Hinterstoder in Austria is the perfect place to teach children to ski or to start skiing again after 35 years. Here you will not be laughed at if you fall off the trailer. Our author dared to experiment with his daughter.
On the day of my return to skiing, I was at the “Sunny kids Park on the Höss” in Hinterstoder, austria at eleven in the morning and I wasn’t feeling well. Firstly because of the sore shoulder, more on that in a bit.But also in my head because last night the helpful people at the hotel bar forced a whole bottle instead of a glass of wine on me.
I watch my ten-year-old daughter slide down a slope with her arms outstretched like an airplane, lined up with six other children and the ski instructor. We came here as she wants to learn to ski and after a ten-year break I want to know if I can still go down a slope on skis in one piece.
The child takes the course surprisingly seriously and is not discouraged by falling or sliding down the same practise hill 15 times. unlike at home, nothing is accepted there, only complaining. “Why is it already over?” she asks me at lunchtime when I pick her up after the course ends.
The last time I skied was 35 years ago. I no longer know why I stopped than. maybe it got too bad for me during puberty because my parents were there too.Or later, when I could have driven myself, too expensive. Or was I just too meen?
But giving up wasn’t particularly smart, because skiing is really good, as anyone who’s tried it knows. And it almost doesn’t matter how talentless you are. for this reason I decided to put my children on the boards at least as a test and to try again when I have the chance. I wanted to start with the older one.We chose Hinterstoder in Upper Austria as our location, an hour’s train ride south of Linz.
advice and information:
I arrive: The most convenient way to reach Hinterstoder is by train. From Germany ICE follows Vienna in Linz continue with the regional express, travel time approximately one hour. Otherwise you can arrive by car via the Phyrn A9 motorway (exit Hinterstoder/St. Pankraz).
Accommodation: The “Triforêt” is in a strategic position for lovers of winter sports at the foot of the ski slopes at the intermediate station, double room from 294 euros (triforeta.at). The “Haus Sonnfeld” is a family-run establishment with its own distillery. here a double room with half board for three nights
Ski: The ski area has been open since the end of November, but at the moment not all slopes, ski lifts and cable cars are open. A free ski bus connects the Hinterstoder train station to the valley station. Day tickets for ski lifts and gondola lifts cost from 44.50 euros as part of the dynamic pricing model. Courses for children and adults can be booked online at the Hinterstoder ski school, five days of two hours each at a cost of 210 euros (;wss-ski.at).
Further information: skisport.com/hinterstoder/de; Urlaubsregion-pyhrn-priel.at
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When I thought of a ski holiday in Austria, I thought of Ischgl or Sölden: lots of slopes, crowds, après-ski drinking, bad music. Hinterstoder is the opposite of all this: 900 inhabitants, a main road, 40 kilometers of slopes, a ski school, three bars. Therefore ideal for beginners and for those returning to this sport. Here you will not be laughed at if you fall off the trailer due to incompetence. Hinterstoder presents itself as a family ski area and lives up to this claim.
First attempts on the “Hill of Idiots”
To get straight to the point: I drive better than my son. Stories like these are often permeated by the humble and boastful leitmotif that four-year-olds easily leave their parents after three days. And, haha, no sore muscles. Not with me. Even after 35 years I am faster, more stable and more elegant on the slopes than a third grader putting on skis for the first time.
Sadly, a few weeks earlier, during a gymnastics exercise, I had handicapped myself due to a torn shoulder tendon, which initially made me fear of falling. That’s why I think it’s best to start from the “idiot hill” where even the littlest ones train. After dropping the child off at the ski school in the “Sunny Kids Park,” I secretly strap on my skis and wander around a bit.
But after a while it becomes too stupid for me, so I just stand between the beginners on some kind of rubber roller and go down the mountain parallel to them. As I pick up speed, every now and then a ski instructor shouts “Pizza! Pizza!”, if a child staggers too uncontrollably, he or she should tilt the skis to brake.In my day it was still called “snowplough”.
Skiing is really like riding a bicycle: muscle memory works even after decades and after just a few minutes I reflexively shift the weight of my body to the right side; Words like “alpine skiing” and “valley skiing” come to mind. Of course, her daughter sees it differently: “He looks like he’s wearing knight’s armor,” she says. My wife talks about “Falco in the final stages” when she watches the videos later.
From the hotel you can reach the ski slopes in five minutes
All this happens in the so-called intermediate station. The Hinterstoder ski area has 14 ski lifts, most of which connect the center of the mountain with the highest part.You can get from the valley to the center, or vice versa, with the cable car.
