Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Skiing & Snowboarding
No matter whether you're a slalom expert, a fearless free rider or a beginner, there's a
slope with your name on it in Austria. And, oh, what slopes! Granted, the Swiss and
French Alps may have the height edge, but Austria remains Europe's best skiing all-round-
er. This land is the origin of modern skiing (thanks to Hannes Schneider's dashing Arlberg
technique), the birthplace of Olympic legends and the spiritual home of après-ski. Here
you'll find intermediate cruising, knee-trembling black runs and summertime glacier ski-
ing - in short, powdery perfection for every taste and ability.
Ski-Run Classifications
Piste maps are available on most tourist office websites and at the valley stations of ski
lifts; runs are colour-coded according to difficulty as follows:
»
Blue
Indicates easy, well-groomed runs that are suitable for beginners.
»
Red
Indicates intermediate runs, which are groomed but often steeper and narrower than blue runs. Skiers should have
a medium level of ability.
»
Black
For expert skiers with polished technique and skills. The runs are mostly steep, not always groomed and may
have moguls and steep vertical drops.
