Spring Ski Tour, Germany & Austria

Overview

The time had come around once more to be heading off to the Alps (again) for a few days in the mountains with skis. Bryon and I had discussed where to go and settled on an area East of Innsbruck with access to the Kitzbueler and Bayern mountains. As with the last couple of years Steph would come with us, as she wanted to expand upon the days in the new year.
The arrangement was for all of us to meet up on Friday night in Ifold and make our outward journey on Saturday morning via an overnight in Metz  at a F1 I think we have used before. Then on the next day to an area south of Munich on the border with Austria where I had booked an apartment in the village of Oberaudorf.
Once there we would do day tours making the most of the local routes, and travelling to nearby centres, before moving down to Kufstein and meet up with a couple of AAC members I have been on day walks with.

Outward Journey

We were booked on the noon ferry to Calais, and despite allowing extra time we arrived at the alloted booking time - mainly due to roadworks and concertinas on the motorways. It was loaded in the usual time and we headed straight for the restaurant.

Then time for lunch - fish and chips as this looked the better option on the counter - all the menu was fixed, I guess, as it never seems to change - however the Dover/ Calais and the Dover/ Dunkirk have different options. The crossing was a complete opposite to last year - smooth as the archetypical millpond - time for snoozing. We arrived in time and were soon negotiating the Autoroute to Reims.
We drove along the French motorways across the top of France and arrived in Metz and the F1 - this was in a desolate space beside a railway track and a dual carriageway. I expected to go to reception once we arrived, but this seemed deserted and despite waiting no one came. So around to the machine on the wall to give us a code number, then 3 printouts and we were in. We had the usual bunk along one wall with two singles under and a basin in the corner, the usual tight space with facilities down the corridor.

Once settled in we set off to forage for food - the closest restaurants were all booked up and we ended up getting a takeaway pizza, eating it in a small park.
Next day after a reduced buffet breakfast (the coffee machine worked today!) however we were a little early and the bread was still being heated up, and a nice service person served it to our table.

We made our way across to Germany and along the Autobahn network to Munich then down to the border and our first stop - Oberaudorf
The apartment was up the hill under the ski jump - a very modern style place with the usual minimum of content. The parking was all around on the slope, and we got close so that unloading would be easier.

Oberaudorf Days

The apartment was on the second floor but accessed by one staircase. It had a mezanine with three beds with a bathroom and loos, a separate lounge/ kitchen/ diner on the main floor - plenty of room for us to spread out.

Then down to the town to find a supermarket, finding that they were closed - this being Sunday. Unfortunately this left us in a quandary - and we covered our options getting some long life milk and a pack of sausages from a vending machine.

Once back at the apartment we decided that going for a meal outside would be best. So back into town and chasing an Italian - shut despite Google saying it was open. and finally to a Gasthof that would let us in. Dinner was schnitzel (x2) and burger, with a beer then home.

• Vogelsang - A peak above the Sudelfeld Ski area
• Taubenstein - A ski tour below a summer lift near Spitzingsee
• Heuberg & Kossen - A recce to check out the snow cover to the East.
• Roßkopf - A ski tour to a peak around the outside of Spitzingsee ski area

Kufstein Days

After 3 nights at Oberaudorf we changed apartments and moved to Kufstein where we had an apartment for 4 nights meeting up with Tim and Michael. The apartment was huge and had more rooms than we expected for five of us, and had to spread out. There was a balcony around three sides (the remaining side was private apartments). From one side we could see up to the castle rising over the town. The apartment was part of a hotel, and we had to register there first, then drive around to the apartment. parking was a little tight with the only free places available outside the front door of the block (or paid in the garage - when I looked inside there was not a lot of space!). We did however manage to get parked outside every day.

• St Johann Dynaski track #2 - Harschbichl - A ski tour along the pistes of St Johann to Harschbichl
• Schneegrubenspitze - A ski tour from Wegscheid Gasthof car park
• Rest day in Kufstein - A Castle Tour and afternoon stroll.

Bamburger Hutte days

We moved on with the others as they went to meet up with an AAC group at the Bamberger Hutte. We would be remaining as an independent group, however joining in with the social side. The hut was much more salubrious than the ones that I was used to the last time we were up in mountain huts (many moons ago!). We had booked as matratzen lager which ended up in a room of 5 beds - I had expected the bunk bed row of 20 - so was delightfully surprised. We did have "Zimmer Freunden" of a mother and daughter combination for 2 of the nights. We ended up on the same routes for the next two days swapping leads. Eventually they left and we had the room to ourselves for he last night. The hut had running water (safe to drink), hot showers - 2Euro a go and no privacy, as well as flush toilets. The day room was more like a restaurant than usual, however we could accumulate onto one bill paid by card at the end.

• Bamberger Hutte ascent - A tour along the winter access track
• Tristkopf - A peak on the Eastern side of the valley
• Schafsiedel - A peak on the western side of the valley
• Alternative Descent to Wegscheid - Using the descent from Stanglhohe

Return Journey

After the last route down to Wegscheid, we looked for a place to stay, and found that the cheapest places were up near Munich and selected an F1 clone in Munich (Novitel). We drove back through Kufstein - a last view of the castle and glass blowers statues - up to Munich and the hotel in the Messe/ Feldkirchen area.
Steph and I went for a Pizza in the Biergarten - Flugwerk bar aroudn the corner which I realised once we got there was a place I had been when working for Edwards last century. We could not get into the main bar and settled for the Bierzzeria upstairs which served the same beer but pizzas.

The next morning the weather had turned and the clear days had been replaced with Rain/ snow mix, so coupled with the fact that we were all nursing minor strains and niggles, we chose to return home a couple of days early.
After a brilliant buffet breakfast with lots of choice we set off for Dunkirk. Once out of the local area we followed the Autobahns across Germany to Luxembourg/ Belgium/ to Dunkirk, fighting the weekday traffic and the variable weather.
We approached the port as the sun went down - after a day of rain/ snow/ sun/ jams/ and just heavy traffic. At the barrier we "negotiated" the amendment fee and transfer fee to get on the next ferry - the 8pm (delayed to 20:30), and through the customs and immigration checks - including opening all doors and the roof box for inspection.
On board we rushed over to the self service restaurant and settled for a beef curry (only on this route) - there were so few people on the ship that the meals were individually prepared and delivered!
At Dover we had a smooth exit and charged home (despite the M20 closure around Ashford where we freebooted up to the M26) arriving back just after midnight.
Another successful trip with majority of days out on the hills.