Global Adventure - Ski in the Alps of Tirol Austria

Arrive at noon or TTBD, on March 6 at the Zurich Airport.  We will be met by a private to transfer to the hotel in Zurich.  On March 7^th, we will travel by private bus to Serfaus where we will spend the first week.  On Saturday March 14 we will travel on private bus from Serfaus, stopping in Innsbruck for 2 hours before proceeding to Mayrhofen for the second week of activity.   At   the end of the trip we will have a private transfer from Mayrhöfen to Munich's Franz Josef Strauß Airport through the Bavarian Alps, with an overnight stay included at the airport hotel.   

Itinerary Highlights:   This adventure explores Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis and Mayrhöfen, two of the 10 largest ski areas of Austria for skiing and walking.  Both resorts cater to skiers and non-skiers. 

Our adventure will begin at the Zurich airport.  We’ll be picked up at the airport and transported to our centrally located hotel to recover from jet lag.  The next morning, a walking tour will take us through the history of the old city, and we’ll sample some of the finest Swiss chocolates - the famous Luxembourgerli from Sprüngli and pralines by local artisan chocolatiers  before we board our bus to Serfaus.  As we journey to Serfaus, we will travel beside Zürichsee, the beautiful, banana shaped lake with green pasture-lands stretching for miles, and Walensee with the snowcapped Churfirsten mountain chain rising nearly vertically out of the water. We may be able to see the mighty Seerenbach Waterfall, nearly 450 feet high.  Continuing, we will pass through Liechtenstein with numerous castles perched high on the mountains.  We will stop to have passports stamped and to purchase stamps and postcards.

Serfaus, Fiss and Ladis are interconnected resorts offering long distance skiing on broad runs appropriate for all levels of skiing.  At each area there are runs which will challenge even the most expert of skiers.  There is unlimited off-piste skiing with the area boundaries.   The three areas wrap around a mountain, so perfect snow can always be found as the angle of the sun changes during the day.

We will stay at the Hotel Rex, just 2 minutes from the Dorfbahn entrance - a quiet, centrally located, small family run hotel with a team committed to welcoming us back.  The Hotel Rex has an un-obstructed view of the surrounding mountains to watch the alpen-glow descend on the nearby peaks.  After a long, active day you will find it quiet and peaceful in the fitness area where there is a sauna and steam bath. 

The ski slopes here offer services not found at other resorts.  There are free boot warmers at the tops of some lifts.   There are cameras to take your picture and see it later on your cell phone.  There are cantilevered observation platforms for enjoying the views of the surrounding mountains.  The “Crystal Toilet”, at the top of one lift, is ultra-modern with one-way glass imprinted with the names and heights of the mountains you are seeing from your private room!   Some of the gondola cabins have a one-way imprint picture of an animal of the area. Inside the cabin, as you ride up the mountain, you listen  to information about this animal in 3 different languages. The favorite mountain hut of all ski resorts, where we often meet for lunch, is the Zirbenhütte, known for its gourmet entrées.   Serfaus is known for its unique subway - the second-shortest underground train line in the world - that allows for a car-free experience within the town.  After skiing, leave your boots on boot dryers and skis at the station at the base of all the lifts, then ride the Dorf-bahn to the hotel.  One evening we will see the Cirque du Soleil type, music, light show on the mountain.

For those not skiing, the tourist bureau has planned a week of adventure for the non-skier!  Ride a 20-passenger luxury snow groomer to the highest mountain chalet to meet your skier-friends for lunch while you marvel at the view.   Walk between several local villages where spring flowers may be popping as you walk through the fields.

As we transfer from Serfaus to Mayrhöfen, we will stop in Innsbruck.   There are many activities here.   Take a cultural walk including the 800 year “old town”,  take pictures of the “Golden Roof “, stop for  a coffee and sweet at a typical Austrian café, take the Hungerburgbahn cable car for a 20 minute ride to the top of the Nordkette for the view on the Inn Valley and Innsbruck, or walk  part way up to Nordkette to view Innsbruck and the Inn valley and have lunch.  The time will pass all too quickly.

