Austria > Back in the snow

At quarter past seven the alarm goes off. I take a shower. Downstairs in the Stubbe, breakfast is ready. I’m a bit surprised that only one table is set. Erica explains that I only ordered breakfast for myself this week. Last week, she continues, almost all the guests had breakfast. Then she really had to plan carefully when everyone could eat. The breakfast is fine. My friends eat with their children in the apartments. Much easier that way. Erica comes by to ask if everything is sufficient. When I say it’s too much, she laughs and says it can never be too much. I enjoy the meal. Still, I have to keep an eye on the time. We agreed to drive to the slopes early. During a busy week, the parking lot fills up quickly. The second parking lot is a little further away. Then it’s a longer walk with skis. This plan proves wise. When we arrive, the parking lot is almost full. There’s probably space left for only ten to fifteen cars after us. Within a few minutes, the lot is completely full. We were just in time. Quickly, I put on my ski boots and click my skis on. Fiene leads me to the first lift. The “pannenkoekenlift” (pancake lift) takes us partway up the mountain. The weather is nice and a few degrees below freezing. The slope looks great. It’s been four years since I last stood in the snow. From the first turns, it’s clear I haven’t forgotten how to ski. We continue to the Oberbach drag lift. This lift reaches a higher point. Simone doesn’t do well here. She falls on the lift and lands awkwardly. Luckily, she can get back on the slope easily. The ski area in Kössen isn’t very large. At the bottom are several drag lifts. The gondola takes you up to the higher area. There are three chairlifts and several drag lifts there. The whole morning, there was a long line for the gondola. When the line gets a bit shorter, we join it too. On the lift, a face mask must be worn due to corona risks.

Austria - The chairlift in Kossen

I keep the mask under my helmet and push it under my chin as soon as I get off the lift. When we exit the gondola at Hoch-Kössen, we immediately take the chairlift to Unterbergalm, the highest point of the ski area at about 1700 meters. Thanks to the clear weather, I have a view of the surrounding mountains. We ski back down. We quickly descend via the black slopes. The children avoid these slopes and take the blue ski routes to the same place. Around lunchtime, we’re back down. Zigi has reserved a table for us inside. However, the weather is nice and a table frees up on the terrace. We decide to eat outside. This is no problem for Zigi. In the afternoon, we take the gondola up again. We choose the slopes we haven’t done yet. With a bit of planning, it’s possible to ski all the slopes in one day. In the afternoon, we drive back to Kössen. At the supermarket, we get food for tonight. I’m eating with Ron and José this evening. The supermarket is busy too. Many skiers choose to do their shopping at the same time. There’s a very long line at the checkout. I quickly get in line with an almost empty cart. Ron and José gather the groceries meanwhile. I estimate there are at least twenty shopping carts ahead of me. Here too, there’s nothing else to do but wait. In the evening, we eat in Ron and José’s apartment on the top floor. While cooking, there’s almost an accident. The lid of the pot with boiling water gets stuck. Because of the pressure from the boiling water, the lid pops off. The water splashes over the electric stove. Quickly, we dry it up again. After dinner, when heating milk for coffee, the power goes out in the kitchen. From the apartment next to ours, Fred and Berlinda can be heard too. They’re completely in the dark. Herbert, the owner, rushes over to turn the power back on. For now, we avoid using the front burner. The milk is warmed up in the microwave.