Spring is awesome, wherever you are. The sun comes out, the weather warms up, for some reason it seems to snow more, although even when it doesn’t slush is fun and the meltwater swells the rivers, so whether you want ski, paddle or just sit int he sun with a cold beer, you’re sorted.
Back in early March I had some of the best skiing this season (and actually, ever). The snowclouds moved down the Inn valley and got trapped against the Nordkette mountain wall, dumping their entire snowload – powder time! The first day was a real suprise. Trixi had gone to uni, and as it looked cloudy up the hill I had a lie in before going up for a ski, and was delighted to find 20cms of fresh and the mountain to myself. Ripping up one of the lower altitude ski routes I bumped into one of the local instructors, so we teamed up for the afternoon. The next day passed similarly with another 20cms, but Saturday was the big one with another 30cms of snow on top of the previous days. Absolutely great day of fresh tracks with Trixi and Geli, with some amazing runs down the upper couloirs.
With fresh snow Nordkette is a truly awesome ski area. It might be small with only one real piste, but it has really epic offpiste, with the couloirs down from the top being particularly special. With a bit of imagination for lines you can find skiing to suit whatever mood you’re in – big open faces, steep tight chutes or fun jibby lines through the trees and bushes.
Me offpiste at Nordkette, photo Geli Feldbacher
Back in Aberdeen snowmelt in the cairngorms gave a welcome boost to river levels, and I enjoyed some particular good runs down a high water N’Esk and a humping Dee – big waves and powerful holes galore.
Me on Triple, photo Sandy Niven
Me on the lead in to Fishladder, photo Matt Witz
Fish, by Matt Witz
Me missing the boof, by Sandy Niven
Dissappearing in the hole (you can just seen my paddle), by Matt Witz
...and backlooping, by Matt Witz
Over the Easter holidays it was time to head back out the mountains, but this time my family and Trixi’s parents were due to join us. Before Trixi’s parents arrived we spent a few days in Westendorf (where my family were based). I absolutely love Westendorf, I’ve spent lots of holidays there in the past, so it was great to go back, see the Hotel Glockenstuhl staff and ski my favourite runs – not to mention spend some time with my parents and sister.
Me carving down KiWest, photo by Trixi Loeschenberger
It was a very different atmosphere to whenever I’ve been there before, so quiet, mellow and chilled out – almost empty of punters. Very green too with the snow melting, but lots of fun slushy bumps to ski. We were surprised with some fresh snow too!
Me in the pow, glad for 'local' knowledge, by Trixi
Trixi ripping up the short turns
Photo by Trixi
Later in the holidays we stayed over in Kirchberg with Trixi’s parents, Berti and Fanni. Again blessed with more suprise fresh snow we had some great skiing. Kitzbuhel has easy access to lots of fun mellow offpiste, and when the freshies runs out there’s lots of slushy bumps to play in. I was a little dissapointed with the Hahnenkamm though. Yeah you’d have to be mental to ski it at the speeds the downhill racers do, but even the proper route (which is undeservedly marked as an ‘extreme’ offpiste route on the map), although fairly steep, isn’t particularly difficult.
My sister Hollie at the start of the Hahnenkamm, by Fanni Loeschenberger
Bertie and Fanni synchronised, by Trixi
When we got back to Innsbruck the snow was so sticky on the south facing Nordkette slopes it just wasn’t worth skiing, so we enjoyed a fair few beers in the sun at the Schirmbar at the bottom of the slopes, and paid a visit to the Alpenzoo!
On 9th April my Grandad, Professor Matthew Aitken Clark OBE, one-time head of Architecture and planning at the University of South Carolina, retired Chief Executive of the Norfolk Broads Authority and heavily involved in Europarc, sadly passed away after a short fight with cancer. RIP Grandad, you’ll be missed.
My Grandad and Dad in Turkey last summer
