The Nockberge Trail – Ski Touring for Softies
This is ski touring at its most luxurious.
Ski touring as if it was designed by people who dream up aromatherapy marketing material.
I exaggerate only slightly – after all, gravity is somewhat of a constant in our lives and ski touring, by definition, requires skinning uphill, but that aside, the Nockberge Trail offers by far the most luxurious form of ski touring I have ever encountered.
The Nockberge Trail links a number of ski resorts in Carinthia – the most southeastern province of Austria.
Small resorts like Katchberg, Turracher Höhe, Bad Kleinkirchheim and others that can be connected by ski touring between them across terrain that is pure off piste.
Ski touring uses bindings that can be both fixed at the heel, like a traditional downhill binding, and free like a cross country ski.
By having “skins” that can be attached and detached from the base of the ski, you essentially have a means of walking uphill on skis, and skiing downhill in the traditional manner.
The luxury comes in if you organise the Nockberge Trail through Trail Angels.
They book 3 or 4 star hotels en route – we are not in the business of sharing a bunk with eight snoring Germans in a hut at 2500m.
They organise luggage transfer so you are free to bring all the glad rags you care to strut in the hotel.
And they sort out single use lift passes where required – if there is a lift to use, use it – this is not masochism.
You are left with the sole responsibility of your day pack and the sheer luxury of being in the absolute wilderness of backcountry Carinthia.
There is no getting away from the fact that the Nockberge Trail requires a degree of fitness.
The Nockberge Trail, Austria. Image © Simon Miller/PlanetSKI
My first day was 1,000 vertical metres of skinning over the course of a six hour day.
You also need to be a confident off piste skier – style is completely irrelevant.
The only requirement is the ability to ski through different snow conditions with a reasonable degree of confidence.
I started this tour in Katchberg – a lovely, small, family resort in Carinthia with my guide Lisi.
The Nockberge Trail, Austria. Image © Simon Miller/PlanetSKI
After she checked my avalanche kit (shovel, probe, transceiver), we took our one and only lift of the day – the Aineckbahn to 2200m.
Lisi quickly led us beyond the resort boundaries.
There had just been a reasonable snowfall so we enjoyed bouncing through clean blankets of snow through high alpine farmland before the real business of the day started.
Skins on and clothing layers off, we were ready for the main climb of the day.
Ski touring is like hiking – too fast, and you get hot and sweaty and use too much energy.
Lisi set a good steady pace and before long I was in a rhythm and admiring the stillness of proper backcountry terrain under blue skies.
This is luxury.
There are different reasons to go ski touring.
Some use it as a means to access descents that lifts can’t reach; others ski tour for fitness.
The Nockberge Trail, Austria. Image © Simon Miller/PlanetSKI
Our goal was to go from one resort to another over a series of days.
Trail Angels offer 3, 5 and 7 day tours with 3 or 4 star hotels available as well as the option to stay in huts. They also organize fully qualified, local mountain guides – absolutely essential.
A ski guide’s job is a complex one.
They need to know the terrain, the avalanche situation, the weather, a client’s level of fitness and competence, all the while recognising that this is a holiday.
Lisi knows her stuff, and precisely as forecast, we started in benign conditions with just a single base layer and no gloves or hats required, but we were soon adding layers.
The Nockberge Trail, Austria. Image © Simon Miller/PlanetSKI
I was glad of my Helly Hansen kit with fantastic flexibility that kept me warm, but never hot, in hugely variable conditions.
For a six hour day one naturally needs to keep fed and watered, and whilst I enjoy a posh lunch as much as anyone, there is something special about a picnic sheltered from the wind with not a soul in sight high in the alps.
More luxury.
Ski touring of this sort requires a plan but above all flexibility.
Our day one plan worked perfectly.
The following days not so much, with the weather proving disagreeable.
The beauty about doing the Nockberge Trail is that there is plenty of flexibility with alternative routes and even in extremis (and don’t tell anyone) taxis available.
The Nockberge Trail is wonderful ski touring for softies.
If you are trying to impress people with tails of hardy off piste adventures, just don’t tell them about the 4 star hotels with spas and 5 course meals.
The Nockberge Trail, Austria. Image © Simon Miller/PlanetSKI
For information see – www.nockberge-trail.com
Lisi Fürstaller – mountain guide
PlanetSKI: Number 1 for digital ski news
Your digital platform for ski news, resort information, travel, equipment rental, sport, money saving deals and everything connected with snowsports – web site, social media & more.
The post The Nockberge Trail – Ski Touring for Softies appeared first on PlanetSKI.
Leave a Reply