How Hochgurgl became the most exciting ski resort in the Ötztal Valley
With champagne gondolas, new pistes and the Austrian region’s only five-star superior hotel, Obergurgl’s satellite resort has a lot to shout about this season, says Helen Coffey
Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts
Get Simon Calder’s Travel email
Skiers stare at us, open-mouthed, as we pass the base station in our souped-up gondola cabin. Some are laughing and pointing, some look confused – but all are jealous. Or at least they should be.
I lower my shades and raise a glass of champagne demurely in their direction, as befits my newfound A-lister status, before the doors purr shut and we are whisked up to the 2,839m top station of the Kirchenkarbahn II, Hochgurgl’s newest lift. Thank u, next.
The 2018-19 season sees a number of new openings in this chic Austrian resort: the top half of said gondola, with its heated seats and 10-person capacity; a new blue run, number 43, running from the top station all the way down to the Top Mountain Crosspoint base station; and the Top Hotel Hochgurgl, which reopened this season after an upgrade that secured it the accolade of being the only five-star superior hotel in the Ötztal Valley, which means the Austrian tourism body considers it one of the most luxurious properties in the country.
Although I’d like to pretend I’m special, any Tom, Dick or Hans can play ’sleb in these parts by booking the Perrier-Jouet experience – priced at €92 (£83) for two people – which allows you to take a turn (or five) in the Kirchenkarbahn while chowing on steak tartare, smoked salmon, cured meats, olives, tomatoes and bread and quaffing champers until mildly pickled.
We’d already spent the morning exploring Hochgurgl and the neighbouring resort of Obergurgl’s slopes, setting a fast pace as we chased the sun and found our ski legs for a whole new season.
The day had started off misty with poor visibility, albeit with an impressive amount of snow underfoot considering it was not quite December. On the 75-minute transfer from Innsbruck we’d looked aghast at the exceedingly green valley – but, at 2,150m, Hochgurgl sneered at such woes. A fact that meant we were jostling with plenty of other skiers, drawn here by the promise of white-clad pre-Christmas pistes.
“It’s not normally so busy,” ski guide Daniel tells us. “But right now we have the snow, so…”
He tails off, looking to the horizon where, he said, there was the promise of clear skies.
“We’ll head over to Obergurgl. There will be sun over there.”
I was quietly sceptical but lo and behold, after hopping on the 3,600m Topexpress Gurgl gondola across the valley, we looked up to see the slopes miraculously coming into focus as if our collective myopia had been cured. A couple of runs later, there were scraps of blue overhead and slivers of sunshine peeking through the blanket of grey.
We tackled a series of short but exhilarating pistes, Daniel taking the time in between full-pelt carving to tell me that I should “put my shoulder down and edge more”. I threw it in with the pile of eclectic tips I’ve been given by instructors over the years, from the simple (“Stop flouncing your hands”) to the sublimely outlandish (“Pass the turkey downhill to Grandma!”).
“The sun will be heading back over to Hochgurgl now, so we will follow it,” says Daniel sagely, and again, like some sort of weather Yoda, he was right. Really right – back over the valley the sky was an eye-watering azure; the light bouncing off the blinding white snow made sunglasses necessary even before the starry vibes of our fizz-fuelled gondola ride.
Back over in Hochgurgl we cruised on feather-soft slopes, delighted to find that early season skiing doesn’t have to mean ice, patches of grass and relentless snow cannons.
A hefty plate of käsespätzle (soft egg noodles smothered in cheese and topped with crispy onion) followed the Perrier-Jouet ride, and it was with a stomach of concrete that I headed up to the top to try Hochgurgl’s latest piste.
All morning, I’d felt there was something missing – both Obergurgl and Hochgurgl have plenty of good skiing, but there’s a distinct dearth of long, top-to-bottom runs. The new 43 blue fills this gap admirably, offering a languorous, snake-like descent that spans 675m, curling its way provocatively down the mountainside and intersected by a couple of more challenging reds to add diversity.
Growing in confidence as I fought off indigestion, we ascended again, this time tackling a wide, open field of gentle off-piste. Gratifyingly soft, smushy moguls were fun to navigate even in my sozzled state – or perhaps because of it.
Heading back towards resort, we were accosted by the Scheiber brothers, Attila and Alban, identical twins who essentially own all of Hochgurgl – from the hotel to the equipment hire shop, lifts to mountain restaurants (and even a motorbike museum for good measure). We must stop for a schnapps, they say! So we did, unable to say no to Ötztal royalty, while still clipped into our skis, before swooping back to the hotel on a haze of spirits. After spinning around and delicately tumbling to the ground while on the flat, I surmised that I’d probably had enough skiing – and boozing – for one afternoon.
Luckily, recovery was all but guaranteed at Top Hotel’s spa, a sprawling yet sleek complex complete with full-sized indoor pool, an indoor/outdoor steaming tub furnished with slopeside views and an impressive selection of four saunas, a steam room and hot tub. My phoenix-like rising from the alcohol-addled ashes was complete after a stint in the relaxation area, featuring warmed water beds positioned opposite floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the mountains (I woke myself up several times with “ladylike” snoring).
That evening, as we tucked into an elaborate meat and fish fondue – no cheese, just fresh tuna, prawns, beef, veal and veg griddled on a salted hot stone or cooked in hot oil or broth – Attila, or possibly Alban (identical twins and all) told us about another new feature. From this season, there’s a new Ötztal Super Ski Pass covering 356km of pistes across six ski areas in the region: Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, Sölden, Hochoetz-Kühtai, Niederthai, Gries and Vent.
Don’t get me wrong, it sounds brilliant. But considering how much Hochgurgl has to offer this season, what with the pimped out hotel, top-notch grub, new slopes to play on and new lifts to whizz you there in style, I may not be venturing to those other resorts just yet...
Travel essentials
Getting there
EasyJet and British Airways have regular flights to Innsbruck; transfer time to resort is approximately one hour and 15 minutes.
Staying there
Doubles at the Top Hotel Hochgurgl from €196pp, half board.
More information
A six-day adult lift pass costs €293.50.
Ski guides cost €295 for four hours or €450 for six hours for up to two people.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies