Last update19/04/10

German boy seriously injured in freak sledging crash

An eleven-year-old boy is in a critical state after a sledging accident in Vorarlberg.

Lech am Arlberg authorities said today (Thurs) the German tourist plunged down an almost vertical embankment after smashing through a safety net at a toboggan track on Tuesday evening.

Officials said the child, from Ahrensburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, was hospitalised with serious injuries after the six-metre fall.

More than 58,100 of the ten million people skiing, snowboarding and sledging in the Austrian Alps in the 2008/2009 winter season ended up in hospital, according to statistics provided by the Austrian Committee for Traffic Safety (KfV).

14/03/10

Lift operator in clinic after snowmobile overturns

A ski lift operator was hospitalised after crashing on a snowmobile yesterday (Thurs).

Authorities in Hirschegg, Vorarlberg, said today the man, 49, was driving the "Ski-Doo" vehicle uphill towards a lift's peak station when he failed to get further after hitting an icy spot.

The snowmobile then skidded down around 200 metres before it overturned in a hollow. Its driver was seriously injured when he was hurled off it.

Officials said he was helicoptered to a clinic in Immenstadt, Germany.

Meanwhile the Austrian Committee for Traffic Safety (KfV) is set to release skiing accident figures for the ending season shortly.

The institution said ahead of the cold season it expected around 56,000 of the nine to ten million people skiing or snowboarding on the country's slopes to end up in hospital this season.

Its statistics showed that 58,100 people had suffered injuries during the previous winter season.

Austria finish Vancouver Olympics in top ten

The Austrian Olympic team can look back with satisfaction at the Vancouver Games, with the country finishing in the top ten of winners.

Austria ranks in ninth pl;ace with four gold, six silver and six bronze medals. Austria also takes joint first place with Russia, finishing in fourth in 86 events. But the team’s biggest disappointment is the bad performance of the men’s Alpine skiing team who failed to reach the podium.

The Austrian Skiing Federation (ÖSV) invests more money than any other body into its World Cup Alpine skiing team and the infrastructure built up around it. It was the first time Austria’s male skiing team failed to win any silverware at the Olympic Games with the exception of the 1936 event when Austria’s skiers were banned for breaching the amateur state rules against working as ski instructors.

Benjamin Raich, who won gold in the 2006 Olympic slalom and giant slalom, said after finishing fourth in Saturday’s slalom, "The whole team is extremely disappointed, of course."

ÖSV president Peter Schröcksnadel claimed: "Everyone who says our system is wrecked is wrong. What are you supposed to do if so many athletes finish in fourth?"

Schröcksnadel dismissed calls coaches must be replaced. He however said he was considering a change to certain structures. It is expected that the skiing training group system will be restructured.

Skiers safe after lift mistake

Two Upper Austrian skiers were rescued on Sunday after taking the wrong lift up a mountain.

The pair found themselves on the Krippenstein, 500 metres higher than their intended destination, Krippenbrunn in Upper Austria’s Gmunden district, police said.

Despite their mistake and the late hour, they decided to ski down the mountain. After losing their way and then finding it again, they found the pads on the bottom of their skis that gave them improved traction on the snow were no longer functioning properly.

At that point, they called the mountain rescue service. Several members went to their location and gave them new pads. The rescuers then escorted them to a waiting piste grooming machine on which they rode down to the valley floor.

24/02/10

Paralytic on the piste: How record numbers of drunken Britons are suffering horrific accidents in the Alps

The past few years have seen a number of high profile British deaths in ski resorts, often linked to alcohol.

Here in St Anton in 2004, a resort rep ended up in intensive care with serious head injuries after using her snowboard as a sledge following a session at the Krazy Kanguruh bar.

