With New Year’s approaching rapidly, I cannot help but think of last year’s activities. I didn’t really have plans because initially I was supposed to be somewhere in the world and not in Germany in the first place. But it all turned out to my favour when my best friend asked me to join his group of friends for a week of snowboarding in Austria. Of course I said yes right away. all I needed to do afterwards was to be at the right time at the right place and hop into the car for Lofer in Austria. The group was as fun as a group can be so we all had our fair share of laughs on the way to Austria already. Once there, we were super happy about the rental place as it was one of the cute, old village houses that are characteristic for the alps. We arrived quite late but it was still time to get some food and make ourselves comfortable for the next days.
Deciding on the right ski pass was a bit more problematic though. There are several options and depending on your skills and willingness to travel you can choose between a pass for just one area (https://www.skialm-lofer.com/preise/tarife-almenwelt-lofer) or a pass for multiple ones (https://www.skialm-lofer.com/preise/tarife-3-laender-freizeit-arena/mehrtageskarten).
A better planning would have saved us quite some money, so I can recommend to discuss where you want to go boarding beforehand. Lofer itself is a quite a cute little village. I can definitely recommend having a base there, especially because it has its own ski area so you don’t need to hop into a car every morning. Instead, enjoy a good breakfast with your friends and everybody can go up the mountain at their own pace. The ski area is ok, but for snowboarders a bit challenging as there are lots of flat and narrow parts that need a bit of experience to go through.
My favourite ski area was St. Johann, maybe because we had tons of new powder when we went there. The slopes were doable for beginners and the more experienced ones had a fair share of fun as well as there are lots of free-ride areas in between. Thanks to that it was also possible to stick together most of the times, even though I was not experienced enough to join the freeride areas.
After a week of boarding and chilling, it was time for the last day on the mountain before heading back home. Given it was January first, it might have not been the best idea to begin with. Even though we “partied” very 30-something like into the new year, I was still quite tired. Additionally, the slopes were packed – I thought on January people would chill out a bit, but instead it was one of the busiest days on the slopes, with lots of beginners or people with hangovers blocking your way. The slopes were icy, and on my way down to the valey it finally happened: I still don’t know how, but I managed to slip, turn upside down, and fall on my shoulder, splittering my upper arm bone in two pieces. If I had not worn a helmet I guess I would have also dealt with a bit of a concussion. The result were two surgeries and two weeks in hospital, and it will probably take me another year to fully recover. Despite that last day, it was a fun week and I can definitely recommend Lofer and Skiing in the alps over New Year’s. Just remember, wear your helmet, and don’t let your mind wander off the slopes.
