Are early bird offers worthwhile for skiers?
To put the first tracks in the fresh snow and to experience the sunrise on the slopes is very delightful. Many ski resorts attract early risers with special offers. But how useful are they? We provide answers to the five most important questions.
“Why don’t people believe the warnings?“
Several people have died in avalanche accidents in Tyrol. The rescue workers are on the road all day to recover spills from the snow masses. Many, despite all the warnings, go to unsecured terrain.
“Early Bird”, “Morning glow” and Co.: many ski resorts come up with something special to keep their guests happy. For example, offers like this are intended to appeal to early risers who want to enjoy the first carving turns without crowds.
To be on the mountain even before the gondolas officially open – do winter sports fans have to have tried it? Here are the answers to the five most important questions:
What do offers for early risers offer?
Early bird offers are available for all driver levels. The first cable car takes you to the still untouched piste, usually between 6.30 am and 8 am. Driving is then usually around two hours. Often the offers also include a breakfast, which is served after the first departures from 9 a.m. on a mountain hut or in the valley.
Freshly groomed slopes are a dream for every skier
Source: dpa-tmn/Winfried Heinze
Tickets are available until the day before, often online. The prices start at 30 euros and vary – depending on the ski resort, the number of participants, the type of breakfast and whether you book with or without a guide. Children usually pay less. The price for the lift is not always included, a valid ski pass is usually a basic requirement.
Where and when can I get to the ski slope early?
In Germany, the Kleinwalsertal and the Zugspitze put together corresponding packages. In the Silvretta-Montafon ski area in Austria, you can even choose from three different offers. Even in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Großarl, Zell am See-Kaprun or the Zillertalarena, the morning sun glitters for the first skiers on the pristine piste.
Motifs like these remain hidden from late risers: view of the sunrise from the Zugspitze
Source: dpa-tmn/—
In Switzerland, from Arosa-Lenzerheide to Zermatt-Matterhorn, many ski resorts are set for early risers. And in South Tyrol, the first rides in the Ahrntal, Val Gardena-Alpe di Siusi and Obereggen ski areas lead from the slopes to the set table. Most of the offers are for the weekend. But also during the week there are isolated opportunities for early skiing pleasure.
What is the attraction of the tours?
The free ride at sunrise. You just don’t travel with the masses and can carve down the untracked slopes in the clear morning air. This is how Andrea Müller from the German Ski Instructors Association (DSLV) describes the advantages of the offers.
Early risers would not have to put their legs in their stomachs at the lift and could enjoy the first hours of the day on empty slopes. South-eastern slopes offer a special enjoyment of nature in the morning, says Müller. And it was true: the higher the mountain, the more spectacular the view.
Would you like breakfast? For early bird offers, the meal is often included
Source: dpa-tmn/Winfried Heinze
Andreas König from the Foundation for Safety in Skiing in the German Ski Association (DSV) highlights the unique morning atmosphere at the top of the mountain as the icing on the cake of the early bird offers. Breakfast, on the other hand, is not always worth the price. He therefore advises reduced offers without breakfast and guide. If you prefer a guided tour, you should make sure to ride in a small group if possible, in which everyone has the same driving level, says König.
What do skiers have to pay attention to when setting off?
“The most important thing is to look at the weather,” says Müller. And that the chosen slopes also correspond to your own skills. Groomed slopes can be very hard and icy, especially in spring, when it has frozen over the night. “Then sharp edges are particularly important,” says König. Then to save on ski service, be reckless.
Downhill without crowds: if you take one of the first ski lifts in the morning, you only have to share the slope with a few other competitors
Source: dpa-tmn/Christian Seitz
He also warns against being carried away by the “great atmosphere” to particularly wide curves: overconfidence can easily lead to falls and injuries.
In addition, it is even colder early in the morning. Therefore, it is best to dress in a warm onion look and apply fat cold protection instead of a moisturizer. Alternatively, you can also use a sunscreen, says König.
Are there alternatives to the early bird offers?
Those who get up early to go up the mountain with one of the first regular lifts are lucky in many ski resorts and only have to share the slopes with a few other people. With a snack pack in your backpack and your friends in tow, you can have a similar experience, says König.
Skiers can also make their first tracks at the “Ländle Früah Sport” in the Montafon individually and without prior registration. There the lifts open regularly on Saturdays from 7.30 am. But you can also escape the crowds in the Montafon in the evening on one of the ski excursions.
Andrea Müller also advises on tour offers with hut evening and night departure such as Thursdays on the Tegelberg. In Austria’s largest night ski area in Söll, the piste is groomed and illuminated four times a week in the evening. In Obereggen three times. The snow-sure Saas-Fee even offers winter sports enthusiasts a full moon ride.
Downhill at full moon: in the Swiss Saas-Fee, ski guests can experience this adventure
Source: dpa-tmn/Saastal Tourismus AG