Just a year later, a British man died when he skied into a mountain hut after drinking with friends at the Mooserwirt, we have put the link to the article here for you to read in full

07/02/10

Call for night time skiing ban

Graz. Calls have been made for a ban on night skiing after a woman was left in a coma after an accident as she skied down a mountain in the dark. The Styrian cable-car operators’ division called for the ban after a 45-year-old was left in a coma following an accident at the Hauser Kaibling ski area. She had been making her way down to the valley floor at 11pm after visiting a mountain hut when she skied into a cable running from a piste packing machine to a pole and was left hanging by her neck. Doctors said she would probably be handicapped for the rest of her life if she survived. Styrian cable-car operators’ division head, Peter Lackner said ' any ban would be difficult to agree on as interest of officials and restaurant owners would differ'.

3/01/10

World Ski jumping at Innsbruck

Innsbruck. The world championships are taking place at this moment and needless to say Austria is leading the league table quite a bit!! You can get all the info here: http://www.fis-ski.com/

4/12/09

Avalanche warnings for Alpine regions

Innsbruck. Authorities have issued avalanche warnings after heavy snowfalls in the Alps. Experts at the Avalanche-Warning Service said heavy snow in East Tyrol and along the Alpine divide had created a "precarious” situation in many areas. But they said they expected the situation to returns to normal over the coming days. Conditions above 2,500-metres were most dangerous with regions like the southern Ötz Valley and the Stubai Alps most at risk of avalanches. Skiers were warned of skiing down shadowy, steep slopes with large amounts of freshly-fal- len snow as it could increase the chance of sudden avalanches. Meanwhile fire brigades in the western province of Vorarlberg were called out 35 times on Monday night following the heavy snowfalls.

21/11/09

Winter Sports Injuries worry!

More than 50,000 people will be hospitalised in skiing accidents on Austria’s slopes this season, safety experts have predicted.

The Committee for Traffic Safety (KfV) said it expected 56,000 of the nine to 10 million people who will ski in Austria this winter season will end up in hospital.

The KfV added there had been 58,100 people severely injured during the last winter season. KfV announced every second badly-injured skier and every third seriously injured snowboarder had suffered broken bones last year, and 32 per cent of injured skiers and 17 per cent of injured snowboarders had suffered muscle or tendon injuries.

It has now become local law at most slopes in Austria for those under the age of 15 years to wear a ski helmet, but we would advise that even adults over this age should wear a helmet. You can rent them pretty cheaply at all ski resorts....so don't take a chance, stay safe, get a helmet.

24th October 2009

Austria Ski Season 2009/10 opens November!!

Austrian ski resort opening dates vary dependent on the area and the possibility of snow! Our local Gaissau-Hintersee ski area opens 5th December, and offering FREE ski passes for children!!...so you can save money, get an early ski as well as getting to visit the Christmas markets in Austria. Check out the link on this page. The Dachstein west ski region opens 4th December all the way through to Easter Monday 2010.Check out the link on this page. Some of the other Salzburg areas are listed below.

SALZBURG

White Start Opening am Kitzsteinhorn
15. - 16. November 2008
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Ski Opening Schmittenhöhe - Kaprun
27. November 2008
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Internationaler Ski-Countown in Obertauern
28. November bis 6. Dezember 2009 mit Open Air Partys
28. November 2009: Die Toten Hosen
06. Dezember 2009: Smokie
Infos: http://www.obertauern.com

Ski Opening in Saalfelden
4. bis 6. Dezember 2009
http://www.leogang-saalfelden.at/winter/

Bayern1 Ski Opening Flachau
3. bis 6. Dezember 2009
Infos: http://www.flachau.com

Sport 2000 Snow Mania Saalbach-Hinterglemm Leogang
4. bis 6. Dezember 2009
Infos: http://www.saalbach.com

UPPER AUSTRIA

Ski Opening Dachstein-West
04. Dezember 2009 - Saisonstart
Infos: http://www.dachstein.net

Ski Opening Wurzeralm
6. Dezember 2008
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Winter Opening Kasberg
13. bis 14. Dezember 2008
undefined http://www.kasberg.at

Saisonstart Dachstein-Krippenstein
13. Dezember 2008
undefined http://www.krippenstein.at

Ski Opening Feuerkogel
19. Dezember 2009
Infos: http://www.feuerkogel.net

TIROL

Winteropening in Obergurgl
13. bis 29. November 2009
Infos: http://www.obergurgl.com