Mayrhöfen:   We will stay in this historic village (dating to 1200) to enjoy a week with access to over 180 lifts on one ski card (flex- pass available) by using the train, bus or interconnected lifts to access the various areas.   The ski areas stretch the length of the Ziller valley starting at Fügen and ending in the Tux valley with the Hintertux Glacier.   The largest interconnected area in the Ziller Valley using only skis is the” Zillertal Arena”. Here, 4 areas assessible from one base, on 3 distinct mountains, is 88 miles wide!  With an early start you could ski across the whole area and return!  The Hintertux Glacier has 20 lifts accessing terrain between 4,921’ and 10,663’, and with a loading capacity of 38,852 passengers per hour!  The area is large which allows for off-piste skiing within the area boundaries and plenty of space to avoid crowds.  Walkers will find great sightseeing opportunities on the glacier and in Nature’s Ice Palace.

Our hotel is centrally located in Mayrhofen.  After skiing or walking, enjoy the afternoon buffet before searching for “mountain worlds” in the hotel.  There you will find a swimming pool, jacuzzi, fitness room, steam bath, infrared cabins, cold mist showers, heated waterbeds, two temperatures of saunas & a spa. In the evening we will have a 5-couse dinners with regional and seasonal specialties.

Walkers will find lovely routes for wandering with or without snow in the valley.  The Ziller River has an 8-mile long promenade with rest stops and near-by bakeries offering freshly baked sweets and beverages.  At any point along the promenade, you can return to the starting point using the historic train which runs the length of the Ziller valley or the local buses. 

After our time in Mayrhöfen we will transfer to Munich for flights out.

Time of Year:   We will travel near the end of the winter season.  We still expect cold weather, storms with new dumps of snow and sun to view all the snow-covered mountains.

Lodging:   We will be in 3*, 4* and 5* hotels in non-smoking rooms.  The hotels serve breakfast and dinner.  Dinner is not included in Zurich and Munich.  Hotels in Serfaus, Mayrhofen and Munich have fitness facilities offering various experiences. 

Food:   Breakfast and dinner (drinks with dinner not included) is included at all hotels except dinner in Zurich and Munich. Lunch will be on your own at small restaurants on the hill or at the base of the lifts.  Special diets are accommodated at the hotels with prior knowledge.

Leader’s Experience:   Patti Polinsky, meanysports@me.com, has led many Mountaineer hikes, snowshoe and ski trips in the US and to most of the major and minor ski areas of Europe. She is also the snow sports director at the Mountaineers Meany Lodge and is a Level III downhill instructor and a Level 2 telemark instructor in the United States Snow Sports Instructor Association

Participant Requirements:   Must be a current Mountaineers member with an up-to-date waiver on file. This outing includes skiing, riding or walking on a variety of terrain and runs from easy to expert. The weather can change suddenly to high winds and heavy snow.  For these reasons, the participants need the experience and judgment to evaluate the situation and return to the base.

Trip Price Detail:   $ 3,350 including all lodging, land transportation, tours and breakfast and dinners except dinner in Zurich and Munich. Not included: airfare (~$700-1,200), travel insurance ($30-350), lift tickets, (~$50/day), lunch & 3 dinners, beverages with dinner (~ $200). 

Registration Instructions:    First please submit the application form which will automatically be sent to the leader.   After the leader’s approval, go to the trip listing and click the REGISTER button to pay the $1675 deposit and hold your space on the roster. Registration will close on 1/1/20 or whenever the roster fills.   A place on the roster can only be held with payment of the deposit.   The final payment will be due 12/15/19.  Participants will be required to purchase international medical and emergency evacuation insurance, and trip cancellation/interruption coverage is recommended.

application        trip agreement   release

Cancellation Policy: If you cancel because of an emergency, you may receive a refund less expenses incurred and a $100 administrative fee.