It is time to say good bye to the 2009/10 winter season. However there are still some snowfields to find which seem to be worthwile to ski. Though it is more of a hiking with some (relatively short) skiing in between than a real ski tour. Basically there are two different locations for summer skiing in the direct vicinity of Vienna.

The first location is to be found at the Schneeberg and is easily accessed via the cog railway from Puchberg and a short (30 to 50 minutes) hike to the summit of the Schneeberg. It is called the Hacker bowl and is just beneath the two different summits of the Schneeberg (Klosterwappen, 2076m and Kaiserstein, 2061m). It is a wide, open bowl which is filled with snow usually until June. The skiable vertical is about 150 m. There is even a summer ski race each year (usually at the beginning of May).

The Fischer hut near the summit of the Schneeberg

The second location is the Lange-Mann-Couloir at the Rax. From Preiner Gscheid (1070m, parking lot) it is a hike of about 1.5 – 2h to the area around the Predigtstuhl summit (1903m) at the Rax massif. There, a narrow chute, called “Lange Mann Rinne”, is filled with enormous amounts of snow during the winter. Usually it is skiable (about 300-400 m vertical) until May (sometimes even until beginning of June).

Skiing the Lange Mann (Rax), May 2010

This winter has been rather disappointing with a below average snow cover in the Vienna region. However, beginning with last weekend a significant dump delivered up to 100 cm new snow. Accordingly, total snow heights went up to the roof. Niederalpl (Styria) reported a total snow cover of 190 cm yesterday evening, Hochkar (Lower Austria) reported 220 cm and Brunnalm/Veitsch (Styria) reported 120 cm.

The region around the traditional ski resort Semmering (just about 70 km south of Vienna) was again a winter wonder land covered by a deep layer of fresh snow.

Hotel Panhans. Winter wonderland at the Semmering

Though the rising temperatures with freezing levels of up to 2000 m are soon going to degrade the new powder into heavy and wet snow a good spring ski season around Vienna seems finally to be secured.

Of course, the snow masses mean higher avalanche dangers. The avalanche service of Styria reports a danger level of 4 for the northern part of Styria.

Practically all mountains in Eastern Austria can be climbed and skied as a day tour. So in principle there is no need for mountain huts. However, the whole region is scattered by uncountable mountain huts, some even really close to the valleys while others are near or even on top of the summits.

This is due to historical reasons. The mountains around Vienna were a perfect destination for weekend trips when the villages in the mountains were finally connected to the public transport system (train and buses). However the longer travel time by using these early public transport systems made an overnight stay mandatory. People came to the mountain huts at Saturday, slept there and climbed the summits on Sunday and returned to Vienna.

Soon, a network of mountain huts developed. Some of these huts served as a the perfect base camp for longer ski trips. Entire ski vacations were spent for example in the various huts at the Schneeberg, which is probable the most versatile ski mountain of the whole region.

Today, most of this huts are only used as sort of ‘restaurants’, overnight stays are very seldom though it might be quite some fun for a group. Some huts are open virtually all the year round and offer a perfect rest in case of bad winter weather.

Mountain Huts Near Vienna: Fischerhütte (Schneeberg)

Mountain Huts Near Vienna: Graf-Meran-Haus (Hohe Veitsch)

Mountain Huts Near Vienna: Gschwendthuette

Mountain Huts Near Vienna: Karl Ludwig Haus (Rax)

There is a lot of history to be discovered in the Vienna region. The legacy of the former Hapsburg Empire is everywhere. And of course, some remarkable stories of the skiing history have its origins here in the Vienna region. It was the transport infrastructure developed throughout the nineteenth century which opened up the region and its mountains for us skiers. Let’s praise the inventive engineers and the many unnamed workers who managed to construct these infrastructures.

One particular helpful infrastructure is the cog railway from Puchberg up to the Schneeberg massif. This traditional cog railway was built between 1894 and 1897. It departs from the railway station in Puchberg/Schneeberg (576m) and goes to the plateau of the so called Hochschneeberg (1795m) near the two summits of the Schneeberg (Klosterwappen , 2076m and Kaiserstein, 2064m).

Cog railway Schneebergbahn (Lower Austria), ca. 1900

The Schneebergbahn was operated for decades using the same old steam locomotives. However, recently the trains were modernised and today a diesel train called Salamander transports the passengers in about 50 minutes to the summit station. Nowadays, the steam locomotives are in operation only on special occasions during the summer months. Though the Schneebergbahn is closed in winter the annual opening is usually in late April and thus provides an easy access to the fabulous spring skiing possibilities in the many couloirs of the Schneeberg massif.

Hotel Hochschneeberg (Lower Austria), ca. 1900

The summit of the Schneeberg is accessed via the Hacker bowl which is just below the two main peaks (Klosterwappen and Kaiserstein) of the Schneeberg massif.

Hacker bowl, Schneeberg (Lower Austria)

Cog railway Schneebergbahn (Lower Austria), Modern Diesel Train called Salamander at the top station

Summer can be a terrible season. With temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius urban life starts to become somewhat nightmarish. This holds true especially for us enthusiastic skiers. Not only are we sweating like everybody else but we are not able to do what we like most and what we constantly dream about: skiing in virgin powder with a grin in the face.

However, some activities may help us to endure those summerly pains, even in a densely populated city like Vienna. The danube river comes in handy in offering some possibilities which may be a substitute to skiing albeit far from perfect.

Donauinsel, Vienna

Wakeboarding, waterski or for the park rats among us the waterramp are helping us to stay in ’ski shape’ even over a ever-too-long summer. Thanks to the ‘Donauinsel’ these amenities are only a short metro and bike ride away. So, get there and enjoy!

Wakeboarding at the Donauinsel, Vienna

Vienna's waterramp (Donauinsel)