Some of the easier slopes paradoxically start from the top of the peak and on the plateau below, at around 1800 meters above sea level.From here, in the afternoon sun, whizzing along the “family slope” to the middle station, quickly or for hours depending on your ability, is almost a perfect ski tour for beginners. Though, I avoid the “Pista Inferno”, whose name says everything you need to know, for the entire skiing week.
At the top,in an idyllic position on a frozen lake,is the mountain inn “Hutterer Höss”,where you can warm up and eat vegetable lasagne or expensive dumplings. At least that hasn’t changed since I went skiing as a kid. “Everything is revolting,” says the daughter and asks twice for dessert.
When we arrive, a song by the Austrian group Wanda is playing in the inn, which contains the beautiful phrase: “Send me the mail for the hospital”. Of course it’s a strange soundtrack for a ski slope, but on the other hand it’s also wonderfully profound.
At the intermediate station there is the best hotel in the area, the “Triforêt”. Opening only in December 2023, it consists of a rugged, modern main house and 20 small chalets around it, all equipped with a kitchen, sauna, boot warming machine and postcard-perfect panoramic views of the surrounding peaks of the Totes gebirge. Along with the pool, spa and other usual amenities, there’s also a games room with a teddy bear and a Playstation. Another plus point: the slopes can be reached in five minutes on foot, while lazier children with ski boots might need even ten.
Although complaining and complaining are not a problem for us. Unlike in Berlin, where simply carrying a backpack to school is an almost unreasonable burden, my daughter lugs her skis around for a week and trudges through the snow without complaint. The final ski school race on the last day is not a threatening burden, but an incentive.
Alternatives to skiing in hinterstoder
Maybe father and daughter stumbling down a slope together is an equal project? Or are the consequences imminent? if the child doesn’t work hard on the slopes, he will fall: this obviously encourages more dedication than homework, where a few mistakes are not a problem. Is this already black pedagogy? I’m not a child psychologist, but I really
The enthusiasm is also supported by the fact that the Hinterstoder refreshment points, the “Bärehütte”, the “Höss Saletti” and the “Löger Hütt’n”, are located exactly between the hotel and the ski school, i.e. they can be reached in about three minutes. For lunch there are chips,cutlets,Almdudler and Opus’s “Live is Life” as background music.
If you’re bored of skiing, there are alternatives. For exmaple, you can walk through the winter landscape on snowshoes. Or simply walking, without snowshoes, there are around 100 kilometers of marked trails. Or going up the ski slopes at night, especially when there is a full moon. However, I don’t understand why the latter is offered: it is precisely because it is so incredibly tiring that ski lifts were invented. In the valley there is also a small museum, the Alpineum, with an fascinating exhibition on the history of the Stodertal, the deadly work of the loggers who worked here and the growth of skiing.
On the last day there is one last highlight on the program: the ski school competition. One after another, around 100 children go down the slopes of the “Kids Park”, depending on their age, the steepest one or the one with the conveyor belt, depending on their ability, with a little cucumber or a pinch of elegance. The daughter comes third,gets a medal and is extremely happy with herself.
Participation in the trip was sponsored by the Phyrn-Priel Tourist Association and the “Hotel Trifôret”. Our standards of openness and journalistic independence can be found at go2.as/unabhaengigkeit.
How can parents encourage their children while skiing on family slopes?
Hand, it sets the relaxed mood of hinterstoder. The ambiance here is a refreshing change from the bustling ski resorts, providing a more laid-back and family-amiable atmosphere.
After a hearty meal, my family decides to head back out onto the slopes. Although I find myself gravitating toward the more challenging runs, I remind myself of my role as a supportive parent. It’s crucial to encourage my child, who is still building confidence on skis. We agree to stick to the “family slope” for the remainder of the day, ensuring a fun and safe experience.
As the sky begins to turn pink with the setting sun, we take in the breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding us. It’s these moments of tranquility and connection with nature that make skiing a special tradition for our family.We laugh together and cheer each other on, taking breaks to enjoy hot cocoa at the rustic huts scattered along the slopes.
As our ski day comes to an end, we reflect on the fun times shared and look forward to returning to Hinterstoder.It’s a gem of a destination for families and those new to skiing, offering a perfect mix of relaxation, enjoyment, and beautiful Alpine scenery. With fresh powder promised for the next day, I go to bed excited for more skiing adventures with my loved ones, confident that this little corner of Austria will be cherished in our memories for years to come.