Völkl Mountain Hochfügen/Hochzillertal
27. bis 30. November 2008
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Ski Opening Hochzeiger Pitztal
05. Dezember 2009 mit Konzert von "Spider Murphy Gang"
Infos: http://www.hochzeiger.com

Top of the Mountain Opening Concert Ischgl
28. November 2009 mit Katy Perry
Infos: http://www.ischgl.com

Snowfestival Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
4. bis 7. Dezember 2009
Infos: http://www.serfaus-fiss-ladis.at

Winter Opening Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser
11. bis 13. Dezember 2009 mit Reamonn
Infos: http://www.wilderkaiser.info

Winteropening-Party Stubaital
6. Dezember 2008
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Flybe.com release 2009 ski flight schedule !

Well,... although a little early as we are still booking for summer visitors, it is a most welcome development for Westcountry ski fanaticxs, as Flybe.com, based at Exeter, release their 2009 ski flight schedule! So if you live within easy reach of Exeter or Bristol, check out their website. www.flybe.com The Gaissau-Hintersee ski area opens 5th December, so you can get an early ski as well as getting to visit the Christmas markets in Austria http://www.gaissauhintersee.at/index.html

24/03/09

Snow, Snow and more snow!

Lots of new snow has attracted last minute visitors to Austria. It has snowed each day now for the past week, leaving perfect powder on most ski resorts. There has been lots of worry about the temperatures as this is leading to a higher avalanche risk. But that said what could be better than to ski with the sun on your face all day!! And as long as you keep to the pistes, there is little danger.

It is coming close to the end of the season now, but if the snow keeps falling the chances are the ski slopes will extend the season...yiphee!!

6/3/09

Ski Weather and Guests!

This week, our guests are Snowboarders from London. They loved the amount of snow and the great conditions. Although we have had rain the past week..this has translated as snow on the mountains...superb powder! Is it like this all year they asked me? No we get lots of sun in the summer and it is so hot you can swim in the lakes!!

Something that never fails to amaze me is that so many people only think of Austria as being snow covered all year? This is not so...in the summer we have temperatures has hot as the Med! Reaching as much as 36 degrees!!

8/1/09

Ski slopes webcams for all Austria!

We think this is one of the best links if you want to see what is happening in a particular ski area or village!

Just click here for the Austria webcams.

The Ski slopes by snow train!

Yes, you can get to the Austrian ski slopes by train, direct from London and the prices can be quite tasty. I checked a route to Salzburg and prices start from only £84.50 one way. You can also get to Innsbruck for the Tirol slopes, so check out our train page links.

28/11/08

Info from Wolfgangsee ski region

Ready, steady, snow…!

If you love winter sports then the Wolfgangsee is the right place for you! Whether it’s on skis or a snowboard our region has lots of attractive ski areas each being one more beautiful than the other:

The Postalm ski area is almost on Strobl’s doorstep - a great family ski area 1200-1900m above sea level that offers something for everyone, whether you are a beginner or expert skier. After great investment last year , a modern 4-seater chair-lift was built to enhance the existing 8 lifts. There is also a escalator carpet which means that beginners do not have to worry about getting that blinking toggle between their legs without falling over!! There is a good ski school and also a childrens area so they do not have to negotiate with the adults for space! All the runs lead to the valley plateau, so you can be sure the youngsters will not get lost!

The 'Zwölferhorn mountain' near St. Gilgen offers great skiing also! The peak can be comfortably reached by cable car and also offers a fantastic panoramic view of the snowy horizons around the Wolfgangsee for those who choose not to ski.

The 'Dachstein West' ski area can be reached by car or ski bus and has 140 km of sheer skiing pleasure for the whole family!

So all in all, our region is one of the most family in Austria and link that with the sports on the lake...you have almost everything you could wish for on a ski holiday.

Ski property for sale in Austria

A ski apartment for only 40,000 Euros! at Muhlbach Hochkonig. This is a great ski area not far from Salzburg. The Mountain range is one of the highest in Austria, so you are guaranteed some snow!!

