts (6-, 4-, 3- and one 2-seater lift). Some shorter runs are covered by anchor lifts and button lifts. The modernization of the ski lifts resulted in no crowds, even on weekends.

According to the brochures, the resort has total 70 km of ski runs, which is a decent number, especially considering the fact that it is not far-fetched. The peaks of Aineck and Tschaneck rise up to 2220 and 2030 m a.s.l, while the foot of the slopes is at 900-1100 m a.s.l.. Sometimes the runs at the foot of the resort can experience snow shortage, especially in warm weather. However, the runs are very well kept so skiing is ensured until the end of February. Weather allowing, the season prolongs even until March.

One day ski lift pass is EUR 35.5; you will get a hands-free ticket for which you have to pay EUR 5 deposit.

The slopes are really versatile, descending from the naked peaks to the wooded part of St. Margarethen, while the western part of the resort (below Tschaneck) is mostly wooded. Almost half of the slopes (mostly in the lower part of the resort) are covered by snowmaking system consisting of 210 snow guns.

The slopes are mostly categorized as red (almost 80%), and others are blacks, except for the two blue runs covered by baby lifts, and the blue Königswiese run, which is also lit for night skiing. The last season's novelty is the A1 run, descending from the Aineck peak to the village of St. Margarethen. So far, this descent consisted of mostly blue runs, which made it less popular with advanced skiers. The new run on this route has a constant descent and no level parts, unlike the blue trails mentioned above. The good news is also that the new trail is covered by artificial snowmaking system. However, if you want to take this descent more times in a row, your way up may last longer than you expected. It takes 45 minutes, using a rather old two-seater lifts and three anchor lifts. The new ski lift for this run is planned after 2011. The black runs are not too demanding, but are often hard packed and icy.

Off-piste lovers will enjoy 4 marked off-piste runs. All of them are very long; one descends from the top of Aineck, and three from the top of Tschaneck. On top of Aineck there is a restaurant with a great view, but it is pretty exposed to the wind. Tschaneck is covered in runs, which lead all the way to Rennweg, but all of them are rather short (about 1 km), and covered by anchor lifts.

If you want to pass from one hill to the other, you have to pass a bridge over a road. But, don't worry; there is no need to take off your skis - a conveyor belt will take you over the bridge.

The parking lots in the village of Katschberghoehe are many, so you can park close to the slopes. In a restaurant beside the Almstubn parking lot, where you will also find a ski rent and ski service, the waiters are wearing real lederhosen ("leather trousers") as a part of local attraction. The run above this restaurant is equipped with a halfpipe.

If you opt for cheaper accommodation in St. Margarethen or St. Michael (Katschberghöhe is more costly due to its location in the resort's centre), you'll be accessing the slopes from a parking lot which is rarely crowded.

Considering its size, the resort has enough restaurants, whose prices are typical for the Salzburg region, that is, rather costly.

The thing that make the Katschberg resort stand out from other resorts are facilities for children. There are a couple children's playgrounds on the resort, as well as surface lifts designed especially for children. Also, the resort's mascot (smiley blue heart) will present kids with interesting and fun stuff on the runs. On top of Tschaneck you can take a picture with the mascot, and download the photos for free from the resort's website.

The Katschberg resort has many interesting things to offer, one of them being a horse sleigh ride to the Pritzhütte restaurant. The accommodation here is not too costly, and the resort has many things to offer, which makes it a great, but still somewhat undiscovered destination.

www.ski-mag.com

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