Mölltal Glacier

The Austrian glacier is a popular ski destination during a period when skiers are preparing for winter season.

The Mölltal Glacier is located in North Carinthia, near the border with the Salzburg region. It is a part of a massif with two impressive peaks: the peak of Grossglockner and the peak of Grossvenediger.

The glacier is accessible by the Mölltaler Gletscher Express, the longest funicular in the world that transports skiers to the foot of the ski slopes within 8 minutes. On the Mölltaler Gletscher Express starting point, you'll see a TV with the live feed of the weather conditions on the slopes. Before you buy your ski pass for the Gletscher (one day adult pass is EUR 37), be sure to check out the weather, which can get pretty moody on the top. If weather conditions are bad, you can always opt for some of the nearby resorts: Goldeck, Ankogel, Heiligenblut, Hochzillertal, Sillian or Lienz. But don't forget, they don't operate outside the winter season.

The upper Mölltaler Gletscher Express station is situated at one of the lower parts of the resort (2100 m a.s.l.), where some runs are ending. As you dismount the funicular, you'll also see two baby lifts, a sports store and an après-ski bar. There is also the starting point of the 6-seater gondola which whisks you up to the central part of the resort within 10 minutes. There, you can have lunch at the modern, glazed restaurant called Eissee. The main dish is affordable at somewhat more than EUR 10, and the Germknoedl is among the most costly in Austria; almost EUR 8.

The slopes are many, but the total length of 50 km that you will find in the brochures is somewhat far-fetched. The runs are typical for a glacier resort; wide and soft for the most part of the season, due to a large amount of snow. They are mostly categorized as blue and red, but there are also a few blacks that owe their categorization to the fact that they are not groomed. The runs on the glacier that operate throughout the year are the four runs with the same starting point, but with the different slopes, descending from the top of the resort to the Eissee restaurant.

The ski lift infrastructure consists mostly of chairlifts, and a couple of anchor lifts. The snow is never a problem on the MG, so you're guessing already that the off-piste devotees will love it. However, one has to mind the avalanche risk and glacier cracks.

When the weather conditions are bad, skiing is almost impossible. The wind blows at the speed of 100 km/h, and dense fog makes the visibility rather difficult; you have to use fluorescent trail markers so you don’t ski off the trail. If the bad weather catches you on the top of the resort, all you have to do is to descend to the Mölltaler Gletscher Express station at the foot of the slopes and you're safe. You can also stay at one of the two hotels situated on the slopes if you're lucky enough to find a room, but consider this option only if you're in no hurry, and if you're a deep-pocketed customer.

There are three restaurants on the resort, which is quite enough, except during pre or after winter season, when they can get a bit crowdy.

The runs are not too long, but if you start from the top you can prolong your ride by connecting two runs in a row. However, this means that you will have to queue double at the ski lifts. The resort consists of three hills; the one in the middle by which you access the resort serves as a sort of a meeting point. The third hill at the southern side of the resort has a very good carving run, which would be even better if it was longer.

All in all, this is a very decent ski resort, except for its moody weather conditions. But it is definitely worth a visit, especially if you take the Kärnten Gold Ski Pass, covering all of Carinthia's top ski areas. The Mölltal resort is a 'must ski' resort for dedicated skiers, especially if they like early season openings and late season closures

www.ski-mag.com