Friday 11 January 2013

Austria: Too much snow

Off-piste tracks in Obergurgl
Church in ObergurglHeavy snow overnight ruled out any possibility of skiing in the morning. There was more activity on the streets than usual - children on sledges, elderly people shuffling gingerly along pavements, skiers in crowded cafés and bars, small snow-blowing machines puffing snow into the air onto parked cars, delivery lorries weaving on the ice, snow ploughs clanging along the main roads and dogs leaving yellow and brown messages in the snow. Austria definitely needs a few 'Pick Up Your Dog's Poo' signs like Singapore.

In the afternoon, we reluctantly returned our skis to the hire shop and took the cable car to the Festkoglhütte. Only a handful of skiers were braving the cold and unprepared piste. It was hard work walking up the slope from the cable car station in the deep fresh snow but the rewards were cups of hot chocolate and gluhwein. We made the most of our last few hours in what is perhaps one of the most perfect locations in the world.

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