Posted by 7th Day in the Alps…
Still not done posting about our adventures in the Austrian Alps two winters ago. I hope to document them all in our family’s online travel journal, so here goes…
On our 7th day in the Alps we went back to Hochgurgl to do the 3-km toboggan ride again. We had such an adventure doing it the night before that it wasn’t enough especially for our thrill-seeker kids.
We also wanted to go to the Top Mountain Star, a modern bar 3080 meters above see level at Wurmkogl Peak. To get there we took the Hochgurglbahn I and Hochgurglbahn II gondolas. On top of Hochgurglbahn II (3000m asl) were the Fun Slope and easy ski runs, but they did not look easy at all, more for intermediates in my kids’ opinion. From there, we were supposed to take the Wurmkogl Lift II to the Top Mountain Star but getting to the lift was a challenge. The snow was knee-high deep for adults and would be worse for our much shorter 9-year-old, so we decided to just head back down the base.
The kids did a few more runs on the toboggan, and after lunch at Downhill Grill restaurant, we headed back to Obergurgl.
Back at Obergurgl, Benjamin went snowboarding on his own. Joaquin found a couple of kids to do sledding with. And my hubby and I had some downtime at Hotel Jenewein’s terrace restaurant and bar. We liked it there because we could see Joaquin sledding from the large glass windows of the restaurant.
Here are other blogs on our Bavaria and Austrian holiday:
- Munich: Start of our family’s tales from last winter
- Munich: Viktualienmarkt Biergarten
- Munich: BMW Museum and BMW Welt
- Munich: Theatine Church and Odeonplatz
- Munich: Christmas Markets
- Munich: Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall
- Munich: City Aparthotel München
- Salzburg: Birthplace of Mozart and Silent Night
- Salzburg: Hohensalzburg Fortress
- Salzburg: Residenzplatz Christmas Market
- Salzburg: Salzburg Cathedral
- Salzburg: Silent Night 200 at Salzburg Museum
- Salzburg: Silent Night Tour by Bob’s Special Tour
- Salzburg: Silent Night at Oberndorf and Laufen
- Salzkammergut: Road Trip to Hallstatt
- Salzkammergut: Christmas Market at St Wolfgang
- Salzburg: Krampus Run at Hellbrunn Palace
- Salzburg: Imlauer Hotel Pitter Salzburg
- Obergurgl: A Week in the Austrian Alps
- Obergurgl: Chalet Obergurgl Luxury Apartments
- Obergurgl: Hohe Mut Alm Mountain Restaurant
- Obergurgl: Snowstorm on Christmas Eve
- Obergurgl: Day After the Storm
- Obergurgl: Snowshoeing
- Hochgurgl: Tobogganing
- Hochgurgl: Hochgurgl Cable Car Ride
- Vienna: First Impressions and Vienna Christmas Market
- Vienna: Hofburgkapelle and Imperial Armoury
- Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace
- Vienna: Imperial Treasury and Hofburg
- Vienna: Prater
- Vienna: New Year’s Eve Fireworks and Waltz
- Vienna: Hilton Vienna Plaza
- Stuttgart: The Mercedes-Benz Museum
- Stuttgart: The Porsche Museum
We Travel Happy 
Hi. Happy New Year. Thanks for your latest post; it has stirred up great memories of my own visits to the Top Mountain Star in the summer months, when the lifts and presumably the restaurant are only open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I remember encountering shin-deep snow at the middle station in July 2014.
It was also good to see the Jenewein; I remember the owner Doris Schopf from my stay in the hotel in 2002. I am all being well returning to Obergurgl and the wider Otztal this year, when I hope to hike to the place where Otzi was discovered. On a final note, the Wurmkogel peak is actually above the Top Mountain Star restaurant, its summit accessed in 10-15 minutes via a secure path.
Best wishes.
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Happy New Year to you too, Charlie. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Oh we didn’t get to see Wurmkogl at all, must be nice to standing up there though. When are you returning to Obergurgl? Will be going in the summer? We are thinking of going to England this year and to another ski resort in Europe, I just haven’t figured out where yet. 🙂
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Hi. Yes, I will probably go at the end of June or early/mid September, the latter being just before the lifts shut until mid-November for the ski season. I could recommend quite a few ski resorts but it depends on the difficulty of terrain that you require, as well of course being family-friendly and not too raucous at night! There seems to be a general lack of snow this winter; whether that is allied to the general global trend of increasingly unstable weather I cannot say, although Climate Change is of course noticeable in how far the glaciers in the Otztal, and elsewhere, have receded.
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Wow another hiking trip for you! That would be awesome! (we just came from hiking adventures as well – 3 volcanoes!) Yes pls I need your recommendation! Family-friendly, no rowdy parties, easy runs. Snow-sure if that’s even possible. Good food :). I haven’t thought of any country for now but we will likely be coming from London. Thanks Charlie 🙂
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Volcanoes sound amazing! I will give your ski resort requirements some thought and get back to you.
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Thanks Charlie. One of those 3 volcanoes (in the Philippines) erupted just today, without warning. I feel sad for our guide, Angel. I hope he and his family are safe and with the rest of the people evacuating right now…
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We will just have to hope for the best outcome in the Philippines.
The ski resorts I suggest you investigate further are: Lech(Austria). Quieter than nearby St. Anton where I do recommend you visit in the daytime, but at night it is a different story. Saas Fee in Switzerland. Igls, very close to Innsbruck. Schladming-Dachstein, which is in Styria rather than most other Austrian resorts that are in the Tirol and Salzburgerland. Galtur. Quite remote and with a bit of the Obergurgl about it. The relatively nearby Ischgl, similar to Solden in the Otztal, is party central and best avoided.
There are many high altitude resorts in France that are relatively snowsure but lack a certain charm. I know Niederau/Oberau(Wildschönau) and Saalbach-Hinterglemm(both Austria) very well but a potential lack of snow and variety of pistes might be a problem in the former; the latter has great slopes and hotels but is geared up for loud partying until way past bedtime. If you require any further advice, please ask!
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Thank you so much Charlie. I shall look at each one of the names here. Thank you so much for taking time to list them down for me. 🙂
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Hi. This article might be of interest to you: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/articles/Best-Austrian-ski-resorts/amp/
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Thanks for this Charlie 🙂
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Awesome images and what an experience in this beautiful landscape! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you! Very challenging to take snow pictures though. Do you have the same experience? 😄
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It’s always sad, the last day in a ski resort (for me anyway). Vienna still to come! You’re making me feel better about not finishing my summer holiday blogs yet 😜
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Hahaha ah I have company! I’ve already been to ice and fire (just came back climbing 3 volcanoes, and I can’t believe one of them erupted today – scary, without warning) and I have yet to finish this series of blog. 😆 Oh Vienna is super!
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The volcanoes sound like a great adventure, but glad you avoided the eruption. I’ve only seen Vienna in a blizzard so I’ll look forward to reading your blog. I still have Dinant and Bruges to write!
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We shall target Q1 to finish our long-delayed posts. 🙂 Looking forward to reading your recent posts as well!
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