Skis – the keys to a winter wonderland

There are few things better than making awesome lines on a snowboard. I have always been passionate about snowboarding in winter and, over the years, I have only missed a few days out on the slopes with my board.

But this winter season will mark a turning point and a new challenge, something that I had wanted to do before the New Year. So I made up my mind to invest my Christmas bonus in some ski gear and get going on two “boards” instead of one. And, in such matters, I am a man of action. Thus, by mid-December, there were a new pair of skis and ski boots in my basement, which really fired me up to get out and about in the winter mountains.

My brother-in-law (and snowboard buddy) wanted to come along on my “maiden voyage” with my new skis, an adventure he was determined not to miss. The slopes of Obereggen, with plenty of space and varied terrain, would be ideal for giving my new skis a proper run-out.

Full of motivation, I wait at the valley station in Obereggen with my new gear, impatient to get my edges making the first lines on the perfectly groomed pistes. I had thoroughly studied the Obereggen piste plan the night before: today we need to be in top form, as the Obereggen ski pass opens up no fewer than 111 kilometres of slopes.

The snow is in perfect condition and the extensive lift network means we have already done a good number of slopes by noon. So my brother-in-law and I order a decent lunch each – we have burnt off quite a few calories after all! I enjoy a tasty goulash with dumplings as we look back over the last runs, and I realise that, overall, I am delighted with my new skis! I enjoy the short turns and fast carving curves that require full use of the body; I feel it got better with each descent. And now, here up at the Mayrl Alm hut as I dip a piece of bread into the last of the goulash, already out on the pistes (at least in thought), I almost feel as if I’d spent the last ten winters on skis. Especially on steeper slopes, such as the bottom third of the Zanggen piste, my skis have been nothing but fun!

We get going once more and, helped by our substantial lunch, manage another three hours on the snow before, tired out, we call it a day. Two three-hour sessions of skiing are plenty for today. Now we have earned ourselves a cold beer on the sun terrace as a reward for our efforts. I am captivated by the motor skills required for skiing: I am looking forward to tomorrow when I can once more dig my edges into the snow on the slopes of the Latemar massif. My initial conclusion is that I arrived here as a snowboarder and left as a skier - no wonder, given the magnificent surroundings!