Schiiiiiiifoan!
This is a song by Wolfgang Ambros.
It's like the unofficial Austrian winter sports anthem.
Well, and even though the song is in German,
I only understand half of it because it's sung inAustrian dialect.
But I definitely understand what he wants to say with this song:
Schifoan – Skiing – is the most beautiful thing you can imagine.
And well, this could be the motto for my trip, right?
I'm in Austria, on my way to Ischgl in Tyrol.
If Ischgl sounds familiar, it might be because the village hit the headlines at the start
of the pandemic as a super spreader resort.
Lots of people got COVID in the après ski bars here.
Now the resort has reopened for tourists.
The Paznaun-Ischgl ski area is one of the largest in the Alps.
There are ski rentals all over the place.
You first have to check in, providing information on your height, weight and level of ability.
And send.
I'm going to get professional help to make sure my equipment fits properly.
Time to put my ski boots on.
They're pretty tight, but then they do need to give you support.
Finally, there are skis, matched to my height and ability, and of course a helmet.
Oh, It's comfortable.
The entire package costs about 50 euros for one day.
In addition, of course, there is a day pass for the cable car up the mountain and for
the ski lifts on the slopes.
That s another 60 euros.
Skiing is not cheap.
But the ski area is quite large.
There are no queues and plenty of room for everyone.
And Ischgl is only 70 percent full due to the pandemic.
I definitely need a selfie there!
With the sun blazing here at 2300 meters, a bit of sunscreen definitely doesn't go amiss.
I was told that there are a lot of the easier blue-labelled slopes here at the Idalp station.
Just right for a beginner like me.
I came down this slope, and I didn't fall!
After a lot of fresh snow in the last few days, the slopes are in excellent condition.
It wasn't that bad, right?
I'm not the only one that's decided to use this sunny day to go skiing.
There's a lot going on at the mountain station.
Where are you from?
Switzerland.
I'm from Romania but I live in Germany.
Berlin.
Western Germany.
Slovakia.
Where are you from?
I m from Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
We are from Belgium.
Wie are from Sweden, in the South.
What does skiing mean to you personally?
Freedom, fun, we love to party here, Ischgl is amazing.
How do you feel about apr s-ski, is that part of the experience?
Definitely, we start at lunchtime!
What happens after skiing, Apr s-Ski?
Time for Beer, of course!
It varies.
There are some in our group that don't drink at all while they're skiing.
Others who do treat themselves to a beer during the break.
And then they head to the bar afterwards to relax a bit more.
Relaxing means drinking more?
Yep!
But if you re going down the slope with alcohol, isn t that dangerous?
Yeah, but were re from Sweden, we are Vikings!
As I'm here in the Alps, I'm keen to get out into nature and leave the crowds behind.
So I've signed up for a walk with snowshoes.
Robert Sonderegger is going to take me on a tour in the mountains.
A snowshoe hike is especially beautiful if it's snowed heavily in the days before.
You can really slow down and relax.
What's wrong?
It's deeper here.
Oh, what happened to you?
I think I like this better than skiing!
But I'm glad to have an experienced guide with me.
I have a slight feeling of fear the whole time.
Oh, there's nothing to fear.
I don't know what's in front of me.
A fence at worst.
Huch!
You're just a bit unlucky.
Where did YOU end up?!
I'll have to dig my way out!
You need to take one step back.
Backwards.
And there he is again!
Oh again!
Just imagine you were out without any snowshoes on!
Oh your shoe's come off.
I didn't even notice, my snowshoe is gone!
I
noticed how the snow shifted somehow and then there were strange noises.
How dangerous is that?
Is a guide necessary for tours like this?
Yes, it's wise to take a guide.
If you fall down in somewhere and it's steep, there's also the risk of avalanches.
Or you go into a valley and have the slope towering over you.
And then it suddenly all comes down on you. It's dangerous.
You have to be able to gauge how great the risk of an avalanche is.
I'd only continue if I was sure.
At the end of my tour, Robert wants to take me to a good vantage point.
He's happy to finally be back working as a mountain guide and ski instructor.
This is the first season after COVID.
Is it still slow at the moment, or already back to pre-COVID levels?
No it's only starting up slowly.
It's bound to take a few years before it gets back to normal.
Most people aren't confident enough to come here yet.
But what could happen out here in the fresh air?
Obviously you need to keep your distance
and wear a mask when using the lifts, but otherwise it's fine.
The problem is the bars!
Yes, they're the problem.
But even there, if you keep your distance I don't think it's a problem.
But the view is the same!
The view is the same – with or without COVID!
And speaking of COVID, how does aprés ski work now in Ischgl with all that drinking
and partying, given the pandemic restrictions?
With my vaccination certificate, I can get in – no problem.
I've chosen one of the classier aprés-ski bars: the champagne hut.
I was told the music wasn't that loud anymore.
And you also need a seat.
But what else?
Well, there's no shortage of champagne. Alf Gamper, the head of the champagne hut,
makes sure of that.
What do you think makes aprés-ski so special?
Aprés-ski is what we had before the pandemic.
But because of COVID we can't have the loud parties like we used to.
People aren't allowed to dance.
We have to make sure they all stay seated, it's just different.
But on the whole – you can hear the music isn't loud but after a couple of bottles of
gin people start to get into the spirit anyway.
Do you think that vibe will come back?
I'm convinced of it.
It's just a matter of time.
How soon?
Hopefully next year already, but it's impossible to say.
At some stage it will go back to what it was before.
Thank you, Alf, that's enough.
One tip at the end of my trip: Ischgl offers night sledding twice a week.
The slope is prepared again after the day of skiing, so that you can enjoy the mountain
air and downhill fun even if you don't ski.
From here, it's 7 kilometers downhill.
I'm excited!
As you can see it's so much fun!
I can see lots of beaming faces.
This is great!
This is really fast.
Sometimes it's too fast, but it's so much fun!
You can have a lot of fun here in Ischgl.
Especially those travelers who want to get moving in winter.
In the snow, on the slopes, on the toboggan run.
Well, and the fact that the aprés-ski excesses are over for the time being doesn't bother me.
On the contrary: the combination of winter sports, a LITTLE aprés ski and tranquility
is very pleasant.