We also have one at Lake Wolfgang for only 59,000 Euros. The ski areas of the Postalm and Hintersee are a short drive or a little longer on the free ski bus!! Check out our property pages for some bargains. WE also have mortgages available. Many of our clients are amazed that you can buy an apartment for such a good price in Austria. The perception has been that Austria is too expensive for ski property. But this is not the case. WE even have some small studio apartments near Bad Gastein and the Dachstein ski region....for under 28,000 Euros!...now that is good, very very good!!

Been tempted to invest in a ski property after a few heady days or a week on the slopes? Yes, we know it can be very tempting to rush in and buy that cheap property or new development, but please check out our 'what you should know about buying property in Austria' first. And if you have any queries just email us. info@amazingaustria.com

For those of you who have not tried Austria ski-ing, the Austrian alps offer some of the best in Europe, with excellent facilities and runs catering for beginners & expert skiers. If you are a beginner or intermediate wanting to brush up on your skills, you will find that Austrian instructors are possibly the most patient and friendliest in Europe. Night life is superb, with music bars and clubs at most resorts.

Salzburg is now the main airport for getting to the ski slopes and is served by BA. Austria Airlines, Ryanair, Flybe.com, Thomsonfly.com and many others.

We have added some links for ski regions near to Salzburg airport, so that you can check out the areas. Most have live feed web cams.

Skiers are snapping up cheap apartments near to the lesser known ski slopes of the package holidays. Ok, they are not at the better know resorts sold by the big package operators. But there are Studio apartments available for sale from under 40,000 Euros! If you are interested in a ski property then take a look at our Ski Property pages for full listings.http://www.amazingaustria.com/ski.php

Ski apartments to let in Austria

We specialise in all areas of Austria with our colleagues at Interhome. They have over 2,000 Ski apartments available for rent so you can chose any area of Austria that you want to ski and they will have an apartment to suit. We also have many owners apartments for letting in the Salzkammergut area of Austria. Check out our Holiday rental apartments page.

Austria is not just a ski desitnation

Yes, we know it is famous for its Alps! But, leaving aside ski-ing for a moment, have you ever stopped to consider what is underneath all that white stuff that people skim over at great speed?

Well when the snow melts, out come the meadow flowers and the mountain slopes are turned into a glorious canvas of yellow and green stretching for as far as the eye can see. The Spring days are warm and the streams gush crystal clear water as the mountain snows rapidly melt.

Then there is summer in the mountains. No, not cold as you would think; temperatures regularly reach the high 80s so, swimming in the lakes and sunbathing are just as normal as on the Spanish costas! The cable cars are filled with walkers and groups wanting to experience the heady atmosphere of high altitude and the views that are afforded across the alpine mountain ranges.

Following behind these hot summers come the golden autumns, when the leaves on the trees turn to shades of gold and burnished copper creating picture postcard scenes. And of course, we have Winter, when the snow starts to fall and the land goes to sleep.

So then what is there to look forward to? A white christmas of course! The fantastic Christ Kindel Markets in all large towns and cities. No plastic decorations here! There is very little commercialism to be found and Christmas is spent enjoying the event and not the gaudily wrapped presents!

OK, now comes the superb ski-season with some of the best mountain pistes in the world with excellent skil areas to suit all standards. From the beautiful Voralberg in the west to the vast Sports world Amade in the central alps.

Added to all this you have the Culture and music festivals all year. Composers such as Mozart and Strauss are the best known but there are many more. So, what are you waiting for? Look inside and find out what is on offer in Austria.

Ski Property for Sale in Austria. Ski Property for Sale in Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Ski Property for Sale Zell am see, Ski Property for Sale Lofer, Ski Property for Sale Maria Alm, Ski Property for Sale in Ski Amade, Ski Property for Sale in Tirol, Ski Property for Sale in Schladming, Ski Property for Sale in Flachau, Ski Property for Sale in Bad Gastein, Ski Property for Sale in Kitzbuhl and much more.