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Off peak
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| For action adventures in the great outdoors, the Eastern Tyrol is hard to beat |
NEVER having been skiing, the term "off-season" has little meaning for me, not having anything to compare it with.
So the prospect of an off-season visit to the AustrianTyrol seemed every bit as rewarding as the promise of off-pistes, après-ski and snow-capped peaks.
If the Paznaun Tourist Board, which is looking to extend its season for tourists who like a bit of mountain activity in stunning settings, fails in its endeavours, then I will eat all the ice in my fridge.
Ischgl lies between Mathon and Kappl in the Silvretta valley and is but a three-hour drive across the Swiss border from Zurich and into the Tyrol.
If the mountain air, glacial backdrops and unspoilt pastures do not immediately find resonance, there must be something other than blood in your veins.
The windows faced up the valley framed by mountains sloping down on either side. If I had not been in a hotel rammed with journalists, it would have been the most romantic scene.
As one of Eastern Tyrol's major skiing attractions, Ischgl knows how to chill when it comes to handling visitor numbers. So it knew how to handle the 100 or so journalists invited here from across Europe to sample its summer secrets.
We were here to prove that Paznaun was worth coming to in the summer, and anyone with any appreciation of the outdoors just has to head for the hills. That could mean single-track mountain-biking (with numerous routes, which would keep you occupied for an entire month), hiking or rock climbing.
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| Scenic splendour of the Tyrol |
We were divided into "novices" and "advanced riders", and took the gondolas from the Dorftunnel, ascending to a point where glaciers still refused to melt.
Looking down a scree escarpment that sent Morse code messages to the spine, we - that is a score of expert Dutch and German riders and two crazy Englishmen - descended like tractor tyres charging down an asphalt roof. Despite apparently being advanced riders, I, for one, felt my bike getting ideas about who was in control, as scree gave way to tree stumps, the odd boulder and grassy knolls.
Luckily I had a couple of chances at rehearsing the emergency dismount before the really mean single tracks and the banshee howls of adrenaline started. By the time we got to the bottom two hours later, I had used every limb as an emergency cushion and discovered religion.
We immediately made plans to repeat the feat the next day. Europe's Bike magazine has rated Ischgl's many signed cycle networks as "the best venue for free riders".
The trails up to the Heidelberger cabin via the Fimber Pass are stunning, and the resort also offers week-long training packages from July to September.
To prove that Paznaun is not all cross-country skiing, telemarking, snowboarding, hiking and biking, we were taken climbing on the Via Ferrata. After a one-hour hike, our guides, who seemed remarkably cool about the health and safety drill, coerced those of us with a head for heights up and over a 100ft precipice at the newly built climbing trail, Ballunspitze, which after the morning's kamikaze bike run seemed a cinch.
Afterwards we were taken to the Alpinarium in Galtur, which was built as part of the defensive wall, as well as a memorial to those who died in a huge avalanche in 1999, which killed 31 people, in the worst Alpine disaster in 40 years. The impact was devastating for the entire country.
After a night visiting the local bars, we caught a glimpse of what the ski season must be like, but only because of the sheer number of watering holes, and the younger locals, who couldn't wait for the foreigners to arrive, booking out the 10,000 hotel, chalet and guest house rooms available in the town.
One of Ischgl's major draws is the annual International Fire Sculptures Festival. This was a pyromaniac's fantasy of burning wicker men, exploding sculptures and acrobatic dance - with fire, of course.
Ischgl also has year-round sports camps for children and adults, and an Ironbike event through the mountains, which starts 1,300 metres up and reaches the 2,800 metre peak of Greitspitze.
Factfile
Swiss International Airlines from operates frequent daily flights from London Heathrow to Zurich - see swiss.com or call 0845 601 0956. For onward travel, holidaymakers can take the train from the airport terminal station to Landeck, then it's a 30 minute taxi or bus ride to Ischgl, which is at the heart of the Paznaun region.
We stayed at the four-star Hotel Madlein, Ischgl's design/Zen hotel - see madlein.ischgl.com or call 0043 5444 5226.
For further details on Ischgl, Galtür and Kappl, contact the Austrian National Tourist Office in London on 0845 101 1818, or visit ischgl.com, galtuer.com or kappl.com; or call the Paznaun Tourist Office on 0043 5099 0100.
9:09am Saturday 10th May 2008
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