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Resort Guide

Suitability	Resort height: 1800m
Families:		[Yes]
Glacier:		[No]
Beginners:		[4]
Intermediates:		[5]
Advanced:		[4]
Snowboarding:		[3]

One of the highest and most snowsure resorts in the Alps, Hochgurgl is a small and luxurious off-shoot of Obergurgl in the Otztal Valley region of Austria's Tyrol province. The resort is made up entirely of half a dozen large hotels sitting high above the treeline on snowy slopes, linked by gondola on the mountain and regular ski bus in the valley.

The local Wurmkogl ski area was the first summer ski area in Austria, thanks to its great snow cover, operating between 1965 and 1970. Almost all facilities are based in six top-class hotels, most rated four or five star. It is also one of Austria's newest resorts, developed from a farming hamlet in 1961 by the local Scheiber family, and one of the few to have been largely purpose built, albeit in the timeless Tyrolean chalet style.

The Hochgurgl – Obergurgl ski area has some of the most advanced ski lifts in the world, with seven modern gondolas plus another seven high- speed, high-capacity chairlifts, each with pull-down weather protection covers; you'll be thoroughly spoilt by the quality of the ski experience here.

This quality extends to the lift queues as there aren't any. This is because the lift capacity in the sector is 12,500 people per hour but there are never more than 2,500 people on the slopes. The local Wurmkogl area above Hochgurgl makes up half of the skiing terrain seamlessly linked to the ski runs of Obergurgl.

There's easily enough skiing here to keep all ability levels happy for at least a week, but as much again is now included on an interchangeable lift ticket with neighbouring Solden down the Valley.

Beginners

Novice skiers have gentle slopes served by the Mahdstuhl lift and the practice slope next to the village featuring a beginners' lift. Learning to ski with "the highest ski school in Austria" more or less guarantees resort level snow from November to May. We can offer inclusive deals with tuition and equipment rental at a saving on buying these elements separately.

Intermediates

A good choice for intermediates with half the terrain graded 'red' and trails up to eight kiometres (five miles) long, the longest down from Wurmkogl to Obergurgl or Pill taking in an impressive 1,260m
vertical.

Popular areas include the Festkogl sector and the Schermerspitze ski trail and there is also night skiing which is free of charge if you have a lift ticket valid three days or longer. Eight kilometres (five miles) of slopes are floodlit on Festkogl above Obergurgl. If you fancy a little friendly competition there's a ski race for resort guests every Friday.

Advanced

Nearly a fifth of the available groomed piste terrain (20km/13 miles) is graded difficult, and experts will want to conquer the steep mogul run down from Top-Wurmkogl II in Hochgurgl. The Hohe Mut run in the Obergurgl sector is another challenging course, known as one of the Tyrol's largest bump runs.

For off piste, popular sectors include Konigstal at Hochgurgl or Sattel on the Obergurgl side. Guided ski tours are offered once or twice a week by the ski school, with the route decided on the day, depending on the weather, snow conditions and the expertise of the participants.

Snowboarding

Hochgurgl has excellent terrain for boarders with the added attraction of high speed chairs and cabin lifts to get you back up the slopes. Terrain park policy has varied over the years with no consistent commitment to park provision, despite the excellent snow record making it an easier option than at more marginal resorts for snow cover. The Festkogl area is the usual centre of boarding activity with the park and pipe built there on occasion.

Other Activities and Facilities

12km of high-altitude cross-country skiing tracks are available along with 20km of cleared winter walking trails, as well as the option of guided snowshoe hiking tours by day or night.

An unusual and surreal attraction operated by the Hotel Riml, Hochgurgl's is an indoor golf park covering 700 square metres at 2,200 m above sea level. Both beginners and professionals can improve their swing under optimum training conditions and tee it up on one of the 54 most beautiful golf courses in the world thanks to seven state-of-the-art simulators and a putting green of 200 square metres.

Other indoor options in the area include bowling and an indoor horse riding arena.

Après Ski and Dining Out

Hochgurgl has a relatively quiet but sophisticated après ski scene centred on the few hotel bars and restaurants. You will find a wider choice in neighbouring Obergurgl. Dining in the daytime, a visit to the new Mountain Star at the top of the Wurmkogl ski area is a must. Sitting at 3,080m the Mountain Star juts out into the sky and offers a futuristic panorama bar on a viewing platform.

Families

There is no non-ski nursery but the local ski school offers all day care for children aged three and older in Bobo's Ski club, which has its own separate area with conveyor lift and ski carousel. Older children age five and up receive two hours of lessons in the morning and two in the afternoon. Lunchtime cover including soup, main course, desert and drink is available.

The area also has some of the most generous lift ticket pricing with children not needing to pay until age nine and then a discounted rate until age 16.

Piste Map for Hochgurgl

Accommodation in Hochgurgl

• Berg-hotel Angerer Alm - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Riml - 4 star, half board
• Olymp - 4 star, half board
• Olymp - 4 star, half board
• Olymp - 4 star, half board
• Olymp - 4 star, half board
• Olymp Sporthotel - 4 star, half board
• Riml - 4 star, half board
• Riml - 4 star, half board
• Riml - 4 star, half board

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