Photo: Mason Wakley
After recently leaving university, my friends have gone on to a variety of different things. Some have flocked to London to pursue their dreams of climbing the corporate ladder, others have stayed in academia, whilst for the rest of us, it meant deciding to take some time to figures things out.
For one of my friends, this involved escaping to the Austrian mountains and undertaking a ski season. When they asked if I’d like to come out and stay with them for a week, I leapt at the chance. Not only would this be a chance to reconnect with a good friend, but it also came up during a stressful time at work, where I knew that, by reconnecting with nature in the glorious sunshine at the top of the mountain, it would be all of the relaxation I could hope for and needed.
In the weeks leading up to this trip, I’d secured some second-hand ski clothes, borrowed some ski goggles off of a friend, and watched countless YouTube videos on ‘how to ski’ (I wasn’t sure that my university ski trip a few years back was going to be enough).
And then disaster struck.
Less than a week before I was due to fly out, I get a voice note from my friend telling me that she’s been in a ski accident! Fortunately, a broken wrist and a damaged sense of pride were the only injuries that came to my friend, who was now back home in the UK, resting and recovering with family.
After being reassured that she was all alive and well, I was then faced with the question – what should I do? My flights were non-refundable, and the time was already booked off work.
The saving grace: Contiki
I found out about Contiki and their Ski Austria (4 day) Mini trip, thanks to the power of social media. Conveniently, the trip was very close to where my friend was working, and the trip overlapped with my perfectly with my original dates.
I frantically called Contiki to see if there was any space still available, something that I was not hopeful for, given I was trying to book 5 days before the trip started. Luckily, they managed to squeeze me in. Even with the quick turn-around, they were very helpful in answering my many questions, clear about all of the documents I needed to fill out, and overall made the frantic process feel a lot smoother.
I started my trip a few days later, by first flying out to the nearby city, Salzburg. After roaming the local woods to gain a great vantage point looking out over the city, I wandered through the streets, exploring the many cafes and shops on offer. Mozart, the well-known classical composer, was born in this city, and although I didn’t have time to experience a concert, I could still gain a sense of how the city, particularly the architecture, may have influenced Mozart’s music. With a quick stop for lunch, I then ventured over the river and up to the castle that I could see earlier in the day. This was without a doubt the highlight of my day in Salzburg, probably because it was snowing as I ambled around the castle rooms and walls- it was as if I was living in a real-life, modern-day fairytale.
Image source:Mason Wakley
Onwards and upwards to the mountains
The following day was when my real adventure began. After hopping on a train, sitting and admiring the picturesque snow-covered hillsides for about an hour and a half, I soon found myself in the town of Wörgl. It was here that I met Barney, one of the Contiki hosts, who helped me load my luggage on to the organised shuttle and drove me onwards to Contiki’s chalet: Haus Schöneck.
I was very early to arrive, but the staff very quickly informed me that my room was ready to check-in. Fuelled by a nap, I headed back downstairs to meet everyone else who had arrived- the range of nationalities was astonishing, from Australian, to American, to fellow Europeans, even one guy from Chile! We all hopped back on to Barney’s bus and headed into the town centre, where we sorted out our ski hire. I am not one that knows the ins and outs of a ski shop, believe me, but the staff were very helpful in finding boots that didn’t squeeze my feet to death.
On to the slopes we go!
From this point, the next few days absolutely flew by, and looking back, it all felt a little bit like a dream!
For most of my time with Contiki, I was exploring the many slopes that Ski Welt area had to offer. Luckily for me, there was a plentiful number of blue runs to ease me back in. I usually skied with a larger group of people of around 6 to 8, where we’d also stop at a mountainside café for lunch. This was a great chance to take a break from the tiring skiing and to connect with my fellow travellers.
Aside from the slopes, breakfast and dinner times were also a great way to get together with everyone else on the trip, where we would share stories of the near misses, tumbles, and successes of the day. The catering staff were amazing at sorting out my vegetarian dietary requirements – something I was anxious about before coming.
At the end of the day, we’d either head back into town for a few drinks or chill at the in-house ‘Stump Bar’, playing darts and beer pong. Monday evening found us taking full advantage of Schanppy hour (would highly recommend the chocolate flavour!), whilst Wednesday evening found us partying the evening away in our neon Contiki t-shirts!
Image source:Mason Wakley
All good things must come to an end
Somehow it was suddenly Thursday, and I was due to leave – there was still time to squeeze in one last day of skiing, though! Even after a couple of days, I had settled into a routine of eat, ski, socialise, sleep, repeat, and it felt odd that it was already coming to an end. I was surprised that even in a short time, I had made connections with people from all over the world, became a more confident skier (I am still not great at navigating but that’s another story…), and overall, had an amazing time on this trip.
I had one final day in Munich before I had to fly back, so managed to explore the city as much as I could. I would highly recommend checking out the surfers in the ‘English Garden’ if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary!
My top 3 moments from the trip
1.
I’d felt quite nervous about meeting everyone, even having travelled solo before. I’d imagined that everyone would be pro skiers, talking in a lingo that I couldn’t understand, and wouldn’t want slow-old-me holding them up. I soon realised that this would definitely not be the case, with nearly everyone being ‘a bit rusty’ and just here to have some fun on the slopes.
2.
The final day on the slopes felt like a dream. The weather was beautiful (I might even go so far as to say a little on the warm side…), not a cloud in sight. I finally managed to do a red run that had caused me trouble earlier in the week, thanks mostly due to the encouragement of my fellow Contikiers.
3.
Mountainside hot chocolate will always hit different. Sipping a cup of warm chocolatey goodness with cream and marshmallows galore in the warmth of the sun in a deckchair is a blissful break from the tiring nature of speeding down the slopes (in my head at least…)
